After They Came On Shore, The General Sent
To The King And Protector, Desiring To Have The Pieces Back; But
The
masters of these slaves said they had no pieces except what they had
bought with their money; yet they
Requested our general to defer
executing the slaves for two days, which he agreed to. But as these
nobles were not reckoned great good-wishers to the king, the protector
sent the executioner with a guard of pikes to put them to death. When
they came to the place of execution, our general wished to spare their
lives; but the executioner said he had the king's orders, and must
therefore put them to death, which was done accordingly. This the
thieves very patiently submitted to, as is the manner of their nation;
for they hold it their greatest glory to die resolutely, as I have seen
them do often, both men and women, in the most careless manner. One
would think these men ought to be excellent soldiers, but they are not;
as this valour is only when there is no remedy. Against their own
countrymen they are reasonably brave; but they will not venture with
Europeans, unless with manifest great advantage in numbers or otherwise.
The 3d October our general made a farewell feast, to which he invited
the Dutch admiral, with all his captains, masters, and merchants, and we
were all exceedingly merry on this occasion, with much friendship
between the two nations. Next day our general went to court,
accompanied by our merchants and others, to take leave of the king and
his nobles. The 6th, being Sunday, our general, with all who were bound
for England, went on board, and on passing the Dutch house, went in and
took leave of the Dutch general and merchants. Mr Gabriel Towerson, who
was to remain agent at Bantam, and some other merchants, accompanied us
on board, some returning on shore after dinner, and others staying till
next day. We weighed anchor about three o'clock, saluting the town and
Dutch ships with our cannon. About eleven at night we came to anchor
under an island, where next day we took in wood, which our general had
sent some men to get ready cut beforehand. Towards evening of the 7th
October, 1605, we again weighed anchor and set sail: Mr Towerson and
some other merchants now took their leaves to go on shore, whom we
committed to the protection of the Almighty, and ourselves to the
courtesy of the seas, praying God to bless them and us, and, if it be
his holy will, to send us a happy meeting again in England.
Sec. 7. Observations by Mr John Saris, of Occurrences during his abode at
Bantam, from October, 1605, to October, 1609.[133]
This, and the subsequent subdivisions of the present section, are given
by Purchas as a continuation of the foregoing observations by Mr Scot,
to which Purchas affixes the following extended title, for the better
understanding of which it is to be noticed, that Mr Saris was afterwards
captain or general, as it was then called, of the eighth voyage fitted
out by the English East India Company, which sailed in 1611.
[Footnote 133: Purch. Pilg. I. 384.]
"Observations by John Saris, of Occurrences which happened in the
East Indies, during his Abode at Bantam, from October, 1605, to
October, 1609. As likewise touching the Marts and Merchandises of these
Parts; observed by his own Experience, or taken from the Relation of
Others; extracted out of his larger Book, and, here added as an Appendix
to his greater Voyage. These may serve as a continuation of the
preceding Observations by Mr Scot; and to these are added, certain
Observations by the same Author, touching the Towns and Merchandise of
principal Trade in those Parts of the World." - Purch.
In the Pilgrims, these observations are appended to the voyage of
Captain Saris to India and Japan, in 1611, but are here placed more
naturally as a continuation of the observations by Scot, because
considerably prior to that voyage, and precisely connected with these
observations. Several uninteresting particulars are omitted from these
observations in the present edition. - E.
* * * * *
On the 7th of October, 1605, our general Henry Middleton, and Captain
Christopher Coulthurst, departed from the road of Bantam, leaving
eighteen men in all, of whom five were mariners and thirteen
sailors.[134] The 23d there arrived a Dutch junk from Priaman, by which
we learnt that Sir Edward Mitchelburne and Captain Davis were upon the
coast, and that they had captured a Guzerat ship in the straits of
Sunda, bound from Bantam to Priaman. On the report of the Hollanders, we
of the English factory were summoned to court on the 25th, and wore
required to say if we knew Sir Edward, and why he had offered violence
to the king's friends, who had done him no wrong. We answered, that we
knew a person of that name, but knew not if he were upon the coast, nor
whether he had taken the Guzerat vessel, except by the report of the
Hollanders, which we held to be false, and were more apt to believe it
had been done by one of the Dutch-ships, which sailed from Bantam two
days before the departure of that Guzerat ship. We were then desired to
depart till further proof could be had.
[Footnote 134: This piece of information is placed as a marginal note by
Purchas, and confirms an idea formerly hazarded, that mariners were in
these old times of a higher description than sailors; the former being
thoroughbred seamen, the latter only ordinary. - E.]
Sir Edward Mitchelburne came here to anchor in the road of Bantam on the
29th, when Mr Towerson and I went on board to visit him, and were well
entertained. He then informed us of having taken the Guzerat vessel, and
we entreated of him that he would not capture the Chinese junks, which
he promised not to do on the word of a gentleman.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 76 of 218
Words from 76552 to 77559
of 221842
