threatened the fort.  For some months there were constant skirmishes.  The English had no difficulty in defeating all attacks, but, none the less, trade was brought to a standstill; so Mr. Walter Brown was sent down from Bombay to put matters straight.  Poola Venjamutta, who had all the time kept himself in the background, was quite ready to help an accommodation, as open force had proved useless.  Things having quieted down, Gyfford, ’flushed with the hopes of having Peace and Pepper,’ devoted himself to trade.  He had at this time a brigantine called the Thomas, commanded by his wife’s brother, Thomas Cooke, doing his private trade along the coast.  The year 1720 passed quietly.  Force having proved unavailing, the Attinga people dissembled their anger, and waited for an opportunity to revenge themselves.  So well was the popular feeling against the English concealed, that Cowse, with his long experience and knowledge of the language, had no suspicions.

There had been an old custom, since the establishment of the factory, of giving presents yearly to the Rani, in the name of the Company; but for some years the practice had fallen into abeyance.  Gyfford, wishing to ingratiate himself with the authorities, resolved on reviving the custom, and to do so in the most ceremonious way, by going himself with the presents for seven years.  Accordingly, on the 11th April, 1721, accompanied by all the merchants and factors, and taking all his best men, about one hundred and twenty in number, and the same number of coolies, Gyfford started for Attinga, four miles up the river.  Here they were received by an enormous crowd of people, who gave them a friendly reception.  The details of what followed are imperfectly recorded, and much is left to conjecture, but Gyfford’s foolish over-confidence is sufficiently apparent.  In spite of their brave display, his men carried no ammunition.  Poola Venjamutta was not to be seen.  They were told he was drunk, and they must wait till he was fit to receive them.  He was apparently playing a double part, but the blame for what followed was afterwards laid on his rival, Poola Cadamon Pillay.  Cowse’s suspicions were aroused, and he advised an immediate return to Anjengo, but Gyfford refused to take the advice.  He is said to have struck Cowse, and to have threatened with imprisonment.  The Rani also sent a message, advising a return to Anjengo.  It was getting late, and to extricate himself from the crowd, Gyfford allowed the whole party to be inveigled into a small enclosure.  To show his goodwill to the crowd, he ordered his men to fire a salvo, and then he found that the ammunition carried by the coolies had been secured, and they were defenceless.  In this hopeless position, he managed to entrust a letter addressed to the storekeeper at Anjengo, to the hands of a friendly native.  It reached Anjengo at one o’clock next day, and ran as follows:—­