The King Sent His Admiral And Others
Of His Nobles Aboard To Bid Me Welcome, Saying That They Knew What
Nation We Were Of By Our Flag.
They used many ceremonious compliments,
wishing we were seated among them instead of the Dutch, that they might
get clear of them, as they had almost ruined their country by civil
wars.
I entertained them in a friendly manner, saying we had come among
them for trade, and would leave a factory with them, if their king were
so inclined. They answered, that such a thing would please them much,
but could not now be granted; yet they would acquaint their king with
what I said. The captain of the Dutch fort made me a visit on board,
from whom I understood that his force consisted of thirty men, most of
whom were married, some to natives of the country, and some to Dutch
women; eleven of whom, as he told me, were able to do military duty even
against the Spaniards or any other nation, being large and strong
viragoes, with few other good qualities. No sooner was the captain on
board but he was followed by this Amazonian band, who complained that
they suffered great misery, and readily sat down along with our sailors
to partake of such as our ship afforded; after which they returned
ashore with the captain.
The 3d March we sent our skiff to sound the east side of the bay, and at
an opening or entrance near a little island, she found an anchorage in
twelve, sixteen, and twenty fathoms on coral ground, out from under the
command of the fort; but having a shoal to the southwards, the length of
three cables. This is in latitude 0 deg. 50'. The 4th, the king of Ternate
sent me a present by his priest. The 5th, at sun-rise, we observed the
variation to be 4 deg. 48' easterly. This day a Moor came aboard with a
sample of cloves, and offered to sell us some quantity if we would go
for them to Machian; being sent on this errand by his master, who was
now on this island of Bachian. For this reason we deemed it proper to
stay a day longer to have some conference with this person, whose name
was Key Malladaia, being brother to the old king of Ternate. The 6th he
came aboard, and promised to go with us to Machian, and to bring us to a
place there called Tahannee.[425] He accordingly left two of his chief
men with me as pilots, desiring us to go before and wait for him at an
island by the way, where he promised to be with us in two days, giving
great encouragement to hope for abundance of cloves. He told us that the
Dutch gave 50 dollars the bahar, but they would cost us 60, which I very
readily promised to give. The 7th we weighed from this anchorage or
road, called Amascan; and, by direction of our new pilots, steered W.
and W. by N. for Machian, leaving two islands to larboard, four or five
miles from Amascan; we had twenty-two, thirty, and even forty fathoms,
two cables length only off the island.
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