The 25th, With The First Of The
Tide, We Again Weighed And Steered For Tecoo; And, As We Drew Near, We
Espied Three Sail Standing To The Northwards, Which Came To Anchor Near
The Coast That Night, While We Anchored With Our Whole Fleet About A
League Without Them.
Next morning they weighed anchor and joined us,
when we found them to be the Palsgrave, Elizabeth, and Hope.
From them
we had the doleful news of the Dragon, Bear, Expedition, and Rose,
having been taken by six Dutch ships, while at anchor, within the isles
of Tecoo; as also that the Star had been taken by the Dutch in the
straits of Sunda. They also said that the Hollanders had sent four great
ships, doubly manned, in quest of the Samson and Hound, and that they
were exceedingly doubtful as to the safety of these ships. Thus the
English ships now taken by the Hollanders were almost equal in number to
our three fleets now joined in one under my command.
On Monday the 31st January, 1620, we held a consultation aboard the
James Royal as to our future proceedings, when it was unanimously agreed
to go to Acheen, in hopes to meet our ships from Surat, that we might
keep our force together, according to the instructions of the Honourable
Company. Our chief reasons for this proceeding were the want of rice and
other provisions, which could not at this time be had at Bantam;
secondly, the strong naval force of the Hollanders, as we did not think
it prudent to risk the entire property now belonging to the Company in
India upon such desperate terms, as the Dutch had four ships for every
one of ours; and, lastly, which was an imperious necessity, that we
might careen three of our ships, the James, the Gift, and the Unicorn,
which could not be much longer deferred without imminent hazard.
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