Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/251

 CnAP. IX.

EXPEDITION UNDER RAYMOND.

217

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Cape Comorin, from near Calcad — Fnun Daiiieil's Views in India.

where the}^ meant to cruise with a view to intercept and capture the richly a n. 1592. laden vessels from the Indian peninsula, Ceylon, Malacca, the Moluccas, and Japan. The south-west mon.soon having set in, they foimd great diffi- culty in doubling the Cape, but at length suc- ceeded in May, 1692. Six days after, they ar- rived at the Nicobar Islands; and then, after plying off and on the coast of Sumatra, pro- ceeded to the coast of Malacca, where they de- termined to pass what Lanciister calls the winter, meaning thereby the rain}' season. They were now reduced to thirty-three persons in all ; but, towards the end of August, having espied three vessels, each of about seventy tons, they Pre.iatorj' were bold enough to attack and capture the whole of them. Two of them they released because they were the property of merchants in Pegu ; but the third, which they understood to belong "to certain Portuguese Jesuits, and a biscuit- l)aker of the same nation," was considered lawful prize. Its cargo of pepper was transferred to the Edward.

They next sailed for the Straits of Malacca, still bent on privateering, and made two important captures, the one a Portuguese ship of 250 tons, laden with rice from Negapatam to Malacca, and the other a Malacca ship of 700 tons, that came from Goa. The latter carried fifteen brass Ciinnon, and had on board 300 men, women, and children, but made scarcely any defence against Lancas- ter's mere handful. She was laden chiefly with wine and European goods, but had no treasure ; and thus proving not so rich a prize as was anticipated, was sent adrift after the choicest goods had been taken out. The alarm of their presence being now spread, they deemed it dangerous to remain longer in this locality, and returned to the Nicobar Islands.

On the 21st of November they departed for the island of Ceylon, and, voyage anchoring at the Point de Galle, waited in the hope of intercepting the Portu- guese fleets from Bengal, Pegu, and Temisserim. Owing, doubtless, to the iiregular and predatory life which the crew had for some time been leading, a mutinous spirit began to appear ; and advantage was taken of Lancaster's sick- ness to announce their determination that they would stay no longer, but take their direct com'se for England. Tiiere was no means of i)reventing them from doing as they pleased ; and the vessel having weighed anchor, set sail home- wards, returning as it had come by the Cape of Good Hope Here the weather Vol. 1. 28