[1616.—"This Shawbunder (see [SHABUNDER]) imperiously by a couple of Pyons commanded him from me."—Foster, Letters, iv. 351.]
c. 1630.—"The first of December, with some Pe-unes (or black Foot-boyes, who can pratle some English) we rode (from Swally) to Surat."—Sir T. Herbert, ed. 1638, p. 35. [For "black" the ed. of 1677 reads "olive-coloured," p. 42.]
1666.—"... siete cientos y treinta y tres mil peones."—Faria y Sousa, i. 195.
1673.—"The Town is walled with Mud, and Bulwarks for Watch-Places for the English peons."—Fryer, 29.
" "... Peons or servants to wait on us."—Ibid. 26.
1687.—"Ordered that ten peons be sent along the coast to Pulicat ... and enquire all the way for goods driven ashore."—In Wheeler, i. 179.
1689.—"At this Moors Town, they got a Peun to be their guide to the Mogul's nearest Camp.... These Peuns are some of the Gentous or Rashbouts (see [RAJPOOT]), who in all places along the Coast, especially in Seaport Towns, make it their business to hire themselves to wait upon Strangers."—Dampier, i. 508.
" "A Peon of mine, named Gemal, walking abroad in the Grass after the Rains, was unfortunately bit on a sudden by one of them" (a snake).—Ovington, 260.
1705.—"... pions qui sont ce que nous appellons ici des Gardes...."—Luillier, 218.
1745.—"Dès le lendemain je fis assembler dans la Forteresse où je demeurois en qualité d'Aumonier, le Chef des Pions, chez qui s'étaient fait les deux mariages."—Norbert, Mém. iii. 129.