We
Accordingly Bargained With Lackmoy For 2000 Sacks Of Pepper, At
127-1/2 Dollars The 100 Sacks; And With Keewee For 1000 Sacks At 125
Dollars The 100 Sacks, And For 3000 More At 150 Dollars The 100.
We now
tried ashore what was the weight of a pekul of cloves, which we found to
be 132 pounds English.
The 9th November, Sir Henry Middleton arrived at Bantam in the
Pepper-corn. The 15th, at the earnest request of Chamarra the
protector, we mustered before the palace eighty of our men in arms from
our different ships, to assist in celebrating the breaking up of the
Mahometan Lent, which gave him much content, more especially as the
Dutch refused to gratify him. The 16th we agreed with Keewee for 4000
sacks of pepper at 160 dollars the 100 sacks, with an allowance of three
in the hundred basse. The 18th eleven large Dutch ships arrived, the
Thomas being in their company. She had only got at Priaman 312 bahars of
pepper, and twenty tael of gold. On the 22d, 100 Dutchmen, armed with
firelocks and pikes, all in brave array, marched to the front of the
palace, where they drew up in a ring and gave three vollies. The
protector sent word in the king's name to thank them, saying they had
done enough, and might depart with their iron hats; for so the Javanese
call head-pieces. The 28th, three Dutch ships sailed homewards bound,
mostly laden with pepper and mace, and five more of their ships sailed
for Banda and the Moluccas.
The 4th December, a Dutch ship arrived from Coromandel, from which we
had intelligence that the Globe was at Patane bound for Siam. The 11th,
the Hector, having taken in her lading, sailed from Bantam to the
watering-place called Morough, where the air is good and healthy, and
where refreshment of oranges is to be had in abundance, besides other
wholesome fruits, intending to wait there till the Thomas was fully
laden. The 22d, the Trades-increase and Darling arrived from Priaman.
The 25th, in honour of the birth-day of the Saviour, certain chambers
were discharged at our English factory, which were answered by ordnance
from our ships. The 28th, Keewee, the chief China merchant, invited
Sir Henry Middleton and me, with all our merchants, to dinner at his
house, where he had a play acted by Chinese actors on a stage erected
for the purpose, which they performed with good pronunciation and
gesture. The 12th January, 1613, the Thomas set sail for England, having
a crew of thirty-six English and three Indians.
Sec. 4. The Voyage of Captain Saris, in the Clove, towards Japan, with
Observations respecting the Dutch and Spaniards at the Molucca
Islands.[423]
In the morning of the 4th January, 1613, we weighed anchor from the road
of Bantam for Japan, having taken in 700 sacks of pepper to make trial
of trade at that place. Our crew consisted of seventy-four Englishmen,
one Spaniard, one Japanese, and five Swarts, [blacks] or Indians. The
15th, in the morning, having little wind, we hauled off into fourteen
fathoms, and steered E. by S. and E.S.E. leaving Pulo Lack on our
starboard, and eleven or twelve small islands on our larboard; our depth
shoaling from, fourteen to ten fathoms us we passed between two islands
to the east of Palo Lack. In this fair way there is a shoal which has
not above six feet water, and does not exceed half a cable's length in
extent either way. Close in with it there are ten fathoms water, and the
very next cast is on ground, as we had sad experience, having lain three
hours beating on it with a reasonably stiff gale, but got off through
God's mercy, and the extraordinary exertions of the crew. Our ship
sprung a leak, which kept every man at the pump, myself only excepted,
during the whole night, and till ten o'clock next day. Every one took
his spell in turn, and little enough to keep the leak from increasing,
so that we were all doubtful of being obliged to put back for Bantam, to
the great risk of losing our men by sickness, and disappointing our
voyage to Japan; but, thank God, our carpenter found the leak, and made
it tight. To avoid this shoal it is necessary to keep close to the
islands, as the main of Java is shoally.
[Footnote 423: In this voyage, being one not now usual, we have followed
the course minutely along with Captain Saris - E.]
The 16th, we anchored at a watering-place called Tingo Java, fourteen
leagues from Bantam, and about three and a half leagues westwards of
Jacatra. We rode between two islands, which are about five miles off
the point, having nine and ten fathoms close to the islands, but towards
the main land is shoally. I sent presents to the king of Jacatra and to
his sabandar and admiral, requesting leave to purchase such necessaries
as we wanted; and on the 18th the king sent his chief men aboard,
thanking me for the presents, and offering me every thing his country
afforded. The 21st we set sail, steering near the eastermost of the two
islands that are over against the watering-place, having nine and ten
fathoms, and so to seawards of all the islands E.N.E. from the
watering-place. The outwardmost of them beareth E. by N. northerly; and
off its northern point is a shoal half a league distant, on which the
sea is seen to break, at which time the east point of Jacatra bears
east-southerly, depth seventeen and eighteen fathoms, and all the way
out from twenty to fourteen fathoms. You will here find a current
setting E.S.E. for which you must allow according as you have the wind.
In the evening, having little wind at N. by W. and the current setting
us to the S.E. upon the shore, we came to anchor in, thirteen fathoms,
having shot three leagues to the eastward of the east point of Jacatra,
with the wind at N.W.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 211 of 218
Words from 214624 to 215659
of 221842
