At The End Of This Fray, The Dutch General Came To Our House With A
Great Guard Of Captains, Merchants, And Others, And Being Met In A
Similar Manner In The Street By Our General, Was Invited Into Our
House.
When the cause of this affray was reported to the Dutch general,
he approved of what we had done.
When some of his people complained that
their men bore all the blows, as was apparent by their bloody pates and
shoulders, the Dutch general said he saw plainly the fault lay with his
men, and he would take order to prevent so many of his men coming on
shore in future. After much talk, a banquet of sweetmeats was served,
the Dutch general took a kindly leave of ours, and all the Dutch and
English merchants shook hands and parted.
Some Javans, who belonged to two of the principal men of Bantam under
the king, had stolen nine muskets and callivers from the gun-room of our
ship the Ascension; and two of them returning shortly after to steal
more, were taken by our people with the stolen goods upon them. Our
general sent me to examine into the matter, and to bring them on shore.
After some examination, they confessed whose slaves they were, and said
the pieces were forthcoming. After they came on shore, the general sent
to the king and protector, desiring to have the pieces back; but the
masters of these slaves said they had no pieces except what they had
bought with their money; yet they requested our general to defer
executing the slaves for two days, which he agreed to. But as these
nobles were not reckoned great good-wishers to the king, the protector
sent the executioner with a guard of pikes to put them to death. When
they came to the place of execution, our general wished to spare their
lives; but the executioner said he had the king's orders, and must
therefore put them to death, which was done accordingly. This the
thieves very patiently submitted to, as is the manner of their nation;
for they hold it their greatest glory to die resolutely, as I have seen
them do often, both men and women, in the most careless manner. One
would think these men ought to be excellent soldiers, but they are not;
as this valour is only when there is no remedy. Against their own
countrymen they are reasonably brave; but they will not venture with
Europeans, unless with manifest great advantage in numbers or otherwise.
The 3d October our general made a farewell feast, to which he invited
the Dutch admiral, with all his captains, masters, and merchants, and we
were all exceedingly merry on this occasion, with much friendship
between the two nations. Next day our general went to court,
accompanied by our merchants and others, to take leave of the king and
his nobles. The 6th, being Sunday, our general, with all who were bound
for England, went on board, and on passing the Dutch house, went in and
took leave of the Dutch general and merchants.
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