James Turner, The Youth Who Used To Play The Fiddle, Left A Girl Here
With Child; And Though I Gave Her Two Tayes In Silver To Bring Up The
Child; She Killed It As Soon As It Was Born, Which Is A Common Thing In
This Country.
The whistle and chain belonging to Mr Foster, the master
of the Clove, are found, and are under the charge of Mr Adams, who will
be accountable for them.
I meant to have sent you a Japanese almanack by
a former letter to the same effect as this, dated the 25th ultimo, and
sent by the Sea Adventure by way of Siam, but forgot to do so; and which
I now send along with this letter. I pray you that this letter may
suffice for your brother, Mr George Saris, and the rest of my loving
friends: And, with hearty commendations in general, I leave you all to
the holy protection of the Almighty; resting always your ever loving
friend at command, RICHARD COCKS.
No. 2. Letter from Mr Richard Cocks, dated Firando, 10th December,
1614, to the Worshipful Thomas Wilson, Esq. at his House in the
Britain-burse[58] in the Strand.
[Footnote 58: Perhaps that now called Exeter Change. - E.]
My last to you was of the 1st December, 1613, from this island of
Firando in Japan, and sent by Captain John Saris in the ship Clove. In
that letter, I advised you how unkindly the Hollanders dealt with us at
the Moluccas; since which time there has not occurred any matter of
moment to communicate, except what I have detailed in another letter to
my good Lord Treasurer. It is given out here by the Hollanders, that our
East India Company and that of Holland are likely to join into one; and
if this prove true, it is thought it will be an easy matter to drive the
Spaniards and Portuguese out of these eastern parts of the world, or
else to cut them off from all trade. You would hardly believe how much
the Hollanders have already daunted the Portuguese and Spaniards in
these parts, especially in the Moluccas, where they daily encroach on
the Spaniards, who are unable to withstand them, and are even in fear
that they may shortly deprive them of the Philippine islands. The
Portuguese also are in great fear of being driven by them out of the
trade they now carry on from Ormus to Goa, and with Malacca and Macao in
China.
There is one thing of which I cannot yet conceive the issue, and that is
the robbing and plundering the Chinese junks, which is daily done by the
Hollanders in these parts, the goods whereof must amount to great value,
and suffice to fit out and maintain a great fleet, which is worthy of
consideration. Should the emperor of Japan fall out with the Hollanders,
and debar them from the trade of his dominions, which is not unlikely,
the Hollanders will then make prize of the Japanese junks as well as of
those of China; for their strength at sea in these parts is sufficient
to do what they please, if only they had a place to retire to for
revictualling and refitting their ships; for they are of late grown so
stout, that they mock at those who were formerly their masters and
teachers.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 67 of 474
Words from 34704 to 35267
of 247546
