He Had The Right Character For A Spy, Being Crafty, Careful, And
Subtle, Never Trusting Any One To Hear His
Conversation with our
general, but always spoke to him when alone, and that in a careless
manner, as if he
Had answered idly; for he was in fear that our people
should discover that the selling of hens was a mere pretence for coming
continually to our house.
The general was sent for to court next day, when the king had a
conference with him about an embassy from the King of Siam respecting
the conquest of Malacca, having sent to know what force he would employ
for that service by sea, if the King of Siam undertook to besiege it by
land. This King of Acheen is able to send a great force of gallies to
sea, if he may have four or five months warning to make them ready. The
general endeavoured to further this proposal with many reasons; and took
occasion to talk about the Portuguese ambassador, who conducted himself
with much proud insolence, and who, he said, had come to Acheen for no
other reason but to spy out the strength of his kingdom. "I know it
well," said the king, "for they are my enemies, as I have been to them;
but what makes you see this?" The general then said, that he could take
nothing in hand but that they employed spies to mark his conduct, and
that the ambassador intended to send drawings of all his ships to
Malacca, to procure a force from thence to fall upon him suddenly. The
king smiled at this, saying that he need fear no strength that could
come from Malacca, as all the force they had there was quite
insufficient to do the English any harm. Then said the general, that he
did not fear their strength or what they could do against him; but as
they would know when he was to go to sea, the ambassador would send them
notice to keep in port, so that he would be unable to do them harm;
wherefore he entreated the king to arrest two of the ambassador's
servants that were to go for Malacca in a few days, not meaning to sail
from Acheen, but to go thence to another port of the king's, and there
to hire a bark for Malacca. "Well," said the king, "let me know when
they depart from hence, and thou shall see what I will do for thee." The
general now took leave of the king, well pleased with his friendly
intentions, and continued his daily conferences with his hen-merchant,
so that he became privy to everything that was either done or said in
the ambassador's house.
When the time was come, the ambassador's servants went away to a port
about twenty-five leagues from Acheen; upon which the general went
immediately to inform the king, who had already given proper orders, so
that, on their arrival at the port, when they had hired a vessel in
which they embarked with their letters, and were even going over the bar
a mile from the town, a galley went after them, and caused the bark to
strike sail, that the justice might see what was their lading.
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