pleasant to behold.  On the 9th the king of Pahan departed on his return to his own country, having been made a laughing-stock by the Pataneers:  But his wife, the sister of the queen of Patane, refused to leave him, going back along with him and her sons, after having spent all she had instead of getting presents.  On the 16th I had a letter from Thomas Bret at Macasser, complaining of a bad market, and informing me that John Parsons had become frantic:  He said likewise that he had purchased a junk for the purpose of coming away; but that in the mean time the Darling had come there laden with cloth, for the purpose of settling a factory at that place.

Rajah Indra Monda arrived at Patane on the 18th of September, having gone from hence on the 25th October.[389] He had been to Macasser and thence to Banda, where be made a good market, and had brought back about 200 sockles of mace and a great parcel of nutmegs.  He brought me a letter from Richard Welden.  He likewise informed me of the state of Banda; where the Dutch general, Peter de Bot, had administered severe justice, hanging some of his men for sleeping on their watch; owing to which, several had deserted to the Bandanese, and ten had become Mahometans, who could not be recovered.  Neither has the Dutch garrison any controul over the natives of Banda, any farther than that they compel all junks to ride at anchor under the guns of their castle, and command the seas there by the number of their ships:  But on the land, they dare not even give a bad word to any of the Bandanese.  The Globe arrived again at Patane on the 23d of September from Siam, bringing me a letter from Mr Lucas, who had not received any intelligence of the fate of the goods sent to Jangoma, as the passages were obstructed on account of the wars between the people of Ava and Laniangh, or Lan-shang, in Laos.  The king of Ava is said to have taken Siriaugh, or Sirian, and to have caused the Xenga, Philip de Brito de Nicote, to be put to death.  The king of Siam is in fear of an attack from the king of Ava in great force, for which reason he has good watch kept on his frontiers.  At this time I repaid my debt to the queen in gold.

[Footnote 389:  This must have been of the preceding year, though not so expressed.—­E.]

On the 4th of October, being the first day of the Mahometan Lent or fast of Ramedan, a terrible fire occurred in the town, or fort rather, and court of Patane, occasioned by the following event.  Datoo Besar and Datoo Lachmanna, who dwelt near each other, were the richest in Javan slaves at this place, except Rajah Shey.  The Javan slaves had threatened to kill Datoo Besar, Lachmanna, Rajah Sitterbangh, and others, which came to their knowledge; on which Besar called his slaves before him to examine into the matter, which they utterly denied.  Yet he ordered two who were most suspected to be bound, which the pongonla of the slaves would not suffer, wherefore Besar immediately