And That The Demands And Articles He Had Set Down
In Writing Should All Be Extended In Proper Form By One Of His
Secretaries, Which He Should Then Authorise And Confirm.
Within five or
six days these were delivered to the general, from the king's own hands,
with many gracious words.
It were too long to insert the entire articles
of this treaty; but the whole demands of the English were granted.
First, free trade and entry. Second, freedom from customs on import
and export. Third, assistance of their vessels to save our goods and
men from wreck, and other dangers. Fourth, liberty of testament, to
bequeath their goods to whom they pleased. Fifth, stability of
bargains and payments by the subjects of Acheen, &c. Sixth, authority
to execute justice on their own people offending. Seventh, justice
against injuries from the natives. Eighth, not to arrest or stay our
goods, or to fix prices upon them. Lastly, freedom of conscience.
This important treaty being settled, the merchants were incessantly
occupied in providing pepper for loading the ships; but it came in
slowly and in small quantities, as the last year had been very sterile.
Hearing of a port called Priaman, about 150 leagues from Acheen, in the
south part of Sumatra, where one of the smaller ships might be loaded,
the general prepared to send the Susan thither, placing in her Mr Henry
Middleton as captain and chief merchant. The general was not a little
grieved, that Mr John Davis, his chief pilot, had told the merchants
before leaving London, that pepper was to be had at Acheen for four
Spanish, ryals of eight the hundred, whereas it cost us almost twenty.
Owing to this, the general became very thoughtful, considering how to
load his ships, and save his credit in the estimation of his employers;
as it would be a disgrace to all concerned, in the eyes of all the
neighbouring nations of Europe, seeing there were merchandise enough to
be bought in the East Indies, while his ships were likely to return
empty.
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