In the text of the Pilgrims, this loss is estimated at
400,000, and in a marginal note at 40,000, both in words at length; for
which reason the number is omitted in the text.
- E.]
No. 4. Letter, with no address, from Edmond Sayer, dated Firando, 4th
December, 1616.
Worshipful Sir, - My duty always remembered. Having a favourable
opportunity, I could not omit to trouble you with a few lines. I am but
newly arrived here in Firando from a difficult and tedious voyage to
Siam, to which country we went in a junk belonging to the right
honourable company, in which Mr Adams was master, and myself factor.
Having bought there more goods than our own junk could carry, we
freighted another junk for Japan, in which Mr Benjamin Fry, the chief in
the factory at Siam, thought it proper for me to embark, for the safety
of the goods. The year being far spent, we were from the 1st June to the
17th September in our voyage between Siam and Shachmar, during which
we experienced many storms and much foul weather, and lost twenty of our
men by sickness and want of fresh water. The great cause of our tedious
and unfortunate voyage was in our not having a good pilot. The one we
had was a Chinese, who knew nothing of navigation; for, when out of
sight of land, he knew not where he was, nor what course to steer.
Besides he fell sick, and was unable to creep out of his cabin, so that
I was obliged to do my best to navigate our junk; which, with what small
skill I possessed, and by the aid of God, I brought safe to Shachmar,
where we arrived on the 17th of September, having then only five men
able to stand on their legs. In consequence, I arrived so late at
Firando that I could not go this year to Siam. But Mr William Eaton has
gone there in the company's junk, having two English pilots, named.
Robert and John Surges. - I am, &c. EDMOND SAYER.
No. 5. Letter from Richard Cocks to Captain John Saris, dated Firando,
15th February, 1617.[62]
[Footnote 62: Perhaps the date of this letter, according to modern
computation, ought to have been 1618, as in those days the year did not
begin till Lady-day, the 25th March. - E.]
My last letter to you was dated 5th January, 1616, and sent by way of
Bantam in the ship Thomas, which went from hence that year along with
another small ship called the Advice. In that letter I wrote you at
large of all things that had then occurred, and mentioned having
received two of your letters from London; one dated 4th November, 1614,
and the other 15th August, 1615. The Advice has since returned to
Japan, and arrived at Firando on the 2d of August last, and by her I had
a letter from the honourable company, dated 30th January, 1616.
You will perhaps have heard that Captain Barkeley, while on his
death-bed, narrowly escaped losing 6000 dollars, paid out for custom on
pepper; for, if he had died before it was found out, perhaps some other
man might have taken credit for paying that sum. It is a common saying,
that it is easy for those who live at Bantam to grow rich, as no man
dies without an heir. We have been again this year before the emperor
of Japan, but could not procure our privileges to be enlarged, having
still only leave to carry on trade at Firando and Nangasaki, and our
ships to come only to Firando.
Mr Edmond Sayer went last year to Cochin-China with a cargo amounting to
about 1800 tayes, in goods and money; and when ready to cone away, was
defrauded of 650 tayes, by a Chinese and others, of whom he had bought
silk for the worshipful company. He had weighed out the money, waiting
to receive the silk, and the money lay in the room where he sat; but
some of the thievish people made a hole through the cane-wall of the
room, and stole away the money unperceived. I am sorry for this
mischance; but Mr Sayer is in hopes to recover it this year, as he left
a person to follow out the suit, and goes back himself in a Chinese
junk, with 2000 tayes in silver to purchase silk. He is to be
accompanied by one Robert Hawley, as his assistant and successor, in
case be should die, and Mr William Adams goes pilot, in place of the
Chinese. God send them a prosperous voyage, and that they may recover
the lost money. Our own junk, the Sea Adventure, made another voyage
last year to Siam, Mr William Eaton being merchant; and has gone back
again this year. God send them a prosperous voyage.
Last year, the Hollanders sent a fleet of ships from the Moluccas to
Manilla, to fight the Spanish fleet: But the Spaniards kept safe in port
for five or six months, so that the Hollanders concluded they durst not
come out at all, and therefore separated to look out for Chinese junks,
of which some say they took and plundered twenty-five, while others say
thirty-five. It is certain that they took great riches, and all under
the assumed name of Englishmen. At length the Spanish fleet put to sea,
and set upon five or six of the Dutch ships, the admiral of which was
burnt and sank, together with two other ships, the rest escaping. The
Spaniards then separated their fleet, to seek out the remaining Dutch
ships. The Spanish vice-admiral fell in with two Dutch ships one morning
and fought them both all day; but was at length constrained to run his
ship ashore and set her on fire, that she might not be taken by the
Hollanders. These two Dutch ships, and one that was in the former fight,
came afterwards to Firando, together with two other large Dutch ships
from Bantam, as big as the Clove, intending to have intercepted the
Macao ship, which they narrowly missed.
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