Travels in India (Tavernier) 155.5

155.5

On the eve of the day upon which I had intended to start, I went to take leave of one of the Councillors of India, and having mentioned to him that I was going to the King of Japara, he was much astonished, because this King and the Dutch were then mortal enemies. He explained the matter to me in this way. The deceased King, he said, father of the King who reigns at present, ever since the Dutch Company had built the fort at Batavia in his territories, has never been willing to make peace with it. That during the war the King had taken some Dutchmen prisoners, and the Dutch, on their side, had taken twenty times as many of his subjects, offering to give in exchange ten of his for one of theirs; but he would not give up one, either on that condition, or for money, and on his deathbed he advised his son, who succeeded him, never to give liberty to one of them. This obstinacy troubled the General and all the people of Batavia very much, and obliged them to think of some means to bring him to reason. It is the custom that as soon as a Muhammadan King is dead, his successor sends some of the principal nobles of his court to Mecca with presents in order to make the priests pray for the soul of the deceased, and also to give thanks to God and to Muhammad because the new King has come to the throne without any obstruction, and to pray that he may always be victorious over his enemies.