Page:Craik History of British Commerce Vol 2.djvu/19

Rh Mogul; and at Firando in Japan; but also at Bantam, Jacatra (the present Batavia), and Japara, in Java; at Benjarniassing and Socodania in Borneo, at Banda in the Banda Islands, at Patan in Malacca, at Macassar in the isle of Celebes, at Siam in the kingdom of that name, at Masulipatam and Petapoli on the Coromandel coast, and at Calicut on the coast of Malabar. In so prosperous a state, also, were their concerns believed to be about this time that in 1617 their stock was currently sold at 203 per cent. The disputes with the Dutch, however, now grew to such a height as greatly to embarrass the trade. Commissioners were actually appointed by the governments of the two countries to endeavour to bring about an amicable arrangement; and the Dutch proposed that the English East India Company and theirs should carry on the trade as a joint concern, a plan which, it was urged, would enable them effectually to subdue their common enemy the Portuguese, and to exclude all other nations from getting any footing in India; but this idea came to nothing. At length, in July, 1619, a treaty was concluded at London by eighteen English commissioners and ten deputies from the States-General, by which it was agreed that the two companies should continue to carry on the trade separately, but upon the principle of each sharing in the different branches of it in certain specified proportions, under the superintendence of what was called a Council of Defence, to be composed of four of the principal servants of each company resident in the country. This agreement was to continue in force for twenty years; but did not last half as many months. The intelligence that it had been concluded was received with great rejoicings in India, in April, 1620; and, in December of that same year, the Dutch governor-general suddenly attacked and took possession of the islands of Lantore and Pulo Boon, the dominion of which was claimed by the English, thus recommencing hostilities by the most decided act of aggression that had yet been committed on either side. This was followed, in February, 1623, by the much more atrocious affair of the massacre at Amboyna, and B 3