Travels in India (Tavernier) 28.2

28.2

It is true that the soldiers are permitted to leave then, and if the commanders desire them to remain they are obliged to pay them afresh. They seldom venture farther to sea than from 20 to 25 leagues, and whenever the Portuguese capture any of these pirates they either hang them straight off or they throw them into the sea. These Malabaris number 200 and sometimes as many as 250 men in each vessel, and they go in squadrons of from ten to fifteen vessels to attack a big ship, and they do not fear cannon. They at once come alongside and throw numbers of fire-pots on the deck, which cause much injury if care is not taken to provide against them. For as they know the habits of the pirates, immediately they see them they close all the scuttles on deck, and cover it with water, so that these pots, which are full of fireworks, cannot take effect. An English Captain named Mr. Clerc, when coming from Bantam to Surat, met, in the latitude of Cochin, a squadron of Malabaris, consisting of twenty-five or thirty vessels, which came forthwith and attacked him vigorously. Seeing that he could not withstand their first fury, he set fire to some barrels of gunpowder which he had had time to prepare, and the deck being blown up, he also blew into the sea a great number of pirates who were on it. Notwithstanding this, the others did not lose courage, and did not cease to come on board.