There Seemed A
Likeness Of A Passage Through Between The Middle Island And The
Northermost, But It Was Not A League Broad.
The southern island is the
largest of the three.[172]
[Footnote 172: These three islands seem to have been Pulo Minton,
Good-Fortune, and Nassau, off the south-western coast of Sumatra. - E.]
The 26th July we were halfway between Priaman and Tecu, about three
leagues from the shore, the two hummocks of Tecu, with high land over
them, bearing N. by W. and S. by E. half a point east. There is a shoal
four miles from shore, bearing N. and S. with the high land of Tecu. We
had here 45 fathoms water 21/2 leagues from shore, being then N.E. by E.
from the road of Priaman. In the afternoon we got into the road of
Priaman, and saluted the town with five guns.
The governor of the town sent me a goat, and I sent him in return three
yards of stammel cloth, one piece of blue calico, a stocked musket, a
musket-barrel, and two sword blades. The messenger spoke good
Portuguese, to whom I gave a piece of blue calico. He was accompanied by
a person of Acheen, with whom I conversed in Arabic, and by whom I had
great hope of trade. I went ashore early on the 29th, and going to the
governor's house, he presented me with a buffalo, and appointed some of
his chief men to make the price of pepper with me. Sitting down with
about sixty of these men, they first proposed that the pepper should be
weighed in town, while I insisted that it should be weighed in the
island. They demanded fifty dollars the bahar, which much displeased me,
as the Acheen man had desired me only to offer sixteen: But that was his
craft, for he was a merchant, and wished to have engrossed much pepper
before I bought, and then to have re-sold it to me at his own price.
After much time and many words, we agreed at 22-1/2 dollars the bahar,
besides six per centum custom. I at first refused to pay two other
customs, or exactions rather, the one of 160 dollars, and the other not
much less; but at length I consented, and writings were drawn up between
us. During the last night a man lay on board my ship who spoke
Portuguese, who offered, in the name of the widow of the former
governor, calling her queen, to give me half the town if I would help
her in taking it from the present governor. But I refused any
interference, as not answerable for my sovereign, and sent him on shore.
I this day sold cloth to Nakhada[173] for 159 masses of gold.
[Footnote 173: Nakhada, or Nakhadah, signifies the captain or commander
of a ship in Arabic - ASTL. I. 519. d.]
The town and bounds of Priaman do not yield above 500 bahars of pepper
yearly; but, with the parts adjoining, as Passaman, Tecu, Beroose, and
the mountains over the town, there are gathered about 2500 bahars
yearly, which quantity will load two good ships, and may be bought very
reasonable, if a factory had means to buy all the year. Their pepper
harvest is in August and September, and is fetched away only by those of
Acheen and Java, the Guzerates not being permitted to trade here, by the
express command of the King of Acheen. Therefore, a ship touching at
Surat, and buying there especially blue calicos, white calicos, blue and
white striped and chequered stuffs, with some small fine painted cloths,
and then leaving a factory at Priaman, might lay the best foundation for
profit that can be wished, against next year. I say against another
year, for it does not seem to me that a ship could go to Surat and come
hither in time the same year. For this purpose, however, the licence of
the King of Acheen must be procured for our safe proceeding in these
parts.
We made sail from Priaman on the 18th September, and on the 4th October
got into the road of Bantam, where we found six ships of Holland, two of
which were almost laden with cloves, and other two were to load with
pepper. I found thirteen Englishmen here alive, and received a letter
from Captain David Middleton of the Consent. The 6th I paid Uncte and
Tegin, the two Chinese, their wages, and dismissed them. The 20th I
called the merchants together, having formerly resolved to return with
the Dragon for England, and we now concluded that our pinnace, when
finished, should go for Banda with Brown and Sidall. John Hearne, John
Saris, and Richard Savage, were to remain at Bantam; and when the
pinnace returned from Banda, John Saris was to go in her to Sackadanea,
in Borneo. The 15th November, I sent for Jaques L'Ermite, the commander
of the Dutch vessels at Bantam, and discovered to him a plot of the
Javans for cutting the throats of all the Hollanders, of which I had
received particular intimation.
The ambassador of Siam came to visit me on the 22d, and dined with me,
and asserted that a thousand pieces of red cloth might be sold in his
country in two days, and a great quantity yearly, as it is used for
housings to their elephants and horses. Gold, he said, was in such
abundance in his country as only to be worth three times its weight in
silver, though good gold. It has also great abundance of cheap precious
stones. He said, moreover, that his king would esteem it a great
happiness to have commerce with the King of England, with whom, as he
understood, the King of Holland was not to be compared.
The 28th November, I took leave of the king, the governor, the admiral,
the old sabander, Jura Bassa, Tanyong, and of the Hollanders, and went
on board for altogether next day.
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