retired without venturing
an engagement. They went to _Trankamala_, or _Trinconomalee_, and
anchored in the bay of that name, meaning to force the garrison of
that small fort to surrender: But Van Cosse soon followed them, and
brought them to action while disadvantageously situated in the bay,
and either sank or burnt half of the French fleet. The rest fled to
St Thomas, on the coast of Coromandel, intending to have formed a
settlement there; but Van Cosse again followed them to that place and
seized all their ships, many of their guns having been carried ashore,
as were at this time a great number of their officers and men. The
French who were on shore capitulated with the Dutch to quit India, on
being allowed shipping to carry them home, which Van Cosse agreed to,
giving them his flag-ship, the _Groote Britanye_, and two others, for
that purpose. Martin was detained and carried to Batavia, where he was
confined for life on an allowance of a rix-dollar a-day.

The next commandery is that of Samarang, on the island of Java, and
he who commands here has the direction of all the factories in that
island, except those which depend immediately on the government of
Batavia. _Kuttasura_, which is the residence of the emperor of Java,
is within his jurisdiction. In the year 1704, a war broke out in Java
between the brother and son of the deceased emperor, as competitors
for the succession, which lasted twenty years. The Dutch sided with
the former, but the affections of the natives were with the latter,
who drew over to his party a great number of the native soldiers who
had served under the Dutch, and who, being well disciplined, behaved
gallantly on all occasions, and gave the Dutch much trouble.

At _Bantam_, on the same island, the Dutch have a strong fort with a
numerous garrison, to keep the people in awe, who are very mutinous,
and far from being well affected to the Dutch government. The king,
or rajah of Bantam, has also a fort only a few hundred paces from that
belonging to the Dutch, in which be keeps a numerous garrison for the
security of his person. The only commodity of this part of the country
is pepper, of which they are able to export 10,000 tons yearly. The
king is obliged to supply the company with a certain quantity of
pepper yearly; but in all other respects they treat him kindly enough.
His dominions are extensive and well peopled, and his subjects are
hardy and enterprising, but perfidious and revenge