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CHAP. XIII. Concerning some other Nations, and chiefly Europaeans, that now live in this Island. Portugueze, Dutch.
HAving said all this concerning the English People, it may not be unacceptable to give some account of other Whites, who ei∣ther voluntarily or by constraint Inhabit there. And they are, besides the English already spoken of, Portugueze, Dutch, and French. But before I enter upon Discourse of any of these, I shall detain my Readers a little with another Nation inhabiting in this Land, I mean, the Ma∣l••bars; both because they are Strangers and derive themselves from another Countrey, and also because I have had occasion to mention them sometimes in this Book.
Th••se Malabars then are voluntary Inhabitants in this Island,* 1.1 and have a Countrey here; tho the Limits of it are but small: it lyes to the Northward of the King's Coasts betwixt him and the Hollander. Corunda Wy River parts it from the King's Territories. Thro this Countrey we passed, when we made our Escape. The Language they speak is peculiar to themselves, so that a Chingulays cannot un∣derstand them, nor they a Chingulays.
They have a Prince over them,* 1.2 called Coilat wannea, that is inde∣pendent either upon the King of Cande on one hand, or the Dutch on the other, only that he pays an acknowledgment to the Hollanders. Who have endeavoured to subdue him by Wars, but they cannot yet do it: yet they have brought him to be a Tributary to them, viz. To pay a certain rate of Elephants per annum. The King and this Prince maintain a Friendship and Correspondence together. And when the King lately sent an Army against the Hollanders, this Prince let them pass thro his Countrey; and went himself in Person to direct the King's People, when they took one or two Forts from them.
The People are in great subjection under him:* 1.3 they pay him rather greater Taxes than the Chingulays do to their King. But he is nothing so cruel. He Victualleth his Soldiers during the time they are upon the Guard, either about the Palace or abroad in the Wars: they are now fed at his Charge: whereas 'tis contrary in the King's Coun∣trey; for the Chingulay Soldiers bear their own Expences. He hath a certain rate out of every Land that is sown, which is to main∣tain his Charge.
The Commodities of this Countrey are,* 1.4 Elephants, Hony, Butter, Milk, Wax, Cows, wild Cattel: of the three last great abundance. As for Corn it is more scarce than in the Chingulays Countrey; neither have they any Cotton. But they come up into Neure Caulava yearly with great droves of Cattel, and lade both Corn and Cotton. And to buy these they bring up Cloth made of the same Cotton, which they can make better than the Chingulays: also they bring Salt and Salt Fish, and brass Basons, and other Commodities, which they get of the Hollander: because the King permits not his People to have any manner of Trade with the Hollander: so they receive the Dutch Com∣modities at the second hand.