Second, Freedom From Customs On Import
And Export.
Third, assistance of their vessels to save our goods and
men from wreck, and other dangers.
Fourth, liberty of testament, to
bequeath their goods to whom they pleased. Fifth, stability of
bargains and payments by the subjects of Acheen, &c. Sixth, authority
to execute justice on their own people offending. Seventh, justice
against injuries from the natives. Eighth, not to arrest or stay our
goods, or to fix prices upon them. Lastly, freedom of conscience.
This important treaty being settled, the merchants were incessantly
occupied in providing pepper for loading the ships; but it came in
slowly and in small quantities, as the last year had been very sterile.
Hearing of a port called Priaman, about 150 leagues from Acheen, in the
south part of Sumatra, where one of the smaller ships might be loaded,
the general prepared to send the Susan thither, placing in her Mr Henry
Middleton as captain and chief merchant. The general was not a little
grieved, that Mr John Davis, his chief pilot, had told the merchants
before leaving London, that pepper was to be had at Acheen for four
Spanish, ryals of eight the hundred, whereas it cost us almost twenty.
Owing to this, the general became very thoughtful, considering how to
load his ships, and save his credit in the estimation of his employers;
as it would be a disgrace to all concerned, in the eyes of all the
neighbouring nations of Europe, seeing there were merchandise enough to
be bought in the East Indies, while his ships were likely to return
empty.
Sec. 4. Portuguese Wiles discovered, and a Prize taken near Malacca.
A Portuguese ambassador was at this time in Acheen, who looked with an
evil eye on every step we took, but was by no means in favour with the
king: for, on the last day of his being at court, on demanding leave to
settle a factory in the country, and to build a fort at the entrance of
the harbour, for the protection of the merchants goods, because the city
was subject to fire, the king, perceiving what he meant, gave him this
sharp answer: "Has your master a daughter to give my son, that he is so
careful for the security of my country? He shall not need to be at the
charge of building a fort; for I have a fit house about two leagues
inland from the city, which I can give him for a factory, where you
need neither fear enemies nor fire, for I will protect you." The king
was much displeased with this insolent demand, and the ambassador left
the court much discontented.
Shortly after this, an Indian, who belonged to a Portuguese captain, who
came to the port with a ship-load of rice from Bengal, came to our house
to sell hens. The Portuguese captain lodged at the ambassador's house,
and our general suspected he came only as a spy to see what we were
about; yet he gave them orders to treat the Indian well, and always to
give him a reasonable price for his hens. At last he took occasion to
commune with this Indian, asking whence he came and what he was, saying
to him pleasantly, that a young man of his appearance deserved a better
employment than buying and selling hens. To this he answered, "I serve
this Portuguese captain, yet am neither bound nor free; for, though
free-born, I have been with him so long that he considers me as his
property, and he is so great a man that I cannot strive with him." Then,
said the general, "If thy liberty be precious to thee, thy person, seems
to merit it; but what wouldst thou do for him who should give thee thy
liberty, without pleading to thy master for it?" "Sir," said the Indian,
"freedom is as precious as life, and I would venture my life for him
that would procure it for me: Try me, therefore, in any service that I
can perform for you, and my willingness shall make good my words."
"Then," said the general, "thou desirest me to try thee? What says the
ambassador of me and my shipping, and what are his purposes?" The Indian
told him, that the Portuguese had a spy employed over his ships, being a
Chinese who was intimate with the men, so that he has procured drawings
of the ships, and of every piece of ordnance in them, and how they are
placed, with a list of all the men in each: That he thought the ships
strong and well equipped, but being weak in men, believed they might
easily be taken, if any force could be had to attack them suddenly; and
intended in a few days to send his draughts to Malacca, to induce the
Portuguese to send a force from thence to attack them as they lay at
anchor. The general laughed heartily at this account, but said the
ambassador was not so idle as the Indian thought, for he well knew the
English ships were too strong for all the forces in those parts. He then
desired the Indian to go his way, and return in a day or two to inform
him if the ambassador continued his project, and when he was to send his
messenger to Malacca. Saying, that although it would serve him little to
know these things, yet he would give the Indian his liberty for the
good-will he shewed to serve him.
The Indian went away well pleased, as might easily be seen by his
countenance and the lightness of his steps. When he was gone, the
general said to me, that we had now met with a fit person to betray his
master, if we could derive any benefit from his treachery; and in this
he was not deceived, for by his means, whatever was done or said by the
ambassador during the day, was regularly reported to our general that
night or next morning; yet did this fellow conduct himself so prudently,
that neither was he suspected by any one in the Portuguese ambassador's
house, nor was it known to any one in ours, what business he was engaged
in.
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