The 16th The Boat Belonging To The Thomasine
Came To Bantam, With Twenty-Two English And Five Blacks, Bringing
Intelligence
Of that ship having been lost on certain flats the night
before, twenty-two leagues from Macasser, owing to the
Carelessness of
Wilson the master, while all the people were asleep, he only being at
the helm. They saved all the money, which they brought along with them;
and as Mr Bailey told us that his wrecked crew had compelled him to pay
them their wages, we caused them to restore the money.
[Footnote 133: By order in the box, Mr Elkington succeeded in the
command. - Purch.]
On the 19th, the Hollanders clapped three blacks into the bilboes, whom
Mr Bailey had brought with him from Celoar, pretending they were caught,
climbing over the rails of their house, and also, as they were brought
from a place under their protection, they refused to give us them back.
We are in various ways most vilely abused by these Hollanders, neither
do I see any means to right ourselves, unless we go to war with them;
for we believe this matter to have been done on purpose, and these
blacks enticed by them to it, as if taken by force. I was much offended
with Mr Bailey for his conduct in taking away these blacks, as the
means of making us hated as man-stealers, in, places where we used to be
well received, which the Hollanders will take care to blaze abroad to
our disgrace.
In the night of the 13th September, the watch discovered a fire in the
thatch over the house in which Mr Jordan lodged, which was soon
extinguished; but we could plainly perceive it had been done apurpose,
as we found the cane by which it had been kindled sticking in the
thatch, for which we suspected a Spaniard named Francisco, who had
appostatized and turned Javan. The 2d October, Sophonee Cossock, a
merchant, came in a small pinnace from Puloway, accompanied by an
Orancay, to confer on trade with that place. The 22d, I went ashore,
accompanied by Mr Pring and Mr Bailey, to confer with the Dutch general,
concerning certain idle complaints made by them against our mariners. I
found him and the president of their factory very impatient, calling us
insolent English, threatening that our pride would have a fall, with
many other disgraceful and opprobrious words.[134] Such was the
entertainment we received from that boorish general, named Garrat
Reynes, in his own house. He had formerly shewn the like or worse to Mr
Ball, on going aboard his ship at Banda: And four of our men, who took
passage with him from thence to Cambello, were brought all the way in
the bilboes, for no cause.
[Footnote 134: Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione querentes? It was
Dutch policy to cry rogue first. - Purch.]
I went ashore on the 3d November, when Captain Jordan called together
the merchants, and sent for the orancay of Banda, whose letter he got
translated; the purport of which was, that, in regard to the ancient
friendship between them and the English, especially with Captain
Keeling, and provoked by the cruelty and injustice of the Hollanders,
their earnest desire was to trade only with the English for the spices
of Puloway, Puleron, and Nera, on condition that the English would
supply them with provisions, ordnance, and ammunition, and help them to
recover the castle of Nera, desiring that some person might be sent to
Banda, to confer with the orancays. To this we answered, That we could
not give them assistance to recover the castle of Nera, without orders
from England, and that at present we had no ordnance to spare; but would
willingly supply them with provisions, and every thing else in our
power, till we had farther orders from England, and would trade with
them for spices, for which purpose we proposed to send a ship, and a
person to confer with the orancays, and particularly to know how we
might have security, and whether they would grant us permission to build
a fort for that purpose.
The 23d five Hollanders anchored in the outer road, four of which came
last from the Mauritius, having been nineteen months on the voyage from
Holland. At that island they found that General Butt had been cast away
with three ships, two being totally lost, the men and goods of the third
being saved. A fourth, which was in company, went home under jury-masts,
along with a pinnace that came there by chance. One of these ships that
was at the Mauritius came away before the rest, and they found her
driving up and down off the mouth of the straits, having lost 160 men,
and having only eight remaining. The 25th, by letters from Priaman, we
had notice of the death of Mr Ozewicke and Samuel Negus.
Sec.2. Brief Observations by Mr Edward Dodsworth, who returned to England
in the Hope.
The 16th October, 1614, while in the bay of Surat, Mr Aldworth and Mr
Steel came on board, and next day Mr Aldworth was examined, according to
the company's commission and instructions,[135] concerning the behaviour
of Paul Canning to the king, and the king's conduct towards him. To
which he answered, That his behaviour was right, and the king's
entertainment of him satisfactory, till the Jesuits insinuated he was
only a merchant, and not sent immediately by the king of England. After
this he was neglected, and died since.[136] Also, that he thought it fit
that some one of our nation of good respect should remain at court, to
procure redress of any wrongs that might be offered; to which function
Mr Edwards was chosen to go to Agra, as the person most answerable to
the company's instructions, on which occasion some question was made,
whether it would be proper he should proceed in the character of a
merchant, according to the strict letter of the instructions, which Mr
Aldworth conceived would procure him disrespect with the king; and,
after some contest, some way was given to Mr Edwards in this affair,
lest they should disagree in their proceedings, especially as it had
been reported by some already, that he was a messenger from the king of
Britain.
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