Page 509
An. 1689
Captain Oliver and his Men.
But to proceed, The Moors Town where thefe men landed, was not far from Cunnimere, a fmall Englifh Factory on the Coromandel Coaft. The Go- vernour whereof having intelligence by the Moors of the landing of thefe men, and their intended march to the Mogul's Camp, fent out a Captain with his Company to oppofe it. He came up with them, and gave them hard words : but they being 30 or 40 refolute Fellows, not eafily daunted, he durft not attack them, but returned to the Go- vernour, and the news of it was foon carried to Fort St. George. During their march John Oliver who was one of them, privately told the Peun who guided them, that himfelf was their Cap- tain. So when they came to the Camp, the Peun told this to the General : and when their Stations and Pay were affign'd them, John Oliver had a greater refpect paid him than the reft ; and whereas their pay was ten Pagodas a month each man, (a Pagoda is 2 Dollars or 9 s. Englifh) his pay was 20 Pagodas : which ftratagem and ufurpation of his occafioned him no fmall envy and indigna- tion from his Comerades.
Soon after this 2 or 3 of them went to Agra, to be of the Moguls Guard. A while after the Go- vernour of Fort St. George fent a meffage to the main body of them, and a Pardon to withdraw them from thence ; which moft of them accepted, and came away. John Oliver, and the fmall Remainder, continued in the Country ; but leaving the Camp, went up and down plundering the Villages, and fleeing when they were purfued ; and this was the laft News I heard of them. This account I had, partly by Mr. Morgan, from fome of thofe Deferters he met with at Trangambar : and partly from others of them whom I met with my felf afterwards at Fort St. George. And thefe were the Adventures of thofe who went up into the Country.
Captain