They Also Took Two Other Ships From Us, Which Were Riding
At Anchor In The Road Of Patania, Where We Have A Factory, And Had Not
The Least Suspicion Of Any Such Event.
In this unwarrantable affair,
they killed Captain John Jordaine,[64] our chief president for the right
worshipful company in the Indies.
Several others were then slain, and
the Hollanders carried the ships and goods away; but six of the
mariners, which were in these captured English ships, escaped from them
here at Firando, and came to our house. The Hollanders sent to me,
demanding to have these men given up to them. But I answered, that I
must first see their commission, that I might know by what authority
they presumed to take our ships and goods, and to slay our men, the
faithful subjects of his majesty. Upon this, they went to the Tono, or
king of Firando, desiring to have their English slaves,[65] as they
were pleased to call our men, delivered up to them. But they were told,
that they must first demand of the emperor, and whatever he ordained
should be obeyed; but that, in the meantime, he did not consider the
English to be their slaves. This was the grand occasion on which they
grounded their quarrel against us, and meant to have killed us all. But
I trust in God and his majesty, by the solicitations of our right
honourable and right worshipful employers, that his majesty will not
suffer his true and loyal subjects to lose their lives, ships, and goods
by this thievish and unthankful rabble, who are assembled in these parts
of the world, and who make a daily practice to rob and steal from all,
whether friends or foes: And I trust that you will become a solicitor in
this so just cause, against so inveterate an enemy.
[Footnote 64: This Captain Jordaine is said to have been treacherously
slain in the time of a treaty - Purch.]
[Footnote 65: And who was the happy instrument of their own delivery,
from what they accounted slavery, but the English nation? - Purch.]
This Adam Westarwood, their lord-commander, set my life to sale;
offering fifty dollars to any one that would kill me, and thirty dollars
for every other Englishman that they could slay: But hitherto God hath
preserved me and the rest in this place; for though they have wounded
two or three of our men, none have died. This villainous proceeding[66]
of their lord-commander was secretly told me by some of their own
people, who advised me and the rest of us to take heed to our safety.
They also informed me of the noble parentage of this their
lord-commander Westarwood, telling me that his father is a close-stool
maker at Amsterdam, or thereabouts; and that the best of their captains
are the sons of shoemakers, carpenters, or brewers. God bless their
honourable and worshipful generation! I would say, God bless me from
them.
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