By This Scandalous Affair, We Were In Great Danger
Of Being All Put To Death By The Bandanese Of Puloroon, As They
Suspected The Desertion Of Our Ships To Have Been A Concerted Matter
Between Us And The Hollanders, On Purpose To Betray Them.
By this
likewise, as our weakness was made known to the Hollanders, they might
be encouraged to attack us.
Indeed they made many violent threatenings
of so doing, and we daily looked for their appearance; which, if they
had so done, must have cost many lives, as we were greatly enraged
against them for the capture of the Swan, and the severe usage of her
people.
On the 23d of March, we sent a letter to the Hollanders at Nero, by
Robert Fuller, who landed upon Lantore; but, owing to some difference
between the people of that island and the Dutch, he could not be allowed
to pass, so that he had to return. The 25th there came a messenger to us
from Lawrence Ryall, the principal commander of the Hollanders, newly
come to Nero from the Moluccas, desiring Mr Courthop and I would come in
a proa to hold a conference with two of his principal merchants,
half-way between Puloroon and Puloway; but we refused this request,
being afraid of treachery. By this messenger we had a letter from Mr
Davies, then a prisoner at Nero, intimating his disapprobation of our
proceedings in keeping possession of Puloroon, alleging that our
commission did not warrant us in so doing, and recommending a parley
between us and the Dutch general, to prevent the loss of any more lives.
It appeared that he was instigated to give us this advice by the
Hollanders, who had made him believe that they had authority in writing
from our king, to make prize of any English ships they found to the east
of Celebes, as we afterwards learnt to our great surprise, since, if
they actually had such authority we must have obeyed.
We wrote to Lawrence Ryall, by his messenger, that, if he would send
over Henrick de Watterfoord and Peter de Yonge, two of his principal
merchants, to remain as pledges in Nylacka, Mr Courthop and another
should be sent to confer with him. We got back for answer, that the
merchants we demanded as pledges could not be sent, as the one was gone
to sea, and the other could not be spared, being their chief
book-keeper; but offering us two other principal merchants, whom we
agreed to accept. Accordingly, on the 6th April, the Dutch galley
brought over these two, whom we lodged in a tent near the landing-place
under a guard of twelve Englishmen to protect them from the Bandanese,
as we did not think it right to bring them into our fort, that they
might not have an opportunity of viewing our fortifications.
Mr Courthop went immediately over to Nero in their galley, and had a
long conference with the Dutch, in which they used many threats, and
complained of many injuries they pretended to have suffered from the
English, but of which I shall only briefly treat, as the letter from Mr
Courthop, which I brought over from Banda and delivered to Captain Ball,
will certify your worships at large on this matter. They complained,
that Sir Henry Middleton had used the Dutch colours, when in the Red
Sea, pretending to be Holland ships, to their injury and discredit. To
this Mr Courthop replied, that it was false, as he had sailed with Sir
Henry, and never knew him to wear Dutch colours; which, moreover, Sir
Henry was too much a gentleman to have done. They pretended to have our
king's letter, authorizing them to capture any English ship seen to the
eastwards of the Celebes. Mr Courthop urged them to produce this letter,
on seeing which he declared his readiness to obey the authority of his
sovereign, and to evacuate Puloroon; but they had none such to produce.
They alleged many other things, equally false, and used many arguments
to induce us to quit Puleroon. All this time, neither Mr Davies nor any
other of the English in their hands were permitted to come near Mr
Courthop.
Finding he could not prevail, Lawrence Ryall, the Dutch general, grew
much discontented, throwing his hat on the ground and pulling his beard
for sheer anger. At length Mr Courthop told him, that he could conclude
nothing of his own authority, being joined with a council, but should
relate every thing that had passed at Puloroon, which should be taken
into consideration and an answer sent. I had advised him to say this, to
get the easier away. Mr Courthop also urged them to restore our ship the
Defence, with her men and goods; but they would not, unless we agreed to
surrender Puloroon: offering, if we would deliver up Nylacka and our
fort, in which we had twelve pieces of ordnance, that they would then
restore both the Swan and Defence, with all our men and goods. Ryall
then desired Mr Courthop to sign a note which he had drawn,
acknowledging the proffers he had made, but this Mr Courthop refused.
They had so wrought upon Mr Davies, that they expected he might be able
to prevail upon Mr Courthop to come into their terms, and now therefore
brought him to Mr Courthop, with whom he had much discourse, and
particularly urged the truth of the letter they pretended to have from
the king of England, as before mentioned. When Mr Courthop told him what
he had offered, in case that letter were produced, Mr Davies distinctly
saw he had been imposed upon, and broke out into a rage against them,
for having told so many falsehoods;[257] adding, that they had promised
him and his men good treatment, but that his men complained of being in
great want of food and clothing, and of general hard usage. They had sat
in judgment upon him and his men, condemning them to remain as prisoners
till they had orders from Holland as to their ultimate destination.
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