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. He
even said, that he was willing to continue in durance, provided we could
keep them out of Puloroon. The conference being ended, Mr Courthop came
back to Nylacka in the galley, and the pledges were restored.
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