The Master Therefore
Held A Council Of All The Principal People In The Ship, Who Were Best
Conversant In These Affairs, When It Was Unanimously Concluded To Go For
Acheen, Being In Hopes To Meet There With Some Of The Guzerat People, To
Whom We Might Dispose Of Our English Commodities.
We accordingly directed our course towards Acheen, where we arrived on
the 27th July.
Within seven days we had admittance to the king, to whom
a present was made, which it was necessary to make somewhat large,
because the Hollanders endeavoured to cross our trade, aspiring to
engross the whole trade of India, to the exclusion of all others.
Wherefore, after Mr Bradshaw had waited upon the king, he began to trade
with the Guzerat merchants who were at Acheen, bartering our English
cloth and lead for black and white baftas, which are Guzerat cloths in
much request in those parts. We then went to Priaman, where in a short
space we had trade to our full content; and though fortune had hitherto
crossed us during all the voyage, we had now a fair opportunity to turn
our voyage to sufficient profit. We staid here till we had fully loaded
our ship with pepper, which might indeed have been done much sooner, had
there not been a mutiny among the people, as the sailors would only do
as they themselves pleased. At length they were pacified with fair
words, and the business of the ship completed.
Griffin Maurice, the master, died here, and Mr Bradshaw sent Humphry
Bidulph to Bantam, with Silvester Smith to bear him company, to carry
such remainder of the goods as they could not find a market for at
Priaman and Tecu. Mr Bidulph sailed for Bantam in a Chinese hulk, and Mr
Bradshaw set sail with the Union, fully laden with pepper, for England.
Sec. 2. Return of the Union from Priaman towards England.[301]
Respecting the disastrous return of the Union from Priaman, instead of a
narrative, Purchas gives us only two letters, which relate the miserable
condition in which she arrived on the coast of France, and a short
supplementary account, probably written by Purchas himself, which here
follow.
[Footnote 301: Purch. Pilg. I. 234. Astl. I. 349.]
Laus Deo,[302] in Morlaix, the 1st of March, 1611.
Brother Hide,
This day has come to hand a letter from Odwen,[303] [Audierne,]
written by one Bagget, an Irishman, resident at that place, giving us
most lamentable news of the ship Union of London, which is ashore upon
the coast about two leagues from Audierne: which, when the men of that
town perceived, they sent two boats to her, and found she was a ship
from the East Indies, richly laden with pepper and other goods, having
only four men in her alive, one of whom is an Indian, other three lying
dead in the ship, whose bodies the four living men had not been able to
throw overboard, through extreme feebleness; indeed they were hardly
able to speak. The people in the two boats have brought the ship into
the road of Audierne, and they of that town have unloaded most of her
goods. The Irishman has directed his letter to some English merchants in
this place, desiring them to repair thither with all expedition, to see
the proper ordering of the ship and goods, as belonging to the East
India Company.
[Footnote 302: This seems to have been the name of a ship, and Mr
Bernard Cooper appears to have been an English merchant or ship-master,
then on business with this vessel at Morlaix. - E.]
[Footnote 303: This certainly is Audierne, on the southern shore of
the peninsula of Britanny, called Olde-yearne in the subsequent
letter. - E.]
This letter is confirmed by another in French, written by the bailiff of
Quimper to a person in this town, which I have seen. Wherefore we have
thought it right to send three several copies of the Irishman's letter,
by three different barks, that the merchants may be duly advertised, and
may give orders to look after their ship and goods; for it is to be
doubted that the rude people will endeavour to make a wreck of her. I
think it therefore not amiss, that they send to the court of France, to
procure the king's authority, as I fear there may be much trouble about
the matter. In the mean time, I and George Robbins will ride down to see
in what state all things are, and to do the best we can for the interest
of the company, till they send some one with a procuration in good and
ample form for conducting the business, as in their discretion may seem
fitting. The ship is reported to be of three or four hundred tons, and
has three decks; but I doubt we shall find her sadly rifled before we
get there. The importunate writing, both of the Irishman and the bailiff
of Quimper, has induced us to take this journey; which we do the rather
in consideration of the company, presuming that they will consider our
charges, as we have both solicited friends, and procured money in this
place, that we may satisfy those who have exerted themselves in saving
the ship and goods, if that should be necessary. Yet I would wish the
company to send some person in all expedition by way of Rouen, with
additional provision of money; as you know that this is no place of
regular exchange, where money can be had at all times. I had rather have
given fifty pounds than taken this journey at the present time, because
I have much goods upon my hands, as I partly wrote you in my last. The
name of the master of the Union is Edmund White, his mate's name is
Thomas Duckmanton, and the other man is Thomas Smith, besides the Indian
formerly mentioned. They are in a most piteous condition, and in great
want of money, neither can they have any command of their goods.
Therefore let the company send men of good experience to conduct this
business, and do you lose no time in making this known to the company.
Thus, being in haste to take horse, I commit you to the Lord's
protection, resting your assured friend always to command,
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