of the Commanderies of Malabar, Gallo, Java, and Bantam._

In such subordinate places as were not thought of sufficient
consequence to require a governor or director, the Dutch East India
Company has established another principal officer, with the title of
chief or commander. If the person entrusted with this authority be a
merchant, he is accountable for his conduct to the civil government,
but if a captain, to the military establishment. A chief or commander,
in conjunction with his council, has nearly the same authority with
a governor, except that he cannot execute any capital judgment on
criminals, till the case has been reviewed and confirmed by the
council at Batavia.

At the time when our author was in India, the commander at the fort of
Cochin on the Malabar coast, was Captain Julius de Golints, a native
of Mecklenburg, from whom he received great civilities. Malabar was
the first country discovered by the Portuguese in India, and in which
they established themselves, not without great effusion of blood, nor
were they many years in possession till they were driven out by the
Dutch. These conquerors, in their turn, found it very difficult to
support themselves against the natives, who attacked them with great
spirit and success, and had infallibly driven them out of the country,
but for the courage and conduct of Major John Bergman, who preserved
their establishments with much difficulty.

Though very warm, the climate of Malabar is very healthy, and the soil
is fertile in rice, fruit, and all sorts of herbs. It is divided into
many principalities, among which the following are reckoned kingdoms;
Cananore, Calicut, Cranganore, Cochin, Calicoulan, Porcaloulang, and
Travancore. As the capital of the Dutch possessions in Malabar was the
city of Cochin, it may be proper to describe this little kingdom as
at that period. It reaches from _Chitway_ in the north, and extends
twenty-four leagues to the southwards along the coast, being divided
into a multitude of small islands by the streams which descend from
the mountains of _Gatti_, [the Gauts.] These rivers have two great
or principal mouths, one at Cranganore in the north, and the other at
Cochin, in the south, distant thirty marine leagues from each other.
The Portuguese were the first European nation who settled here, where
they built a fine city on the river about three leagues from the sea;
but the sea has since so gained on the land, that it is now not above