The 2d December, At Night, Our
Merchants Came Aboard, Bringing A Letter From The King Of Bantam To The
King Of England, With A Present Of Two Picols Of Canton.
Before we got
out of the straits we espied a sail on the 12th December, which proved
to be the Hector from Surat, where her captain, William Hawkins,
remained.
I understood that the Portuguese had taken eighteen of our
men, several of whom were factors, and goods to the value of 9000
dollars. The 14th we came back to Bantam roads, forced either to
lengthen our voyage, or to go home with lost reputation. The 16th there
came a small vessel from Amsterdam, giving notice of peace between
France, Spain, and the Dutch. I appointed Messrs Molineux and Pockham
for England in the Dragon, taking the rest with me in the Hector for the
Moluccas, into which other ship I removed on the 17th, the masters
shifting ships. The 21st I forwarded Mr Towerson in all diligence,
wishing him to depart in all speed; and on the 23d the Dragon made sail
from Bantam, God prosper her voyage.[174]
[Footnote 174: Mr Tewerson seems from this time to have commanded the
Dragon on the voyage home; but this whole narrative is so ill expressed
and incoherent, that its meaning has often to be guessed at. - ASTL. I.
321.a.]
Sec. 4. Voyage of the Hector to Banda, with Occurrences there.
About one in the morning of the 1st January, 1609, we weighed anchor,
and with an off-shore wind got round the east point, three leagues
E.N.E. from our former anchorage. Thence easterly to another point other
three leagues, a very long shoal with very little water extending
between the two, to avoid which it is good to steer halfway between Java
and the isles of Tonda, which are five leagues distant. East from the
second point is the isle of Tanara, so close to the shore that it
cannot be distinguished from any distance. From the second to the third
point, are four leagues E.S.E. and one and a half mile off that point N.
by W. is the isle of Lackee, between which and the point is only one and
a half fathoms water, according to report. We rode all night in six
fathoms, having the isle east of us a league. Weighing on the 4th, we
steered within half a league of Lackee in seven or eight fathoms; from
the isle to the west point of Jackatra being E.S.E. four leagues.
There is a dangerous sand off the west point of Jackatra, wherefore it
is good to keep nearer the island opposite that point.
The 8th I went to Jackatra,[175] and anchored far out. The king sent
his sabander to desire powder and match, and I sent him 30 pounds of
powder and a roll of match. I bought of them a Portuguese boy, given by
the Hollanders to their king, but who refused to apostatize from
Christianity, and paid for him 45 dollars. We have seen thirty or forty
islands since leaving Bantam. The 10th we made sail from Jackatra. There
is a sunken island even with the water, about two leagues W. by N. from
the east point of Jackatra, which we left to larboard, going between it
and the easter island. The two points forming Jackatra bay bear E.S.E.
and W.N.W. four leagues distant, the eastermost island being in a
straight line between both points. At noon on the 11th we were ten
leagues N.E. from the east point of Jackatra. The 12th at noon, we were
two leagues S.W. by S. from an island, having sailed thirty leagues E.
by S. The 15th we came near Madura, contrary to my expectation, whence I
suppose that the island of Java is not so long as it is laid down in the
charts, or else that we had found a current setting to the east. The
18th we were near the islands of Nossaseres or Nussasira, which were
N. by W. a league from us, in lat. 5 deg. 30' S. The 21st, in the forenoon,
we saw Celebes; but we could not fetch Macassar. Coming to anchor,
we parted our cable and lost an anchor. The 4th February we saw
Bourro. The 5th I held a council to consider what was best to be done,
as the wind did not serve for the Moluccas, when it was concluded to go
for Banda. We saw Amboyna E. by N. from Bourro, twelve leagues. The 6th
we saw the high land of Banda, in my opinion 25 leagues E. by S. 1/2 S.
from the eastern part of Amboyna.
[Footnote 175: On the Dutch making this place the metropolis of their
Indian trade and dominion, they changed its name to Batavia, in honour
of their own country, called by the Romans, insula Batavorum.-E.]
We got into the road or harbour of Banda on the 8th February, 1609, when
the people and the Hollanders came to welcome me. The 9th I went on
shore, and delivered his majesty's letter to Nera, together with a
present, being a gilt cup and cover, a head-piece and gorget, and one of
Mr Bucke's firelocks, which cost twenty-five dollars. I was received
with much state, but they delayed giving an answer about our house till
next day. The Hollanders fired five pieces at my landing, and as many
when I returned on board, and I dined with them. The 11th we agreed for
building a house. The 21st I went to Urtatan, to confer with the
people, and on the 25th I went to Lantor, where I delivered our king's
letter and present, being a smaller gilt cup and cover, a handsome
target, a stocked musket; and a musket-barrel. In the night, Nakhada
China, a spy of the Hollanders, came on board, and advised me to be
speedy.
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