The Want Of My Twelve Men In The Praw Put Me To Much Trouble, As They
Would Have Shortened Our Labour Much:
For most of our men were laid up
with sore legs, and whenever any one was reasonable well, he had to go
in the Hopewell, in the room of another poor lame fellow, some being
three several times well and down again.
I was thus driven to my wits
end, not knowing which way to turn me, being every hour in danger that
the Hollanders would come and take the island. By intelligence at sundry
times, I learnt that they endeavoured by various contrivances to get me
made away with, offering large bribes for rogues to kill me, by poison
or otherwise; but, God be praised, I had some friends on the island, who
gave me secret warnings, and put me on my guard against such
men-slaves, who would do me some mischief, and came for the purpose.
I prevailed on the islanders to combine and fit out their caracols, to
keep the Dutch pinnaces from coming to assail us, after which the
pinnaces durst not stir; and the islanders often landed secretly on
Nera, and cut off sundry of the Hollanders, so that they durst not stir
from the castle, except in numerous parties, well armed. The islanders
even built a fort on the side of a hill, whence they fired into the
castle, and troubled the Hollanders much. By this we were secured
against the Dutch pinnaces coming out, to attempt intercepting our
intercourse with Pulo-way. I made nine voyages myself in our small
pinnace, and could never spare above seven seamen to go in her, leaving
five at Pulo-way, all the rest being sick or lame with sore legs. This
was a most villainous country, every article of food being excessively
dear, and only sometimes to be had, which troubled us exceedingly; and
we were so continually vexed with violent rains, that we thought to have
all perished. I was forced to fetch away the junk I bought at Lantor
unfitted for sea, as the Dutch, on seeing men at work upon her, sent out
one of their ships to batter her to pieces. So that night I got the help
of two tonies to launch her, having to carry her a great way on rollers,
which we did under night, and got her out of sight before day. We
brought her to Pulo-way, where we had to buy sails and every thing else
for her, she being only a bare hulk; so I set the native carpenters to
work upon her, who did her little good, as it was afterwards found. I
likewise sent orders by the Hopewell to the ship, to send some rigging,
and that Mr Davis should come to carry her over.
On this occasion the Hopewell did not appear again for three weeks, so
that we were doubtful of some mischance; and it might have been long
before they at the ship could have hired any one to bring us word, as
the Hollanders have often used them very ill for carrying provisions to
the Bandanese.
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