Accordingly, The Colours Were Set Up, And
We Fired Thirty Pieces Of Ordnance, As A Mark Of Taking Possession; And
At Night All The Chiefs Went Ashore, Parting From Us On The Most
Friendly Terms.
On Christmas-day we descried two large Dutch ships edging towards
Puloroon.
On seeing our ships in the road, they bore away to leeward for
Nero, and next day another of their ships hove in sight, which went to
the same place. The 28th, a Dutch pinnace stood right over for Puloroon,
and came bravadoing within gun-shot of our fort, having the Dutch
colours flying at her poop; but presently tacked about, lowered her
colours, and hoisted a bloody ensign instead, as if in defiance, and
then stood over for Nero. By this bravado, we daily looked for their
coming against us, according to their old injurious custom. We landed
four pieces of ordnance on the 30th, besides two others formerly landed
on the 25th, and set to work to construct fortifications for our
defence. By the assistance of the Bandanese, we erected two forts, which
were named the Swan and Defence, after our two ships, each mounted with
three guns; the fort called the Swan being within caliver shot of the
ships, and entirely commanding the road on the eastern side, where is
the principal anchorage for the westerly monsoon.
The 3d of January, 1617, the three Dutch ships came from Nero into the
road of Puloroon, being the Horne, of 800 tons, the Star, of 500 tons,
and the Yaugar, of 160 tons. The Home anchored close by our ship the
Swan, the Star close beside the Defence, and the Yaugar a-head of all,
to cut off our intercourse with the shore. Our commission directed us,
on receiving the surrender of Puloroon, and forming a settlement there,
to give due notice thereof in writing to the Hollanders, warning them
not to come there to molest us under the pretence of ignorance, as they
had been formerly accustomed to do. We had accordingly a letter written
to that effect, but knew not how to have it sent, not daring to dispatch
it either by Englishmen or natives, for tear of being detained. On
coming into the road, however, we sent George Muschamp aboard their
admiral, the Star, to deliver the before-mentioned letter to Mynheer
Dedall, the Dutch commander; and with a message desiring them to depart
from the road of Puloroon before six glasses were run, as the islanders
would not allow them to remain in the roads, or to come near their
island, and would even have already fired upon them, if we had not
prevailed upon them to forbear.
Soon afterwards, the Dutch commander, Dedall, came on board the Swan,
attended by their chaplain, to enquire the reason of our message; when
we told him that we suspected they came to injure us, as they had
formerly done at Paloway, Cambella, and other places; and, as they had
formerly turned the glass to Mr Ball, when in their power, threatening
to hang him if he did not immediately cause the English to quit the
land, we had now in like manner appointed a time for them to quit the
roads. We also shewed him the instrument by which Puloroon was
surrendered to us, and our consequent right to keep possession for the
king of England, which we were determined upon doing to the utmost of
our power, wishing them to be well advised in their proceedings, as they
might expect to be shortly called to answer for their abusive words and
injurious conduct to the English. We also demanded the restoration of
Puloway, which had likewise been lawfully surrendered to the king of
England. After this, we enquired if they had received any previous
surrender at Puloroon, but they could not say they had any; and, when we
shewed the formal surrender made to our king, which their chaplain
perused, he acknowledged that it was a true surrender.
All this while the glass was running in the great cabin before their
eyes, putting them in mind to be gone. We also told them plainly, that
we believed their only purpose in coming here was to betray us, and to
drive us from the island by treachery or force, of which scandalous
conduct our nation had already had divers experience from theirs;
wherefore we neither could nor would trust them any more, and we must
insist upon their departure; as, when the glass was six times run out,
they must expect to be shot at from the shore; and, if they fired in
return against the islanders, or shewed any discourtesy or wrong to
them, we should consider it as hostility to us, and would defend them,
being now the subjects of our king. They desired to remain till next
day, which we would not agree to, doubting that more of their ships
might come to join them. They then desired to stay till midnight; which
we agreed to, on condition that we saw them preparing to weigh their
anchors, in which case we said that notice should be sent ashore to the
Bandanese, not to fire upon them.
I also demanded to know from Dedall, what was their purpose in thus
coming into the road of Puloroon, unless to molest us. He pretended that
it was their usual custom in passing that island. But I told them that
was not true, as the islanders had declared there never was any
christian ship in their roads till we came. So he remained silent. They
came to anchor in the roads this day about three in the afternoon, and
departed about eleven at night. We have been since certainly informed,
that their purpose was to have taken possession of our ships by
treachery, or to have driven us out of the roads, and only gave up their
intentions on seeing that we were fortified on shore. Had they then
assailed us, we had little doubt of being able to have defended
ourselves against them, as we had both forts in readiness, the cannon
charged, and the gunners prepared to give fire, on the first signal from
our ships.
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