A fbort Account of the Factory of Bencoolen, and the Island of Carack. THE factory of Bencoolen is fituated on the inland of Sumatra, in Afia, and produces fome drugs, but chiefly pepper. There has been lately fome new forts erected, but it was always in but an indifferent condition, in point of strength, both on account of the nature of the works, the small number of Europeans refiding there, and the natural timidity of the natives, who might occafionally affist in a defence. The island of Carack, being little known in Europe, and not at all remarked by travellers, fome fmall account of its prefent state by a person lately come from thence, may not be unacceptable to the public. About eight years ago Baron Kniphaufen being refident for the Dutch company at Bulforah, on fome trifling difpute with the Turkish government, was arrested and thrown into prifon, and as it is very common among the Turks, had no way to procure his enlargement but by submitting to pay an exorbitant fine, to the amount of near 12000l. fterling, which he did, and there being two Dutch fhips in the river, be immediately fet fail with them for Batavia, where staying only a few days, he returned again into the Gulph with two fhips of force, landed here with a few workmen, fome timber, and other materials for building a fort, and fent his two fhips within the mouth of Bufforah river to make reprisals....In the mean time two of the Turks fhips, bound to Bufforah, ftopt at Carack (as was usual) for pilots to carry them up the river.....The baron, not being able to detain them forcibly, amused the captains to ftay till his two ships returned from the river, when he seized them both. When the Turks at Bufforah got advice of this, the maufoleem, or governor, fent people to offer to return the money, which the baron had been forced to pay, which was accepted, and the ships released...At this time the baron got a grant of the island from the Perfians to the Dutch company, and he has built a tolerable good fort (garrisoned with 100 Europeans) a little town, and also has got together about 4000 inhabitants, and as the island is extremely well fituated for trade, being nearly in the middle channel between the thores of Perfia and Arabia Felix, and about 30 leagues from the mouth of Bufforah river, where all ships bound to Bufforah, muft call for pilots; ....promifes in a little time to be a very flourishing place. The foil is rather fandy, but produces very good wheat. In feveral parts of the inland are remains of Christian churches, by which it is conjectured, the Portuguese were once fettled here, tho' on the Dutch coming, it was only inhabited by a few poor. Perfian fishermen, who were, and are fill the pilots to Bufforah....Round the island are to be found fome fine pearls, but they lie in deep waters. Carack is about five miles in length and two in breadth, in the track of thofe who travel from our fettlements in India to Aleppo by the way of the Gulph. The military commanding officer at Carack, was, in 1758, a Scotch Hollander, and served as interpreter with the English who visited the place. Extract from the Memoirs of Ifaac Darkin, alias Dumas, who was lately executed at Oxford. HE was the son of a cork-cutter in Eaftcheap, London, but being of a wild difpofition, he took to the road for money. In February 1758, he was tried at Chelmsford for robbing Capt. Cockburn, and received fentence of death; but, in confideration of his youth, was refpited, and remaining in gaol till the next affizes, the fentence was changed into transportation for 14 years. Not long after this, a scheme was formed by fome of the prifoners to escape, by murdering the keeper, turnkeys, &c. but Darkin, who was concerned, inform ed the keeper of it; who, for that favour, applied to Mr. Nugent, then a lord of the Treafury, in Dark n's behalf, and obtained the king's pardon, on condition of his ferving in Antigua. When he joined the regiment at Antigua, he found the life of a foldier very disagreeable, and therefore refolved to defert; and by infinuating himself into the good opi-, nion of the Captain of a fhip lying there, and by large promifes of gratuity at his landing in England, he was taken on board, and ftowed down in the hold; but he he being missed, the fhip was fufpected and fearched, but without fuccefs; ftill The was fufpected, and again searched, at which time Darkin appeared unnoticed among the crew in a failor's drefs. When the fhip arrived in England, he re-turned to his old course of robbing on the highway, particularly in the middle and weft of England; but being at length fo notorious, that he found it dangerous to continue much longer, he entered on board the Royal George man of war, and foon got rated as a midshipman. Under leave of abfence from his hip, he vifited Bath feveral times, and committed robberies, particularly on lord Percival; of which the public has been already minutely informed. His character feems to be a medley of levity, compofed of virtues and vices; he had a large share of understanding, with lage a tolerable education; when in neceffity, he was daring beyond credibility, and his courage was frequently restrained by his high notion of honour, which he defined from detesting a mean appear ance, and an abhorrence of cruelty; he poffeffed a foul which, in every hazardous enterprize, overlooked all dangers and difficulties, and which was fo firmly attached to his doxies, that his fhameful end must be imputed to his extravagance in their fupport; his converfation was agreeable, but rather trifling than fenfible; he was fond of an elegance in dress, and of being thought handsome; the character of Mackheath was his delight, and with which he diverted himself while in Oxford gaol. He fuffered before he arrived at the age of twenty-one, after a feries of robberies, by which he is faid to have gained no less than 600l. HISTORY OF CANADA. [Continued.] WHILE this miferable colony funk under fuch a complication of difafters, their brethren, the Tiononthates, fell a facrifice to their own temerity and infatuation. Their canton, or district, was extremely populous, the fingle village of St. John containing above fix hundred families. They received intelligence that three hundred Iroquois were in the field; and, in order to manifeft their contempt of fuch a body, all the warriors of the vilJage took to their arms, and went in quest of the enemy. The Iroquois being apprifed of their intention, refolved to destroy in their absence the village they had fo unwifely abandoned. With this view they changed their route, and fetching a compafs, reached the town of St. John by day break. The first intimation that the wretched inhabitants received of their approach, was the hideous yell, or warwhoop, which was immediately followed with death and desolation. All the huts were burned to afhes, and all the inabitants put to the fword. Father Charles Garnier loft his life on this occafion, as he ftood in the midst of flaughter, adminiftring the facrament of baptifm. His colleague, father Chabanel, who had been two days before this massacre recalled from St. John, was murdered in the woods; in all probability, by one of his own attend ants. Some of the Hurons, in the vile of St. Matthew, imputing, not without reason, all their calamities to the new religion which fo many of their brethren had embraced, engaged in a confpiracy to affaffinate the miffionaries who should come to disturb their peace: but those fathers had, by this time, gained such an afcendency over these Indians, that when an opportunity happened, they had not refolution to execute their purpose; and not only allowed two travelling miffionaries to make converts among them, unmolested, but fome of themfelves came and demanded baptifm. The hapless colony of St. Jofeph, being now reduced to an handful of people, intreated father Raguenau to lead them to Quebec, where they might cultivate fuch lands as fhould be allotted to them under the fecurity of the French fort, and the protection of their father Ononthio. There was no room for hefitation. They forthwith began their migration by the river of the Outawawas, and halted at Montreal, where no pains were spared to detain them: but there they did not think themfelves fafe from the fury of the Iroquois. They, for that reafon, profecuted their voyage to Quebec, where they were humanely received by M. d'Allebout, the governor: but the colony was ftill fo poor, that it could not afford fubfiftence for all these guests, without expofing itself to the danger of famine. famine. Nevertheless, they made shift to live. Those who could not refolve to abandon their native country, experienced a viciffitude of fortune. Some fled for fhelter to the neighbouring nations, which, by receiving them, were exposed to the refentment of the Iroquois. Others fettled on the island Manitoualin, from whence they afterwards came down to Quebec; and a third party fettled in that country, which is now called Penfylvania. All the inhabitants of the two villages, of St. Michael and St. John the Evangelift, petitioned their enemies for admiffion into their tribe, and were received accordingly. In a word, the Iroquois maffacred fuch a number of their unfortunate countrymen, and diffufed the terror of their name fo far, that not only the country of the Hurons, but alfo the whole course of the river Outawawas, which had been fo populous a few years before, was now become an abfolute defart. Such were the effects of the French mission. The spirit of infatuation did not abandon the Indians when they found shelter at Quebec. As foon as they began to breathe in fecurity under the cannon of that place, their despair gave way to the dæmon of prefumption; and tho' almost all their warriors were flain, they thought themfelves in a condition to retort the injuries they had received from the Iroquois. They perfuaded the Indian fettlers at Syllery to join in a projected expedition; and having affembled a few hundreds in arms, actually took the field. Being afterwards reinforced by the Algonquins, at Trois Rivieres, and fome Hurons that met them on the route, they marched against the Iroquois of the canton of Agnier, in form of a Christian crusade, giving out, that their only view in taking arms, was to drive the implacable infidels from the lands of the faithful, that the miffionaries might with the greater facility extend the culture of the true religion. When they approached the village which they intended to attack, two scouts were detached to reconnoitre, and one of them falling into the hands of the enemy, faved his own life by betraying his countrymen. He not only gave intelligence of their approach, but guided the Iroquois to the place where the Chriftian Indians lay overwhelmed with fleep. The confequence was a general matfacre, from which very few of the Hurops escaped, [An. 1650.] The French colony being too weak to afford any other affistance to their Indian allies, began about this period to indulge them with a trade for brandy; in which they found confolation for all their miseries. Not only the Hurons and Algonquins, but all the other Indians who repaired to Tadouffac and other parts, for the fake of traffic, became enamoured of this baleful liquor, and drank it to fuch excefs as produced all the irregularities and mischiefs arifing from the moft brutal intoxication. Indeed, nothing could more effectually co-operate with the arms of the Iroquois, towards the utter extermination of the miferable Hurons, than the preaching of the miffionaries, and the unrestrained ufe of brandy. In the courfe of this year, Mr. Laufon, one of the principal members of the company of Canada, was appointed to fucceed M. d'Aillebout in the government of that country; but he did not arrive at Quebec till the following fummer. By this time the colony was reduced to a deplorable condition. The Iroquois, flushed with victory, no longer refpected the French fettlements; but carried the war even under the mouths of their cannon. One of their parties, advancing to the neighbourhood of Trois Rivieres, Mr. Dupleffys-Bochart, the governor of that fortrefs, was rafh enougla to march out against them, and hazarded an action in which he loft his life; a circumftance that greatly contributed to difpirit the French and their allies, and increafe the infolence of the enemy, whose incurfions were now fo hot, that it was found absolutely necessary to enclose Syllery with walls, and mount them with artillery. Mean while the miffionaries continued to ftroll about the country from one nation to another, making profelytes; and father Buteux, falling into the hands of the enemy, was affaffinated. No part of New France was more expofed to the incurfions of the Iroquois than the island of Montreal, the governor of which, Mr. de Maisonneuve, had been obliged to repair to Old France, in order to follicit fuccours for his colony. He returned in the year 1653, with a reinforcement of one hundred men, and a female housekeeper, called Margaret Bourgeois, who in the fequel established the inftitution of the Daughters of the Congregation. This gentleman was employed in taking mea fures fures for the fecurity of his fettlement, when one day a party of the Onondagas appearing in fight of the fort, made a fignal for a parley. A few of their leaders being at their own request admitted on the faith of the governor, declared in the name of their canton, that they were ready to treat of peace, and offered prefents as a further mark of that difpofition. This was a very welcome intimation to Mr. Maisonneuve, who embraced the propofal without hesitation, and specified the terms of peace to which he would fubfcribe. The deputies retired, in order to make their chiefs acquainted with these circumftances, and engaged their brethren of Onneyouth and Gonogouin in the fame negotiation. In the mean time, as a proof of their fincerity, they fent envoys again to Mr. de Maisonneuve with a belt of wampum, to give him notice, that five hundred of the canton of Agnier had taken the field with defign to attack Trois Rivieres. This intelligence being immediately tranfmitted to Mr. de Laufon, he caufed the place to be put in a proper pofture of defence, and affembled all the Hurons he could find in that part of the country. These coming up with a numerous detachment of the Iroquois, who were advantageously posted, attacked them with great refolution, flew a confiderable number, and took their leader prifoner, while the reft fled with precipitation. Another detachment of thofe barbarians was more fortunate; they advanced to the very gates of Quebec, ravaged the neighbourhood during the whole fummer, maffacred many French colonifts, and took fome prifoners, among whom was father Poncet. This missionary was fo much beloved by the whole colony, that his captivity was no fooner known than forty Frenchmen and a numerous body of Indians pursued the enemy, refolved to release the good man, or perish in the attempt. But they were detained at Trois Rivieres, to reinforce the garrifon of that fortrefs, of which the Iroquois had formed the blockade. Before they reached this fettlement, they perceived the names of father Poncet and another Frenchman, who had been taken along with him, carved on the trunk of a tree, at the root of which they likewife found a little book in which the miffionary had written these words: "Six Hurons, now become naturalized Iroquois, and four of the Agnier diftrict, have carried us off; but as yet have done us no harm." Their forbearance, however, was of short duration. When they arrived at the canton of Agnier, and the Indians were assembled to determine the fate of him and his companion, a woman prefented a ftring of wampum, that the might be permitted to cut off one of the miffionary's fingers. Her request being granted, the first finger of his left hand was cut off by a child, who, having performed the operation, the finger was given to the woman, and the ftring of wampum hung round the miffionary's neck. Next day the two prifoners being stripped naked, were led from village to village, and buffeted by the women and children. Then a council was held, in which the chiefs decreed that the layman should be burned, and the miffionary left to the difcretion of an old woman, whose brother had been taken or flain. The firft was immediately executed; but the father's life was fpared. Three days after this incident, an Iroquois arriving from Trois Rivieres, told them that the peace was on the point of being concluded; but that Ononthio demanded the release of father Poncet, as a preliminary; and that they were obliged to give hostages, whofe lives depended upon that of the miffionary. The condition of the father was much mended by this advice. They forthwith conducted him to a Dutch fettlement, where he was accommodated with a decent drefs: then they led him in triumph from one village to another, where he was entertained with marks of the most perfect friendship. Finally, he was permittted to fet out for Quebec, attended by a deputy, who was loaded. with prefents for the governor general, and the fuperior of the miffions. After they had travelled two days, they were overtaken by an exprefs difpatched to in-. form the deputy, that the hostages at Trois Rivieres were put in irons, and fome of them put to death. tho' greatly alarmed at this intelligence, had such an opinion of father Poncet's integrity, that he proceeded on the journey with no other security than the father's. word, and found that the report was without foundation. When they arrived at Quebec the peace was already concluded; and next year ratified at Onondaya, where father Le Moyne was fent for that purpofe, as a plenipotentiary, by the governor general. [To be continued.] The deputy, 2.62 SIR, SIR LAUNCELOT GREAVES. [Continued.] CHA P. XVII. Containing adventures of chivalry, equally new and furprifing. THE HE knight Sir Launcelot, and the novice Crowe, retreated with equal order and expedition to the distance of half a league from the field of battle, where the former, halting, propofed to make a lodgment in a very decent house of entertainment, diftinguished by the fign of St. George of Cappadocia encountering the dragon, an atchievement in which temporal and fpiritual chivalry were happily reconciled. Two fuch figures alighting at the inn-gate, did not pafs through the yard unnoticed and unadmired by the guests and attendants; fome of whom fairly took to their heels, on the fuppofition that these outlandish creatures were the avant couriers, or heralds of a French invasion. The fears and doubts, however, of those who ventured to stay were foon dispelled, when our hero accofted them in the English tongue, and with the most courteous demeanour defired to be fhewn into an apartment. Had captain Crowe been the spokesman, perhaps their fufpicions would not have fo quickly fubfided; for he was, in reality, a very extraordinary novice, not only in chivalry, but also in his external appearance, and particularly in thofe dialects of the English language which are used by the ter reftrial animals of this kingdom. He defired the hoftler to take his horfe in tow, and bring him to his moorings in a fafe riding. He ordered the waiter, who fhewed them April 1761. into a parlour, to bear-a-hand, ship his oars, mind his helm, and bring along-fide a fhort allowance of brandy or grog, that he might cant a flug into his bread room; for there was fuch a heaving and pitching, that he believed he fhould fhift his ballaft. The fellow understood no part of this addrefs but the word brandy, at mention of which he dif appeared. Then Crowe, throwing himself into an elbow-chair, "Stop my hawfe-holes, (cried he) I can't think what's the matter, brother; but, a-gad, my head fings and fimmers like a pot of chowder.-My eye-fight yaws to and again, d'ye fee:-then there's fuch a walloping and whuthing in my holdsmite my Lord have mercy upon us. Here, you swab, ne'er mind a glasshand me the noggin.” The latter part of this address was directed to the waiter, who had returned with a quartern of brandy, which Crowe, fnatching eagerly, started into his bread-room at one cant. Indeed there was no time to be loft, inafmuch as he feemed to be on the verge of fainting away when he swallowed this cordial, by which he was inftantaneously revived. He then defired the fervant to unbuckle the traps of his helmet; but this was a talk which the drawer could not perform, even though affifted with the good offices of Sir Launcelot: for the head and jaws were fo much fwelled with the difcipline they had undergone, that the ftraps and buckles lay buried, as it were, in pits formed by the tumefaction of the adjacent parts. Fortunately for the novice, a neighA a bouring |