A voyage from Calcutta to the Mergui Archipelago, lying on the East side of the Bay of Bengal / [Thomas Forrest].
- Thomas Forrest
- Date:
- 1792
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A voyage from Calcutta to the Mergui Archipelago, lying on the East side of the Bay of Bengal / [Thomas Forrest]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![ien civil fervant), two Englifhmen, brothers, named May, and the gunner, a Dane, were in one night murdered, September 1782, by one Malay, affifted by one Lafcar only, whom he had feduced. They were firfh attempted to be poifoned, and were all taken with violent vomitings the night the horrid deed was done, after fupper: yet no fufpicion arofe, as the Malay was a paffenger in the veffel, under Mr. Overbury’s protection. The affair was over in a moment, as they were (tabbed in their deep. One of the two Mays being wounded, jumped overboard, and was never heard of; the captain and gun¬ ner were killed outright. Next day the Serang, under pretence of deeding the Malay’s hand, that had been cut in ftruggling with the captain, dabbed him, fecured the Lafcar (whilft two boats were feen rowing from the fhore to the veffel full of men, from Bafs Harbour), and carried the fnow back to Queda. I could get no fa- tisfaClion for veffel or cargo; and Jemmal, the king’s minifter, a Chulia Moorman, treated the affair lightly: but, truth demands of me to fay, I had no letter from the Bengal government to the king on the fubjeCt; I had only a letter from the owners, empowering me (if in my way to Rhio I touched at Queda) to make the demand. What has been done fince 1 know not. Captain Coffan and I ca¬ reened in £>ueda River together, in Augufl 1782 ; and I remember to have heard that the Malay, who had got into favour with Mr, Overbury by his infinuating manners, was taken on board at Jan Sylan, where, I fufpeCf, he had committed fomething bad. I was credibly informed the Lafcar was let run off by Jemmal, who told me he broke prifon. The appearance of the boats, that muff have been informed by fignal only of what had happened, made it be fufpeCted it had been a concerted bufinefs at ^]ueda, when the vef¬ fel repaired there. Thefe particulars I learnt from poor Overbury’s Malay girl, at Calcutta. Jemmal, the king’s merchant, with diffi¬ culty let her have her clothes. She told me Overbury got from the cabin window to the malt head, whence he defeended, on the ■ Malay’s promifing to fpare his life; but he ftabbed him the mo¬ ment he reached the quarter-deck. Had he encouraged the crew from the maff head, they furely would have recovered from their fright fooner than they did. This 1](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30451619_0092.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
