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Portuguese, and because their coming was known to be viewed with intense disfavour by those white men who had earned and deserved the hatred of the native popula- tions. Houtman, therefore, was able to bring back with him a very encouraging report of the prospects presented by the newly opened trade between Holland and the Indies, and so quick were the merchants of the Nether- lands to seize the advantages thus offered to them that by the summer of 1601—only six and a half years after the sailing of the first expedition—no less than forty-nine Dutch vessels had been sent out bound for Malaya viâ the Cape of Good Hope.

Meanwhile, on December 31st, 1599, the Charter of Incorporation of the first British East India Company had been granted, "Being a privilege for fifteen years to certain adventurers for the discovery of the trade of the East Indies, namely, George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland and 215 knights, aldermen, and merchants." A capital of £72,000 was subscribed, and on February 16th, 1600, Lancaster sailed from England in command of the first fleet of the East India Company. Taking the Cape route, he reached Achem (Acheh) on June 5th, 1602, delivered a letter addressed by Queen Elizabeth to the king of that state, established good relations with him. and his people, and opened a factory in his capital. A Portuguese ambassador from Malacca tried vainly to in- duce the King to have no dealings with the Englishmen, but the Achehnese had from the first constituted them- selves the especial defenders of the brown man's birth- right against the aggression of the Portuguese, and they