one of them were suffered to go more than thirty yards from the
hospital, nor were any of the country people allowed to come near enough
to sell them any thing; so that our men got nothing of them, but through
the hands of the Dutch soldiers, who abused their power very shamefully.
When they saw any of the country people carrying what they thought our
invalids would purchase, they first took it away, and then asked the
price: What was demanded signified little, the soldier gave what he
thought proper, which was seldom one-fourth of the value; and if the
countryman ventured to express any discontent, he gave him immediately
an earnest of perfect satisfaction, by flourishing his broad-sword over
his head: This was always sufficient to silence complaint, and send the
sufferer quietly away; after which the soldier sold what he had thus
acquired for profit of sometimes more than a thousand per cent. This
behaviour was so cruel to the natives, and so injurious to us, that I
ventured to complain of it to the resident, and the other two gentlemen,
Le Cerf and the secretary. The resident, with becoming spirit,
reprimanded the soldiers; but it produced so little effect that I could
not help entertaining suspicions that Le Cerf connived at these
practices, and shared the advantages which they produced. I suspected
him also of selling arrack to my people, of which I complained, but
without redress; and I know that his slaves were employed to buy things
at the market which his wife afterwards sold to us for more than twice
as much as they cost. The soldiers were indeed guilty of many other
irregularities: It was the duty of one of them by rotation to procure
the day's provision for the whole guard, a service which he constantly
performed by going into the country with his musket and a bag; nor was
the honest proveditor always content with what the bag would contain;
for one of them, without any ceremony, drove down a young buffalo that
belonged to some of the country people, and his comrades not having wood
at hand to dress it when it was killed, supplied themselves by pulling
down some of the pallisadoes of the fort. When this was reported to me,
I thought it so extraordinary that I went on shore to see the breach,
and found the poor black people repairing it.

On the 26th, a sloop laden with rice was sent out from this place in
order to land her cargo at Macassar; but after having attempted it three
days she was forced to return. T