All This Great Loss, He Said, Had Not
Formerly Grieved Him So Much As Now, When I Told Him I Had Got The Ship
Fitted Out Expressly To Come And Buy His Commodities.
He said farther,
that he saw I had kept my promise; and swore by the head of Mahomet he
would have so done likewise, had not God laid that scourge of fire upon
him, by which several of his wives and other women were burnt.
He was
now, he said, engaged from home in war with all his forces, the event of
which could not be foreseen, and could not therefore spare any of his
people to make any provision for me; as, if we had not come, he had by
this time been in the field against another king who was his enemy. He
pointed out the town belonging to the king with whom he was at war, and
requested me to fire against it as I went past: I answered that I was a
stranger, and had no cause of quarrel with that king, and it would be
improper for me to make myself enemies; but if the other king should
come while I was there, and offer any injury to him or his subjects, I
would do my best to send them away. The king was quite satisfied with
this, and took his leave, and we presently made sail.
The 24th January we arrived at the island of Bangaia,[309] whence the
king and most of the people were fled for fear of some enemy, though I
could not learn the truth. There was a Hollander there, who told me that
the king had fled for fear of the King of Macassar, who, he thought,
wanted to force him to become a Mahometan, as he was an idolater. But I
rather think they had fled for fear of the Hollanders, who intended to
have built a fort here, but desisted on seeing that the people fled.
This single Hollander bore such sway, that none of those who remained in
the island dared to displease him. He had two houses full of the young
women of the island for his own use, taking as many women as he pleased,
and had many slaves, both men and women. He is a pleasant companion, and
will dance and sing from morn to night, almost naked like the natives.
He has won the hearts of the people, along with whom he will often drink
for two whole days. He lives here alone, and will not submit to be
commanded by any other Hollander. Being over against Amboyna, when the
governor of that place wants to speak with him, he must send two of his
merchants to remain as hostages till his return. He collects the duties
for the King of Ternate in all the islands hereabout, serving himself in
the first place, and sending to the king what he pleases to spare.
[Footnote 309: From the sequel, Bangaia seems to have been near Amboyna,
on the south-west of Ceram.
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