'A New Account of the East-Indies: Being the Observations and Remarks of Capt. Alexander Hamilton who resided in those parts from the Year 1688, to 1723, Trading and Travelling, by Sea and Land, to most of the countries and Islands of Commerce and Navigation, between the Cape of Good-Hope, and the Island of Japan. The Second Edition. Volume II.' [‎91] (110/362)

of the Eaft Indies.
Malacca about the Beginning of Augufi, and
found the iecond Supercargo in the ill State
I have already mentioned, with the Purfer and
the Supercargo's Writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , and eleven Men
more, who could not get Pallages to Coun
tries where they might get Employment. I
had then a great Ship and a fmall one under
my Command, fo I entred them all on board
my Ships in the fame Pofts they had on board
the Speedwel, and I entred on a Scheme with
the fecond Supercargo to carry the Scots
Company's Effefts on board my great Ship
to Scotland y but the firft Supercargo, who
was, before my Arrival, gone to China, and
had no Mind ever to fee his native Country
again, broke our Meafures by rambling thro'
India with his Mailers Stock. What the
Scots Company's Cargo was, I did not fee;
but the Supercargoes had a Chell of Glafs-
ware in their own private Adventure, the
moll obfeenely lhameful that ever I faw or
heard of among Merchants. They were^Pri-
apufes of a large Size, with a Scrotum bie e-
nough to hold an Englijh Pint of Liquor, ei
ther to addrefs the God Bacchus, or the
Goddefs Venus, as feemed bed to their Vo
taries.
I profccuted my Voyage to Surat, and
left the Scots Supercargoes to purfue their
Maflers Intereft in getting their Affairs in a
Readinefs to get a Cargo for Europe, to be
carried on board my Ship according to an
Agi ccmcnt made between the fecond Super
cargo and me; but, inftead of putting Af
fairs