He Used
Often To Say That Sir Richard Lewson Had Relieved Himself, When Like To
Perish At Sea, For Which He Held Himself Bound To Be Kind To The English
Wherever He Met Them; And He Shewed Much Reverence For Our Queen On All
Occasions.
Thomas Morgan, our second factor, died on the 25th of April, after
having been long sick; and Mr Starkie began to grow very weak.
The 28th,
our pinnace which had gone to Banda came back to Bantam, having lost
William Chace, one of her factors, and all the others in her were weak
and sickly. The new protector now forbade us from proceeding with our
house; but by the favour of the Sabander, and Cay Tomogone Goboy the
admiral, we were with much ado allowed to finish it. Mr Starkie, our
principal factor, died on the 30th June, whose burial General Warwicke
caused to be honoured by the attendance of a company of shot and pikes,
with the colours trailed, as at the funeral of a soldier.
The great market-place on the east side of the river was set fire to on
the 4th July, in which fire several Chinese who were indebted to us lost
their all, so that we sustained some loss. Thomas Dobson, one of the
factors appointed for Banda, died on the 17th July. The town was fired
again on the east side of the river on the 27th. The 5th, several Dutch
captains came to our house, saying that the regent had asked if they
would take our parts in case he did us any violence; when they told him
we were their neighbours, and they would not see us wronged. I went
immediately to the regent, to whom I gave a small present, and thanked
him for the men he had lent us to help our building; but I could see by
his countenance that he was angry. The same day the admiral of Bantam
sent his son to the regent to enquire why he used threats against us,
which he denied; and, sending for me next morning, he asked me who had
said he meant to harm us. Saying it was the Dutch captains, he answered
if any Javan or Chinese had said so, he would have sent for them and cut
their throats before my eyes. He then blamed me for not coming to him
when we had any suits, and going always to the sabander and admiral;
upon which, I said that he was only newly appointed, and we were not yet
acquainted with him, but should apply to him in future.
About this time an affray broke out between the Hollanders and the
Chinese, in which some on both sides were slain and wounded, owing to
the disorderly and drunken behaviour of the lower Dutchmen when on
shore. They got the worst on this occasion, not indeed from the Chinese
themselves, but from some Javan slaves of turn-coat Chinese, who would
steal unawares on the Hollanders of an evening, and stab them in a
cowardly manner. One day, when the Hollanders were very importunate
about one of their men who had been assassinated, the regent asked,
whether they brought a law along with them into a foreign country, or
whether they were governed by the laws of the country in which they
resided? They answered, that they were governed by their own laws when
on ship board, and by those of the country when on shore. Then said the
regent, "I will tell you what are the laws of this country in regard to
murder. If one kill a slave, he must pay 20 ryals of eight, if a freeman
50, and if a gentleman 100." This was all the redress they had for the
slaughter of their man.
About the 5th September there came a junk full of men from the island of
Lampon in the straits of Sunda, who are great enemies to the Javans,
and yet so very like them as not to be distinguishable. These men,
having their junk in a creek near Bantam, and being in all points like
the Javans, used to come boldly into the town and into the houses, even
at noonday, and cut off the people's heads, so that for near a month we
had little rest for the grievous lamentations of the towns people. After
a time, many of them becoming known, were taken and put to death. They
were men of comely stature, and the reason of their strange procedure
was, that their king rewarded them with a female slave for every head
they brought him, so that they would often dig up newly-buried persons
at Bantam and cut off their heads, to impose upon their savage king.
About this time, we got notice from the admiral and other friends to be
much on our guard, as some of the principal natives in respect to birth,
though not in wealth or office, had conspired to murder us for the sake
of our goods, and then to give out that it had been done by the
Lampons. These devils came several times in the intention to execute
their horrid purpose, but seeing always lights about our house, which we
had set up that we might see them, and hearing our drum at the end of
every watch, their hearts failed them for fear of our small arms, both
which and our murderers [blunderbusses] we had always ready for their
reception. At length they fell out among themselves and dispersed.
By our continual alarms, and the grievous outcries of men, women, and
children, who were nightly murdered around us, our men were so wrought
upon, that even in their sleep they would dream of pursuing the Javans,
and would suddenly start out of bed, catch at their weapons, and even
wound each other before those who had the watch could part them; but yet
we durst not remove their weapons, lest they should be instantly wanted,
of which we were in constant dread.
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