There Were On Board This Curracurra Two Dutch
Captains Of Their Forts, And Plenty Of Men Armed With Shot And Darts;
But Our Pinnace Was Well Provided, And Had Two Good Fowlers[428] At
Her Head.
She lay a good space aboard the curracurra, desiring the
Dutchmen to take this for a warning to leave off their impertinent
scoffs, or we should teach them better manners in a worse way the next
time.
So they went away, promising to do so no more.
[Footnote 428: Probably some species of ordnance, as swivels or
musquetoons. - E.]
Towards evening the Dutch sent one of their merchants to me, with a
writing from their doctor-of-laws, who was their chief in the absence
of De Bot, or Blocke, who had come from Holland as general over eleven
ships. The purport of this writing was, that all the inhabitants of the
Moluccas had entered into a perpetual contract with the Dutch for all
their cloves, at fifty dollars the bahar, of 200 cattees, in reward for
having freed them from the Spanish yoke, at great expence of blood and
treasure; and required therefore, that I should not excite the people to
disobedience, to their great disadvantage, as the country was certainly
theirs by right of conquest. He added, that the islanders were indebted
in large sums to the Dutch, advanced on promise of repayment in cloves.
I answered, that I had no intention to interfere in any of the concerns
of the Dutch, and had only come for the purpose of trading with whoever
might be inclined to trade with us.
The 27th, the Dutch made the prince Key Chillisadang moor his curracurra
astern of us, to prevent the natives from coming aboard of us; and, in
our sight, we saw him stop a canoe, which we thought was bringing us
spice, and obliged it to go back to the land: yet, towards night, two of
the natives brought us off some refreshments. Next day, understanding
that we were dissatisfied with his proceedings, the prince removed
behind a point at some distance, which much displeased the Dutch. In the
afternoon, I went with the skiff, well manned, to endeavour to bargain
with the prince for a parcel of cloves, but found him gone to another
place. Seeing my skiff going into the bay, Captain Blocke followed in
his curracurra, and would have landed where I was, but I would not
suffer him. On the natives seeing this, and that Captain Blocke went
back to his ship without landing, many of the better sort came down to
us with much respect, and sent for cocoas and other fruits, which they
distributed to the boat's crew. When the master of my ship saw Captain
Blocke following me in great haste, he manned our long-boat to assist us
in case of need, but on a signal to that effect from me, he returned on
board.
On the 30th, the Dutch brought the prince to ride in his old place, and
towards evening another Dutch ship came into the roads, called the Moon,
having thirty-two pieces of good cannon, but not more than fifty men.
She came to anchor a-head of us, and so near, that we could hardly swing
clear of each other.
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