er accession, and
at the same time to solicit payment for a quantity of valuable jewels
ordered by the deceased king, but for the amount of which she declined to
make herself responsible.

1660.

It is said (but the fact will admit of much doubt) that in 1660 she was
inclined to marry one of their countrymen, and would have carried her
design into execution had not the East India Company prevented by their
authority a connexion that might, as they prudently judged, be productive
of embarrassment to their affairs.

1664.

The Dutch however complain that she gave assistance to their enemies the
people of Perak, and in 1664 it was found necessary to send a squadron
under the command of Pieter de Bitter to bring her to reason. As it
happened that she was at this time at war with some of her own dependants
he made himself master of several places on the western coast that were
nominally at least belonging to Achin.

1666.

About 1666 the English establishments at Achin and some ports to the
southward appear to have given considerable umbrage to their rivals.

1669.

In 1669 the people of Dilli on the north-eastern coast threw off their
allegiance, and the power of the kingdom became gradually more and more
circumscribed.

1675.

This queen died in 1675, after reigning, with a degree of tranquillity
little known in these countries, upwards of thirty-four years.

The people being now accustomed and reconciled to female rule, which they
found more lenient than that of their kings, acquiesced in general in the
established mode of government.

1677.

And she was immediately succeeded by another female monarch, named Nur
al-alum, who reigned little more than two years and died in 1677.

The queen who succeeded her was named Anayet-shah.

1684.

In the year 1684 she received an embassy from the English government of
Madras, and appeared at that time to be about forty years. The persons
who were on this occasion presented to her express their suspicions,
which were suggested to them by a doubt prevailing amongst the
inhabitants, that this sovereign was not a real queen, but a eunuch
dressed up in female apparel, and imposed on the public by the artifices
of the orang kayas. But as such a cheat, though managed with every
semblance of reality (which they observe was the case) could not be
carried on for any number of years without detection, and as the same
idea does not appear to have been entertained at any ot