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that it had been brought to the Peninsula from Siam. Such charms are worn to this day by many a warrior in Malayan lands.

After taking this vessel, Dalboquerque, for some unexplained reason, retraced his steps towards Pâseh, and fell in with two native ships, one from the Coramandel coast, which struck at once, and another from Java, which was only captured after a very spirited resistance, in the course of which the Javanese set fire to their own craft. On board this vessel Dalboquerque found the unfortunate King of Pâseh, "and when he saw him," the Commentaries tell us "he begged his pardon very earnestly for this unfortunate affair"—in truth an euphemistic way of describing such an unprovoked act of piracy"—which should not have happened if he had known of his Royal Highness being on board, and he showed him those ceremonies and that good treatment which is due to a personage of such dignity." Dalboquerque also promised to aid the king in subduing certain of his rebellious subjects,—an engagement which cost him nothing since he never intended to keep it—and he then continued his voyage to Malacca, capturing a "very rich junk” upon the way.

He had already pillaged five Guzerati ships between Ceylon and the port of Pêdir; between Pâseh and Malacca he had taken three, one belonging to the Coramandel coast, one manned by men from Java, and a third whose ownership and nationality are unknown. This was sufficient to spread the evil reputation of the strangers far and wide throughout the seas of south-