Thus Five Great Holland Ships
Came This Year To Firando, The Smallest Of Them Being As Large As The
Clove.
One of these, called the Red Lion, which was she that rode beside
us at the Moluccas, was cast away in a storm at Firando, together with a
Chinese junk they brought in as a prize.
All the goods were recovered,
but were all wet. The emperor allows them to make good prize of all they
take.
The Black Lion, one of their ships, of 900 tons burden, was sent away
for Bantam, fully laden with raw silk and other rich Chinese
commodities. Another, called the Flushing, of 700 or 800 tons, is gone
for the Moluccas, fully laden with provisions and money. The Sun, a ship
of 600 or 700 tons, with a galliass of above 400 tons, are left to scour
the coast of China, to make what booty they can, and to return next
monsoon. The galliass has sailed already, but the Sun waits for the
Macao ship departing from Nangasaki, that she may endeavour to take her.
The Macao ship had actually sailed, but seeing the galliass, she
returned to Nangasaki, and will, as I think, hardly venture to sail this
year. As I said before, the Dutch have always robbed the Chinese under
the name of Englishmen, which has greatly injured our endeavours to
procure trade in that country; so that we have been obliged to send
people to give notice to the Chinese governors, that they were
Hollanders who have taken and plundered their junks, and not Englishmen.
In fine, I have advised the worshipful company at large of every thing
of moment, which I doubt not will be communicated to you. I send you
here inclosed a copy of my last year's letter; and so, committing you to
God, I rest your loving friend at command,
RICHARD COCKS.
No. 6. Extract of a Letter from Richard Cocks, without Date or
Address.
There came two friars in that ship as ambassadors from the viceroy of
New Spain, with a present for the emperor; but he would neither receive
the present, nor speak with them that brought it, even sending Mr Adams
to order them to quit his dominions, as he had formerly banished all men
of their cloth, and continued still in the same mind. It is said that
Fidaia Same had promised to receive the jesuits again into Japan, if
he had got the victory and been settled in the empire. Had this taken
effect, we and the Hollanders had doubtless been turned out of Japan, so
that it is better as it is.
Last year, when we fitted out our junk, we employed a Spaniard, called
Damian Marina, the same person who thought to have gone with you in
company with George Peterson. This Damian was a good helmsman, and was
therefore employed by us, and another Spaniard, named Juan de Lievana,
went with them as passenger. The junk however lost her voyage, and they
returned to Nangasaki, where the carrak of Macao soon afterwards
arrived. Understanding that these two Spaniards had gone in our vessel,
the Portuguese arrested them and put them in irons in their ship,
condemning them to death as traitors to their king and country, for
serving their English enemies. I took their defence in hand, and
procured an order from the emperor to set them at liberty, to the great
displeasure of the Spaniards and Portuguese; and these two men are going
passengers to Bantam in the Hosiander.
We have had great troubles in Japan, in consequence of the wars, by
transporting our goods from place to place, to save them. Mr Adams is
gone again in the junk for Siam, accompanied only by Mr Edmond Sayer. Mr
Nealson is very sick; but Mr Wickham and Mr Eaton are both well. I long
to hear from you, and I pray you to deliver the inclosed to my brother.
Yours, most assured at command,
RICHARD COCKS.
No. 7. Letter from Richard Cocks, without Address, dated Firando, 10th
March, 1620.[63]
[Footnote 63: In the Pilgrims, the date of this letter is made 1610,
evidently by error of the press; and, as observed of No. 5, the real
date, according to modern computation, ought to be 1621. The
introductory paragraph is a note by Purchas, distinguished by inverted
commas, retained as a curious specimen of his mode of writing. - E.]
"Hollanders abuses of the English in those parts, are here published
for knowledge of these eastern affairs and occurrents, as it is meet in
a history. But neither were these national, but personal crimes, and
done in time and place of pretended hostility; and now, I hope,
satisfaction is or shall be made. Neighbourhood of region, religion, and
customs, are easily violated by drink, covetousness, and pride, the
three furies that raised these combustions. This history hath related
the worth of many worthy Hollanders: If it yields a close-stool for
Westarwood, as excrements rather than true Dutch, or a grain-tub or
swill-tub for some brave brewers and bores, that embrued with nobler
blood than themselves, prefer their brutish passions to God's glory,
religion, and public peace let it be no imputation to the nation, which
I love and honour, but to such baser spirits as have [like scorbutical
humours in these long voyages, and their longer peace and want of wonted
employments,] been bred as diseases to their, and infections to our
bodies. My intent is to present others with their acts, and myself with
prayers, that all may be amended." - Purchas.
* * * * *
It is now almost three years since I wrote your worship any letter. The
purpose of this is to inform you of the unlooked for and unruly
proceedings of the Hollanders against our English nation, in all these
parts of the world, not sparing us even in this empire of Japan,
contrary to the large privileges granted to us by the emperor, that the
Japanese should not meddle with or molest us.
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