and as I wished
to travel, in order not to risk what M. Constant had entrusted to me I
placed the whole in the hands of Sr. Francis Breton,1 the
second officer in the English factory at Surat, who, at M. Constant's
request, afterwards forwarded it to him in Holland. I had previously
asked the Dutch Commander, named Arnebar, to be good enough to take
charge of this parcel, as he was a friend of M. Constant; but he
excused himself, telling me that if the General or Council at Batavia
came to know that he had such goods in his hands they would treat him
as a receiver who had not declared them, in other words, he would be
deposed from his office and all his property confiscated.
One
day, then, while I was at Batavia, M. Faure, whom I have just
mentioned, came to see me with three others, bringing a large bottle of
Rheims wine and another of English beer. For my part I had contributed
a collation, and as we began to drink they asked me if I had not heard
the news of M. Constant which had come by land while I was at Surat ;
to which I replied that I had not received any intelligence, either by
sea or land, since he had left Batavia. They expressed surprise at this
reply, and told me that they were much astonished, that having been
such great friends, and having done such considerable trade together
which still lasted, he had not made me acquainted with his movements. I
saw from the first that they were come with no other design than to
inquire whether I had with me the parcel of diamonds which I had bought
at the mine for M. Constant, or whether I had left it with some
Dutchman to send to him. I thought it advisable to remove this doubt
from their minds, for unless I did so they would be unable to drink the
wine they had brought, with comfort. Without keeping them longer in
suspense, therefore, I told them that I was astonished that they had
not spoken to me of this matter on the first occasion when they had
done me the honour to visit me, and I perceived clearly that they
wished to know if the last time I had been at the diamond mine M.
Constant had not given me a commission to buy for him; that they need
not have brought
1 Francis Breton, President of Surat 1644-9. See the epitaph on his tomb (Rawlinson, British Beginnings in Western India, 136). [Cf. p. 62],
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