In The End Of September, The Pangran Mandelicko Fell To Robbing The
Junks, And Seized One From Johor Laden With Rice, And Having A Number Of
Men And Women On Board, All Of Whom He Carried Off As Prisoners, And
Converted The Rice To His Own Use.
This was a ready way to keep all
other junks from the place, and to starve the inhabitants, as the land
is not able to feed a quarter of its people.
The king and protector sent
to command him to deliver up the people and goods, but he refused, and
fortified his house, being supported by all the other pangrans of the
royal blood, who were all, like him, traitors to the king, so that the
king's officers durst not meddle with him. The protector, sabander, and
admiral, sent to us to take heed to ourselves, as the rebels grew
stronger every day. I borrowed some small pieces of cannon of the
Chinese merchants, who were our friends, causing our men to make
chain-shot, lang-ridge, and bar-shot, and fortified our quarters the
best way I could with bushes and chains. So much were the inhabitants in
fear of the rebels, that all trade was at an end. Every day some spies
of the rebels used to come into our yard, very inquisitive about what we
were doing, so that we looked nightly to be attacked, and made every
preparation to give them a warm reception.
About the 20th October, the King of Jackatra came to Bantam with 1500
fighting men, besides stragglers, and was to be followed by 1000 more.
He challenged the rebels and pangrans to fight him, having a great
quarrel against them all, as they had endeavoured to have him deposed
from his kingdom. But the rebels kept within their fortifications. The
King of Jackatra and the Admiral of Bantam sent for us on the 26th
October, to know if there were any means to fire their fortifications
from a reasonable distance, beyond reach of their bases, of which they
had a great number. We told them, if we had a ship in the roads it might
have been easily done, but we hardly expected to find materials for the
purpose, such as camphor, salt-petre, and sulphur, having already some
other things, for the purpose of making fire-arrows. The admiral
proposed the use of a long bow and arrows for this service, but in my
opinion a musket would have answered better. We meant likewise to have
shot red-hot bullets among them from the king's ordnance, which would
have made sad work among their thatched houses and fortifications of
canes; for as Mandelicko had sought all means to set us on fire, we now
meant to try if we could return the compliment. But, whether from fear
of the King of Jackatra, or hearing that we were employed, the rebels
and pangrans came to an agreement two days after, by which Mandelicko
engaged to depart from the dominions of Bantam within six days, with
only thirty followers, which he did.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 137 of 424
Words from 71082 to 71597
of 221842
