He Set Sail From
Bantam On The 2d November, Directing His Course For The Straits Of
Palinbangan.
The 18th November, a small Dutch pinnace sailed for the exploration of
the land called New Guinea, which was said to produce great abundance of
gold.
The 2d January, 1606, a junk set sail for Timor, freighted by
Chinese merchants. Besides English iron, coarse porcelain, taffetas,
Chinese pans and bells, they carried with them what are called brand
pieces of silver, being beaten out very thin and a hand-breadth in size.
On the 20th there arrived a Chinese junk, which Sir Edward Mitchelburne
had captured notwithstanding his promise to Mr Towerson and me. We were
called upon to make restitution, the nokhada or pilot of the junk
alleging to have lost many rich commodities, and the governor and
principal courtiers were grievously offended; but by the favour of the
admiral and sabander we were let off.
On the 23d May, there arrived a small vessel belonging to the Hollanders
from Ternate, bringing away the merchants left there by Bastianson,
who were sent away by the Spaniards, by whom that island was now taken,
together with all their goods, the Spaniards having allowed them to
depart, but had carried off the King of Ternate as a prisoner to
Manilla; and it was said they meant to send him to Spain. While about
ten leagues from Jackatra, this small vessel fell in with the king of
Bantam's fleet, by which they were pillaged of every thing they had
saved from the Spaniards; and though they now used every endeavour to
procure restitution, they could have no redress.
On the 15th June, Nokhada Tingall, a cling-man, arrived in a Javan
junk from Banda with a cargo of mace and nutmegs, which be sold here to
the Guzerats for 150 dollars the Bantam bahar, which is 450 cattees.
He told me that the Dutch pinnace, which went upon discovery to New
Guinea, had found the island; but that, on sending their men ashore to
endeavour to procure trade, nine of them had been slain by the natives,
who are canibals or man-eaters; so that the Dutch were forced to come
away, and had gone, to Banda.
The 6th August, the moon was eclipsed about eight in the evening, and
continued so for two hours, during which time the Chinese and Javans
made a continual noise by beating on pots and pans, crying out that the
moon was dead. The 4th October, the whole Chinese quarter of Bantam was
burnt down, yet it pleased God to preserve our house. That same night a
Dutch ship sailed for Holland, laden with 15,000 sacks of pepper,
besides some raw silk, and great store of China sugar. The 9th, arrived
a pinnace from Succadanea in Borneo, laden with wax and cavalacca, and
great store of diamonds.
The 14th May, 1607, there arrived here at Bantam a junk from Grese, by
which we learnt that one Julius, a Dutchman, who went from hence on the
30th November, 1606, for Succadanea, had been put to death at
Banjarmassen, in Borneo, and all his goods confiscated by the king of
that place, because, as was reported, Julius had used certain insolent
speeches concerning the king, which came to his knowledge, upon which he
sent for Julius and the master of the junk, and had them slain by the
way.
The 7th August arrived a pinnace from the island of St Lucia, in lat.
24 deg. 30' S. about a mile from the coast of Madagascar, where they were
forced to take shelter in the ship which left this on the 4th October,
1606, having been obliged to throw overboard 3000 sacks of pepper,
besides other commodities of great value, to lighten the ship and
preserve their lives. They found this island an excellent place for
refreshment, the natives having no knowledge of money; so that they
bought a fat ox for a tin spoon, and a sheep for a small piece of brass.
The anchorage, as they reported, was very good, being in seven or eight
fathoms; upon hard ground.
The 14th November, 1607, Captain David Middleton arrived here in the
Consent.[135]
[Footnote 135: Mr Saris gives here a long account of incidents
concerning a Dutch fleet outward bound, having no connection with the
affairs of Bantam, or with those of the English trade, and which is
therefore omitted. - E.]
The 2d October, 1608, the Dragon arrived here from Priaman, in which was
General William Keeling, commander in the third voyage fitted out by our
English East India Company. He went to court on the 7th, and delivered
our king's letter to the King of Bantam, together with a present of five
handsome muskets, a bason, an ewer, and a barrel of gunpowder.
Very early in the morning of the 13th, the governor of Bantam and his
Jerotoolies were put to death by the Pangavas; the sabander, the
admiral, Key Depatty Utennagarra, and others. The conspirators
assembled over night at the house of Keymas Patty, and beset the
court, laying hold in the first place of the king and his mother. They
then hastened to the residence of the governor, thinking to have found
him in bed; but he hid himself at the back of the bed, where they found
him, and wounded him in the head. He then fled for protection to the
priest, called Key Finkkey, who came out to them, and entreated they
would spare his life; but they were inexorable, and having forced their
way in, they dispatched him.
The 9th November, Samuel Plummer went from hence for Succadanca in
Borneo, where he intended to remain. In the afternoon of Sunday the 4th
December, our general, William Keeling, set sail from hence for England;
but on the 6th he was forced back by bad weather and westerly winds. He
set sail again on the 10th, and returned a second time on the 13th,
having met with the Dragon in the straits of Sunda, the men belonging to
that ship being very weak in consequence of the scurvy; besides which
the Portuguese of Damaun had treacherously seized their boats at Surat,
taking nineteen of their men, together with cloths which had cost 9000
dollars at that place.
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