BEING arriv’d at Ispahan, my Companion and I went and lodg’d at the Convent of the Capucin Friars, which is almost in the Heart of the Town, and at a little distance from the Royal Palace. I met with a Bag full of Letters there, which were directed to me from almost all Parts of the World. Those from Constantinaple, gave me a Detail of the Campain which the Turks made in Polond; having the foregoing Year, with little or no Opposition, pass’d the Great River Neister, they ravag’d the finest Provinces, and took the famous Fortress of Camineick, which was the Bulwark of Poland. I was, among other things, inform’d, that the Ottoman Army had pass’d the Danube, over a Bridge five hundred Geometrical Paces long, built by the greatest Care and Diligence, and at the Expence of the Prince of Moldavia; and because the Fabrick did not please the Grand Seignior, he depriv’d that unfortunate Prince of his Principality, and Sentenc’d him to pay a Fine of a hundred and fifty thousand Crowns.
My Letters from the Indies contain’d an Account of the Voyage of Monsieur De la Hay, Vice-Roy of Madagascar, who set out from Rochel with a considerable Squadron, in the beginning of the Year 1670. He was sent upon the Memorials of Monsieur Carron, Director General of the French Company, to put some great Designs in Execution, and among others, to Seize Banca, a little Island Scituated to the East of Sumatra, and pretty near Batavia. This little Isle of Banca, which is uninhabited, was not in any Body’s Hands before that time. M. Carron judg’d it a Place proper to be the principal Magazine of the French Company in the Indies; and he had form’d a Design to seize it by Surprize: But the Hollanders, who were very vigilant and circumspect in regard to the Dominion which they had got in those Countries, hit exactly upon the Aim of the French Fleet, as soon as they saw it was equipping. They in vain gave out in France, that it was design’d for the West-Indies, they would not be bubbl’d under that Pretext. They dispatch’d three Advice-Boats one after another to Batavia, with Orders for the Council to take Possession of Banca, which was executed even before Monsieur De la Hay arriv’d in the Indies. His was a long Voyage, and to his great Misfortune, he put in at Madagascar, where he took it in his Head to make War with the People of the Island, at the Sollicitation of the French, who were Establish’d there. He lost six Months there, and near a thousand Men, who might have been better employ’d elsewhere; for he got nothing by quarrelling with the Negroes, but on the contrary, he enraged them to such a Degree, that they would never after be at Peace, nor keep up any Commerce with the French, and at last drove them quite out of the Island.
Monsieur De la Hay went from Madagascar to Surat, and made a stay there till the beginning of the Year 1672; and then he set Sail from thence with Monsieur Carron, contrary to whose Advice he had receiv’d Orders not to Act. The Fleet at that time, consisted of six Capital, Ships and four Pinks; they put into Harbour at Goa, on the 21st of January, and met with the Great-Britain, another of the King’s Ships, with two Pinks. These thirteen Vessels steer’d their Course towards Ceylan, and arriv’d on the 21st of March at the Bay of Coti-ari, commonly call’d the Bay of Trinc-male, which is a narrow, but good Bay, eight Degrees and thirty Minutes north Latitude, looking to the North East, and has a sound Bottom. The Hollanders had built a small Fortress about a League from the Shoar. There were but ten Men in Garrison, and they abandon’d it upon the first Sight of the French Fleet.
Monsieur De la Hay having cast Anchor, sent some Deputies to the King of Candy, (the lawful Lord of all the Isle of Ceylan) who sent others back again to him; and after several goings and comings, they concluded a Treaty, by which that Indian Prince gave to the King of France, the Bay of Trinc-male, and the Fort which the Hollanders evacuated. The Contract of this Donation was regularly drawn up, and executed in due Form, and they took Possession of the Bay and Fort under several Salvo’s of the Artilery, and with all the usual Ceremonies. A few Days after they began to build a Fort at the Mouth of the Bay, and another above the Shore.
During these Negotiations a Sickness spread, and rag’d with great Violence among the Fleet. The Disease that reign’d most, was a burning Fever. The Europeans call the Distempers which they catch at Ceylan, the Cinnamon Sickness, because the strong Scents of that Wood inflame the Humours. Several dy’d of it, but the greater part of them recover’d, tho’ they too found themselves in the midst of Penury and Want, as soon as they got rid of their Fevers; for the Victualling of the Fleet fell short in the Month of April, notwithstanding the good Management of the Vice-Roy, who order’d all the Provisions to be bought up and sold amongst them again, not permitting any Person to deal with the Country People for Provisions, for fear of Waste. The most common Meat at Trinc-male, is Wild Oxen, yet they eat of it but seldom, and then sparingly, by Reason of a Property which the Flesh of that Animal has very particular to itself, and yet more strange and surprizing: It engenders Imposthumations in the same Parts, and as painful as those that are contracted from lewd Women. But that which is still more particular, is, that there is no other Cure, but abstaining from the Flesh which occasion’d them. They sent three Ships to the Coast of Cormandel for Provisions, but those Vessels being taken in their return by the Hollanders, the Fleet was reduc’d to so great a streight through the scarcity of Victuals, that although the two Fortresses which they were building, were not finish’d, they were compell’ d to quit the Place, for fear of Perishing by Famine. They left behind them three hundred and fifty Men to go on with the Work, and a large Vessel for their Use, call’d the St. John.
Chardin, Medieval World and Early Modern Persia
