The Great Cause Of Their Want Of
Trade Was Owing To Civil Wars In The Country.
We found here likewise
the Thomas, a ship belonging to the eighth voyage, newly come from
Priaman, where she had as poor success as the Darling had here.
We here
learnt the safe return and prosperous voyage of Captain David Middleton;
also of the four ships of the ninth voyage, two of which were already
arrived at Bantam; likewise that Captain Castleton had been lately here
in his ship of war, and had left information of fifteen sail of
Hollanders, already come or near at hand, and of two ships come for
trade from New-haven in France; all which sorely damped the hopes of our
tired, crossed, and decayed voyage. The 22d, finding little to be done
here, the Pepper-corn departed towards Bantam, leaving me to remain in
the Trades-increase till the 16th of next month. The 2d November all the
men of any condition went away to the wars along with Rajah Bunesu, so
that we could expect little trade till their return. The 20th we took on
board the remains of the pepper weighed the day before, in which we
found much deceit, the people having in some bags put in bags of paddy
or rough rice, and in some great stones, also rotten and wet pepper into
new dry sacks, yet had we no remedy.
[Footnote 366: Tekoa, Ticu, or Ticoo, is a port on the south-west coast
of Sumatra, almost under the equator. - E.]
Having got all things in and our men aboard, we prepared to depart, and
about midnight of the 20th November we set sail in clear moonshine,
having the wind at N.E. off shore. Notwithstanding every care and
exertion to avoid the two known rocks three leagues from Tekoa, we got
fast on a rock, having four fathoms water at our stern, a quarter less
three on the starboard a midship, and three fathoms under the head; a
ship's length off five fathoms, the same distance on the larboard bow
six feet, a midship to larboard sixteen feet, under the larboard gallery
twenty feet, and all round deep water within a cable's length. God in
his mercy gave us a smooth sea and no wind, so that the set or motion of
the ship seemed quite easy; yet the water flowed in upon us so fast,
that both chain-pumps with infinite labour could not in a long time
command the water. With all possible expedition we got an anchor out
astern, with two-thirds of a cable, which God so blessed, that before we
could heave the cable taught at the capstan, the ship of her own accord
was off into deep water. This was no sooner the case but we had a gust
of wind at west, which put us off about a mile from the rock, where we
anchored to wait for our boat, which brought our cadge after us. When
it was clear day, we could not even perceive where the rock was. A
principal reason of coming to anchor, was in hopes to overcome our
leaks, being exceedingly desirous to hasten to Bantam, as without
absolute necessity we wished not to return to Tekoa. But after
consulting together on what was best to be done, we returned to Tekoa,
there to endeavour to stop our leak, which we found to be in the
fashioning pieces of the stern. Accordingly, about sunset of the 21st we
came to anchor there in a place well fitted for our purpose. The 22d,
23d, and 24th we laboured hard to land indigo, cinnamon, and other
things, using every exertion to lighten the ship at the stern where the
leak was, and were busily engaged till the 8th December in mending the
leak and reloading our goods; which done, we set sail again from Tekoa,
and arrived on the 20th at Pulo-panian.
The Pepper-corn being filled at that place, Sir Henry Middleton called a
council to consult on what was best to be done, taking into
consideration the injury received on the rock by the Trades-increase;
when it was resolved that she must necessarily be careened or hove down,
and new strengthened, before she could return home; which requiring a
long time, it would not be possible for her to get home this season. It
was therefore concluded to dispatch the Pepper-corn immediately for
England, as some satisfaction for the adventurers till the
Trades-increase could follow.
Sec. 5. Voyage of the Pepper-corn Home to England.
By the 4th of February, 1613, the Pepper-corn being laden and ready for
sea, we set sail for England, leaving Sir Henry Middleton behind in the
Trades-increase.[367] We arrived on the 10th May in the road of
Saldanha, where I hoped to have found all the ships formerly departed
homewards; but I only found the Hector and Thomas, two ships of the
eighth voyage. The Expedition had got round the Cape of Good Hope, bound
towards some part of Persia, there to land Sir Robert Sherly and his
Persian lady, and Sir Thomas Powell with his English lady, who were all
intending for Persia. The next day we set sail in company with the
Hector and Thomas; but towards evening the Thomas was far astern, and
the Hector bore away under a press of sail, so that we lost them during
the night. We lingered for them till the 19th at sunrise, employed in
repairing our weak and decayed sails, at which time Saldanha bore S.E.
one half E. seventeen leagues.
[Footnote 367: Sir Henry died on the 24th of May following at Machian,
as was thought of grief, of which an account will be found in the
journals of Floris and Saris. - Astl. I. 427. a.]
Continuing our course for England, after losing all hope of rejoining
the Hector and Thomas, we descried, on the 11th September, the coast of
Wales to windward, and that of Ireland to leeward, and finding the winds
so adverse that I could not make Milford Haven, and our wants allowing
no long deliberation, I determined to go to Waterford.
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