Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 3.11.6

3.11.6

The pirates, about the time of which I am speaking, made themselves masters of the island of Sondiva, an advantageous post, commanding part of the mouth of the Ganges. On this spot, the notorious Fra-Joan, an Augustine monk, reigned, as a petty Sovereign, during many years; having contrived, God knows how, to rid himself of the Governor of the island. These also are the identical freebooters who, as we have seen, repaired in their galleasses to Daka, for the purpose of conveying Sultan Sujah to Rakan. They found means of opening some of his chests, and robbing him of many precious stones, which were offered secretly for sale in Rakan and disposed of for a mere trifle. The diamonds all got into the hands of the Dutch and others, who easily persuaded the ignorant thieves that the stones were soft, and that they would pay for them only according to their hardness. I have said enough to give an idea of the trouble, vexation and expense, to which the Mogol was for many years exposed by the unjust and violent proceedings of the pirates established in Rakan. He had always been under the necessity of guarding the inlets of the kingdom of Bengale, of keeping large bodies of troops and a fleet of galleasses on the alert. All these precautions, however, did not prevent the ravaging of his territories; the pirates were become so bold and skilful that with four or five galleasses they would attack, and generally capture or destroy, fourteen or fifteen of the Mogol's galleys.