Page 179 - Gulf Precis (I-A)_Neat

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Tho day after my arrival I made a tour round tho Island with the two Pworiptfg^cfttt ^
Cap*! of the Dutch Ships and Mynheer Vanderkulst, who sherved me the Knipbauien'a
particular Lands that wore allotted for the Chinese, to Cultivate, and of trad,# i|
Confirmed what I had bofore heard of thoir intending to sottle eighty Families
of them upon barrack, when the Arab Inhabitants are all to be sent off.
Mynheer ICniphauaen constantly employs eight or ten small trankeys
with divers (whenever it happens to bo a Calm day) in fishing for pearl of
which there is great abundance round about the Island, he sends Coffree Slaves
in each boat who rooeivo all the oysters tho divers take up and deliver them
to Mynheer just tho same as they come out of the Soa, so that unless a man !
could be present to see them oponed (which is always done in private) there is
no judging what success ho has in this particular branch.
Their Warehouses are full of Goods particularly, Sugar, Sugar Candy,
pepper, Rice, Leather, spicos of all kinds, Tin Toothenague, Lead, Iron,
Perpets of a double breadth and broad Cloth of different sorts. They bring
the two last articles in Chests and what I have been able to get a sight of are
very improper both in Colour and Fabrick for the Persia Market, tho’ having
;
procured the musters of some medley Cloths which Mynheer told me he had
Indent’d for, I now enclose them to you, and am very sorry to say they are
exceedingly well ohosen.
The Dutch leave no means untry’d to engross ev ery branch of trade into
their own hands, and if an obstinate perseverance in selling their goods at low
prices in order to encourage the merchants, and a steady resolution in carrying
on Fortifications and Buildings at almost an incredible expence, may be
esteem’d parts Conductive to success, they are certainly in a fair way of
attaining it, but for my part I could see no trade going on, nor do I believe
the place will in any degree answer the Charge they have been at, till Persia
comes to be settled, when barrack will no dou!t, from the very situation of it,
became a flourishing populous place.
As I wrote your W° &oi. in my last, the Dutch (if there is any credit
to be given to what they say themselves) were invited to settle again at
Bussorah by the Bashaw, and Vandarhulst and Nioholo went thither for that
purpose, but finding the City involved in troubles, the Mussaleem upon the
point of being recalled to Bagdat, & no prospeot of speedy or advantageous
Sales, they thought fit to defer it till a more favourable opportunity.
A Hundred Europeans is the established number of Soldiers, allow’d from i
Batavia for the defence of barrack fort; what I have seen, I take to be about
sixty including seven or eight petty officers, and they are all neat handsome
fellows, kept under the strickest Discipline, besides these Myuheer Kniphausen
has above a hundred Coffree Slaves well armed according to the Country
manner with swords and Targets, who from his manner of treating them, are
likely to remain faithful and contented under their Bondage, he takes care to
supply them with plenty of dates, Fish, and Bread, gives them decent
Cloathing, cools the natural Fervour of their Constitution, by allowing a
Considerable number of Coffree women to live among them, in Common, and
never. Controls, or even advises them in regard to Religion, but when they
commit a fault, he punishes them very severely, and whenever he has occasion
to drab any of the Arabs or Country people he orders two or three of the
Slaves to take him in hand, which service seems to be peculiarly adopted to
their Capaoity and in my life I never saw people acquit themselves in a duty
of this kind with greator dexterity and Judgement