The Ordinary Voyage From Canton To Manilla Is Made In Ten Days.
They Return From Manilla In The Beginning Of June, Bringing Back
Dollars, And There Are Not Less Than Forty Sail Of Junks Yearly Employed
In This Trade.
Their force is absolutely nothing, so that the whole
might be taken by a ship's boat.
In China this year, 1608, pepper was
worth 6-1/2 tailes the pekul, while at the same time it was selling in
Bantam for 2-1/2 dollars the timbang.
SECTION III.
Second Voyage of the English East India Company, in 1604, under the
Command of Captain Henry Middleton.[152]
INTRODUCTION.
There are two relations of this voyage in the Pilgrims of Purchas, or
rather accounts of two separate voyages by different ships of the fleet;
which consisted of four, the Red Dragon, admiral, Captain Henry
Middleton general; the Hector, vice-admiral, Captain Sorflet; the
Ascension, Captain Colthurst; and the Susan. These were, in all
probability, the same ships which had been in the former voyage under
Lancaster. The former of these journals, written on board the admiral,
confines itself chiefly to Captain Middleton's transactions at Bantam
and the Moluccas; having sent Captain Colthurst in the Ascension to
Banda. The latter contains the separate transactions of Captain
Colthurst, and is described as a brief extract from a larger discourse
written by Thomas Clayborne, who seems to have sailed in the Ascension;
and, besides describing what particularly relates to the trip to Banda,
gives some general account of the whole voyage. In the Pilgrims of
Purchas, these narratives are transposed, the former being given in vol.
I. p. 703, and the latter in vol. I. p. 185. "But should have come in
due place before, being the second voyage of the company, if we had then
had it: But better late than never." Such is the excuse of Purchas for
misplacement, and we have therefore here placed the two relations in
their proper order, in separate subdivisions of the section. The first
indeed is a very bald and inconclusive article, and gives hardly any
information respecting the object and success of the voyage to the
Moluccas.
[Footnote 152: Purch. Pilgr. I.185, and I. 703. Astl. I.279, and I.
281.]
Sec. 1. Voyage of the General, Henry Middleton, afterward Sir Henry, to
Bantam and the Moluccas, in 1604.[153]
Being furnished with all necessaries, and having taken leave of the
company, we set sail from Gravesend on the 25th March, 1604, and arrived
about the 20th December, after various accidents, in the road of Bantam,
with our crews very weak and sickly. After many salutations, and
interchange of ordnance between us and the Hollanders, the general of
the Hollanders dined with our general on the 31st December. Next day,
being 1st January, 1605, the general went on shore with a letter and
presents from James I. King of England, to the King of Bantam, then a
youth of thirteen years of age, and governed by a protector. The 16th of
the same month, our general came on board to proceed for the Moluccas,
having appointed Captain Surtlet to go home in the Hector. The 7th
February, we anchored under the shore of Veranula, the people of which
having a deadly hatred against the Portuguese, had sent to the
Hollanders for aid against them, promising to become their subjects if
they would expel the Portuguese. In short, the castle of Amboyna was
surrendered to the Hollanders; after which, by their command, the
governor of the town debarred us from all trade.
[Footnote 153: Purch. Pilgr. I.708. Astl. I. 279.]
At this time there was war between the islands of Ternate and Tidor, the
former assisted by the Dutch, and the latter by the Portuguese. Shortly
after we got near the coast of Tidor, we saw, between Pulo Canally and
Tidor, two gallies or coracoras belonging to Ternate, making great
haste towards us; and waving for us to shorten sail and wait for them.
At the same time, seven gallies of Tidor were rowing between us and the
shore to assault the Ternaters; and seeing them in danger, our general
lay to, to see what was the matter. In the foremost of the two gallies
were the King of Ternate with several of his nobles, and three Dutch
merchants, who were in great fear of their enemies, and prayed our
general for God's sake to save them from the Tidorians, who would shew
them no mercy if we did not protect them: They likewise entreated him to
save the other coracora, which followed them, in which were several
Dutchmen, who expected nothing but death if taken by their cruel
enemies. Our general thereupon commanded his gunner to fire at the Tidor
gallies; yet they boarded the second Ternate coracora even under our
guns, and put all on board to the sword, except three; who saved
themselves by swimming, and were taken up by our boat.
Being determined to go to Tidor, the Dutchmen entreated our general not
to allow the King of Ternate and them to fall into the hands of their
enemies, from whom he had so lately delivered them; promising him
mountains of cloves and other commodities at Ternate and Makeu, but
performing mole-hills, verifying the proverb, "When the danger is over
the saint is deceived." One thing I may not forget: When the King of
Ternate came on board, he was trembling for fear; which the general
supposing to be from cold, put on his back a black damask gown laced
with gold, and lined with unshorn velvet; which he had not the manners
to restore at his departure, but kept it as his own.
When we arrived at the Portuguese town in Tidor, the governor of the
fort sent one Thomas de Torres on board with a letter, stating that the
King of Ternate and the Hollanders reported there was nothing but
treachery and villainy to be expected from us; but that he believed
better of us; considering their reports to be entirely malicious:
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