Purchas his pilgrimes. part 1 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

§. II. A true and briefe Discourse of many dangers by fire, and other perfidious treacheries of the Iauans.

AFter our Ships were laden, and all things set in as good order as it could be: vpon the one [ 40] and twentith of February, 1602. our General taking his leaue of the shore, departed,* 1.1 lea∣uing behind him to be resident in Bantam nine persons, ouer whom he appointed M. Wil∣liam Starkie, to be cheife Cōmander: likewise he left xiij. more, which he appointed to go in our Pinnasse for Banda; of which he was appointed for chiefe Cōmander ouer the rest,* 1.2 Thomas Tudde Merchant, and for Master of the said Pinnasse, one Thomas Keith. The Generall at his de∣parture left order, that this Pinnasse should be sent away with all speed; wherefore hauing taken in, to the quantitie of fifty sixe Chests and Fardells of goods, vpon the sixth of March at night, she set sayle, but by reason of contrary winds, after she had spent neere two moneths, beating vp and downe in the Seas, she was forced to returne againe to Bantam. Also at our Generals depar∣ture, he left vs two houses full of goods, and likewise some goods lying in the Dutchmens house, [ 50] but we were too few in number to keepe one well, had not God of his great mercie preser∣ued vs.

It is not vnknowne to all that were there, the quarrell betwixt the Iauans and vs, before our ships departed, who sought all the meanes they could to be reuenged. Insomuch,* 1.3 that presently after the departure of our Pinnasse, they began to practise the firing of our Principall house, with fiery darts and arrowes in the night, and not content with that, but in the day time, if wee had brought out any quantitie of goods to ayre, we should be sure to haue the towne fiered to wind∣ward not farre from vs. And if these fire Arrowes, had not by Gods prouidence, beene espyed by some of our owne house, as they were, it was thought of vs all, that that house and goods had beene all consumed, as might plainly appeare at the top, when we came to repaire it. But as the [ 60] mallice of the raskall sort of people began now to appeare, and continued for the space of two yeeres against vs: So Gods mercie began to shew it selfe vnto vs, and continued to the last day. As this discouse will plainely shew hereafter, his Name be blessed for it.

So soone as we had dispatched away our Pinnasse, we began to lay the foundation of our house,* 1.4 which was seuentie two foot long, and thirtie sixe foot broad, but by reason there was at that

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time, a new Protector chosen, we were put to some trouble and cost, before we could be permit∣ted to goe thorow with it. Also wee ayred all our prize goods, and M. Starkey caused the lea∣thers of most of the packs to be stripped off, by whose counsell it was I know not, but these goods did not keep their colours nothing so well as the rest did, as we found afterwards.

* 1.5The one and twentieth of March, by reason of a China Captaine that shot a Piece, the towne was set on fire, in which fire were many houses full of goods consumed. Amongst other, the Dutch house was burnt to the ground, wherein we had lying sixtie fiue Fardells of goods, besides some Pepper. Also we had some Pepper lying in a Chinaes house, which for the most part was burned and spoyled, so that we lost one hundred and ninetie sacks cleare, besides the damage, the rest receiued. Our losse by this fire was great, but we prayse God it was no more, conside∣ring how neere the fire came to both our houses, and how vnfit they were at that time for such a [ 10] danger, especially one, where the fire came within three yards of it; insomuch that the Iammes of the windowes were so hot, that a man could hardly s••ffer his hand to touch them, and yet the old and dry thatch tooke not fire, to the great admiration of all people that were there of many Nations. There was gathered about this house all the villaines in the Countrey, so that all that night, we that kept that house durst take no rest, for feare they would throw some firebrands vpon it. In the Euening some of vs standing in the doore, there came Iauans, whom we knewe to be notorious Theeues,* 1.6 and asked vs how many we were that lay in that house, wee demanded againe, what they had to doe to aske, and if they would know, they should come at midnight and see, at which answere they departed very much discontent, but such is their boldnesse there, that in the day time they would come and looke before our faces, how our doores were hanged, [ 20] and what fastning they had within, and many times we were informed by some that wished vs well, that if we did not keepe good watch, that there was a Crew, that meant to enter sudden∣ly vpon vs, and to cut our throates, in so much that we being but foure at that house, what with ouer-watching, and what with the Disease that raigneth much in that Countrey, which is loose∣nesse of the bodie, wee were growne to very great weaknesse, and two of vs neuer recoue∣red it.

The nineteenth of Aprill, 1603. came into the Road, nine sayle of Hollanders, ouer whom was Generall Wyborne Van Warwicke,* 1.7 who shottly after sent two of them for China, two for the Moluccoes, two laded at Bantam, one went to Iortan. Also he dispatched a Pinnasse to Achen, to will certaine ships (that went from thence by Captaine Spilbergs directions to Zeilon▪ to winne a small Fort from the Portugals) to come to Bantam, in the meane time, he with one ship stayed [ 30] vntill their arriuall. We are very much beholding to this Generall for wine, bread, and many o∣ther necessaries,* 1.8 and courtesies receiued of him. Hee would often tell vs how Sir Richard Luson relieued him, when he was likely to perish in the Sea, for the which he would say he was bound to be kind to Englishmen wheresoeuer he met them, and to speake truth, there was nothing in his ships for the comfort of sicke men, but we might command it, as if it had beene our owne. Also he in his owne person, did very much reuerence the Queenes Maiestie of England, when hee talked of Her. But there were some of baser sort in his Fleet, that did vse very vnreuerent spec∣ches of Her to some of the Country people.

The fiue and twentieth of Aprill died Thomas Morgan, our second Factor heere, who had bin [ 40] sickly a long time.* 1.9 Also Master Starkey began to grow very weake. The eight and twentieth day, came in our Pinnasse which was sent for Banda; hauing lost one of her Factors, William Chase, and the rest but weake and sickly. About this time there came certaine of the Kings Officers, and forbade vs to goe forward with our house, the reason whereof, as I doe iudge was because the new Protector had not as yet receiued a Bribe;* 1.10 and the Sabyndar and hee beeing at that time not friends, he could doe vs little pleasure: wherefore we complayned to Cay Tomongone Gobay, the Admirall, who indeed is the Father of all Strangers in that place. He presently made a great Feast, and inuited all the principall of the Court, at which Feast hee began to discourse of our cause, telling them what a shame it was that the King and they would not keepe their words to the English Generall and Merchants, and that rather then hee would breake his word, hee would goe dwell in a small Cottage himselfe, and wee should haue his house: but after much adoe, [ 50] he made them grant that we should goe forward with our house, the which in short time after was finished. Our principall Merchant fearing Pepper would be deare, by reason of the Flemmish shipping that was there present, and the rest that were to come, bought vp as much Pepper as he could, and because our house was not as yet readie, he disbursed his money before the Pepper was weighed, and by reason the Flemmings are not curious in receiuing their Pepper, when we came to weigh ours, we were forced to receiue it as they did, or else we should haue neither money nor Pepper, so that we had in that parcell much fowle and bad Pepper.

* 1.11Vpon the last of Iune, Master Starkey ended his dayes, whose buriall Generall Warwick caused [ 60] to be honoured with a Company of shot and Pikes, the Colours trayled vpon the ground, accor∣ding to the Order of Souldiers buriall.

The fourth of I••ly, the great Market on the East-side of the Riuer, was by villanie of certaine ••••••nans, (who thought to get some spoyle of the Chines goods) set on fire, in which fire some

Chinois that were indebted to vs, lost all that they were worth,* 1.12 so that we escaped not without some losse by it. The seuenteenth of Iuly, deceased Thomas Dobson,* 1.13 one of the Factours left for Banda: the seuen and twentieth day the Towne was burnt againe on the East-side the Riuer. The fifth of August at ten a clocke at night, there came to our house Captaine Spilberge, Captaine Iohn Powlson, and some other Dutch Captaines, who told vs they had that day beene with the Protector about some businesse, who asked them if they would take our parts, if hee should doe any violence to vs, to the which they answered, as they said, that wee and they were neere Neighbours, wherefore they might not see vs wronged, they said more that hee straightly char∣ged them, that whatsoeuer he should doe vnto vs, that they should not bee offended nor ayde vs [ 10] any way.

From thence I went presently to the Protector, and gaue him a smal Present, and also thankes for his men, which foure or fiue dayes before hee had sent to helpe vs in our building. The Pre∣sent he receiued, but I perceiued by his countenance he was angry: He told me, that that day he had much businesse with the King, but the next morning he would send for me, for that hee had to speake with me. The same day the Admirall sent his sonne to him to know what his meaning was to vse such threatning speeches of vs, but he denyed them. In the morning following hee sent for me: when I came he asked me, what they were that had told me he meant to harme vs: I told him the Hollanders: hee asked againe whether they were Slaues or Captaines, I told him they were Captaines: he bad me I should shew his Scriuana those Captaines. He said more, that if [ 20] any Iauan or Chines had done it, he would haue sent for him, and cut his throat before vs. Then hee began to find fault with vs, because wee did not come to him when wee had any Sute, but went alwayes to the Sabinda•• or the Admirall: I answered againe that he was but new come into his place, and that we had as yet no acquaintance with him, but hereafter I would come to him. Then he promised me he would doe vs all the friendship he could, but it was but dissimulati∣on to borrow money of vs. Also the Flemmings about this time spred a rumour through their owne Fleet, that the King would force vs to lend him fiue thousand Rials of eight, otherwise he would cause our house to be plucked downe againe, the which was false, for neither the King nor the Protector, had at that time sent to vs for any, nor did in foure monethes after.

The seuenteenth of August, Captaine Spilberge hauing vented all his Commodities (which he [ 30] shared in our prise) and laden his ships and his Pinnasse with Pepper, departed thence, hauing in his company two ships more of Warwicks Fleet. The nineteenth of August, wee brought out certaine packes of goods to ayre, wherefore a Iauan being Slaue to one of the principall of the Countrey, threw some fire-workes vpon a Thatched house, a little to windward of vs,* 1.14 we espy∣ing it pursued him, and tooke him, and carryed him to Cay Tomongone the Admirall, who put him in Irons. Within an houre after there came more of his fellowes, who would haue taken him away perforce, wherefore the Admirals men and they fell by the eares, and many were hurt on both sides. So soone as the Admirals men had beaten them away, hee sent him to the King, but because his Master was one of the Kings friends, he was not put to death: although by the Law of the Countrey he should haue dyed, neither did we greatly seeke it, because his Master was our [ 40] very good friend also. Likewise, if a Iauan doe offend hee must bee punished with death, for if they inflict any lesse punishment, they are so wicked and bloudie a people, that they will bee cowardly reuenged, not only of Strangers, but of their owne Masters: so that if any Slaue doe offend his Master, he doth quite forgiue him, or else hee dyes for it. But they are very obedient, and will seldome offend their Masters, because they are for the most part as wicked as them∣selues. The two and twentieth of August, at night there were certaine Iauans gotten into a great yard hard by our house, who when we were singing of a Psalme, which wee did vse to doe when we set our Watch, these Rogues threw stones at our windowes, as if they would haue beaten downe our house, and some of the stones came in at the windowes, and missed vs very narrowly, but we tooke some of them, which yet vpon submission we spared.

[ 50] About this time there grew a quarrell betweene the Flemmings and the Chinois,* 1.15 and some were slaine and hurt on both sides. This grew by the misbehauiour of the Flemmings, which in that place doe carry themselues very rude and disordered, in that abundant manner that they are a shame and infamy to Christendome and Christians. I doe not condemne them all, but the vul∣gar sort, who when they are a-shoare, and their drinke in, their Commanders can beare no rule ouer them. They got the worst before this quarrell was ended, but not by the Chinois, nor by manhood of the Iauans, only some that were Slaues to some Turne-coate Chinois, would steale behind the Flemmings in the Euening, and cowardly stab them.

One day they being very importunate, for one of their men which was slaine, the Protectour demanded of them, when they came to any Countrey to trade, whether they brought Law••s [ 60] with them, or whether they were gouerned by the Lawes of the Countrey they were in: to the which they answered, that when they were aboord their ships, they were gouerned by their own Lawes, but when they were ashoare,* 1.16 they were vnder the Lawes of our Countrey they were in: well, said the Protector, then I will tell you the Lawes of the Countrey, which is this, if one kill a Slaue, he must pay twentie Rials of eight, if a Freeman, fifty Rials, if a Gentlem••n,

a hundred Rials. The Flemmings requested to haue that vnder his owne hand, the which they had, and it was all the mends they had for killing of their man, if they would haue taken fiftie Rials of eight, they might haue had it.

* 1.17About the fift of September, here came a Iuncke full of men from the Iland of Lampon, which standeth in the Straights of Sunda; and are enemies to the Iauans, and all others that are dwellers in Bantam: these are so like the Iauans, that the one is not knowne from the other. Also there were many Iauans consorted with them. These men hauing their Iuncke riding in a Creeke hard by the Towne, and being in all points like vnto the Iauans, would boldly come into the Towne, and not only in the euenings and nights come into houses, and cut off the peoples heads, but at noone dayes, in so much that for the space of a moneth, wee could take little rest forthe grieuous crying of the people. One day while we were sitting at dinner, they came and tooke a woman, [ 10] being our next Neighbour, and muffled her so with a Sacke, that she could not cry, and so carried her into a tuft of bushes in our back-side, and there cut her throate, and meant to haue cut off her head, if they had had time. Her Husband missing her, and looking out might see them carrie her, who cryed out, and we rose from dinner and pursued them, but it was too late to saue her life. Also they were very swift of foot, so that we could come neere none of them, and for any thing that we knew, they might be amongst vs, for after the Iauans were come wee could not know them. It was thought of some that they lay hid in the bushes till the comming of the Iauans, and then stole out, and put themselues amongst them. There were some Iaua women that would cut off their Husbands heads in the night,* 1.18 and sell them to these people. They did linger much about our house, and surely if we had not kept good watch, they would haue attemp∣ted [ 20] the cutting of our throats (if not for our heads) for our goods. But after awhile, many of them were knowne, and being taken were executed, which were men of very goodly stature. The reason they doe make these hard Aduentures,* 1.19 is, their King giues them a woman for euery stran∣gers head they bring him, wherefore many times they would digge vp such as were new buried at Bantam, and cut off their heads, and so coozen their King.

Also at this time, some credible men that wished vs wel, of whom the Admirall was one, bid vs haue a speciall care of our good watch, because some of the principall of the Land in birth, though not in wealth nor office,* 1.20 which had many Slaues, but little to maintayne them, had laid a Plot to haue slaine vs in the night, and to haue made spoyle of our goods which they tooke to be ten times more then were, and after to haue giuen it out, the Lampons had done it. Whereupon we were forced to haue Lights burning al night round about our house, otherwise in the dark nights, [ 30] they being so blacke as they are might haue entred suddenly vpon vs, before wee should descry them. For all the vpper worke of our houses by reason of the heat are open, and they are built with Canes, and likewise the fence round about the houses, which is but a weake building, and may quickly be borne downe. These Heathen Deuils came forth two or three times, thinking to haue executed their bloudie pretence, but God would not suffer them. For so soone as they came within sight of our Lights and might heare our Drumme sound at the end of euery watch, their hear••s failed them, so that they durst not giue the attempt, for they supposed, wee were readie not only with our small shot, but with our Murtherers to giue them entertainment, and to speake truth, they should haue found it so indeed. After they had wayted long, and could neuer find oportunitie, they fell out amongst themselues, and so were dispersed. Diuers others [ 40] made bold but vain attempts, and therfore now fel to work with the Chinois, whose houses at this time were ful of our goods, which they had bought, in so much that euerynight for a long time, we had such grieuous crying out, and we looking euery houre when we should be assaulted, durst take no rest in the night. Many Chinois about vs were slaine, and surely if wee had not defended them with our shot, many more would haue bin slaine: for the singing of a Bullet is as terrible to a Iauan, as the cry of the Hounds is in the eares of the Hare: for they will not abide if once they heare it. But these continuall alarmes, and grieuous out-cryes of men, women and children grew so rife in our eares,* 1.21 that our men in their sleepe would dreame they were pursuing the Iauans, and sudden∣ly would leape out of their Beds and catch their weapons▪ his next fellow hearing the dolefull noyse he made, would bussell vp, and in their sleepe haue wounded one another, before those [ 50] that had the watch could come to part them: and if they should haue set their weapons further from them they would not haue beene readie, if we should haue had occasion, the which we loo∣ked for euery minute, and being but few of vs, I tooke my turne to watch as long as any, in which I haue stood many times more in feare of my owne men then of any other, and when I haue heard them bussel, haue catched vp a Target, for feare they would haue serued me as they did their fellowes.

* 1.22But all this feare was nothing to vs in comparison of that which I will now speake of, which was fire. O this word fire, had it it beene spoken neere me, either in English, Mallayes, Iauanes, [ 60] or China; although I had beene sound a-sleepe, yet I should haue leaped out of my bed, the which I haue done sometimes, when our men in their watch haue but whispered one to another of fire: In so much that I was forced to warne them, not to talke of fire in the night, except they had great occasion.

And not only my selfe, but my fellowes, Thomas Tudd, and Gabriel Towerson, after our watches had beene out, and we heauie a-sleepe so that our men many times sounding a Drumme at our Chamber doores, we haue neuer bewrayed them, yet presently after they haue but whis∣pered of fire, we all haue runne out of our Chambers. I speake not this, that any that may bee sent thither hereafter should be discouraged, for then we were strangers, and now we haue many friends there, and the Countrey is growne to much better ciuilitie, and as the yong King grow∣eth in age, will more and more, because their Gouernment will bee better.* 1.23 In three monethes space, the Towne on the East-side the Riuer, was burnt fiue times, but God be praysed the wind alwayes fauoured vs, and although the Iauans many times fired it on our side, yet it pleased God [ 10] still to preserue vs, so that by reason it blew but little wind, it was quenched before it came to hurt vs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The English left at Bantam. Mr. Starkey.
• * 1.2

  Thomas Tudd. Thomas Keith.
• * 1.3

  Iauans goe a∣bout to fire the English house.
• * 1.4

  The house builded.
• * 1.5

  The Towne fired, and some of our goods burned.
• * 1.6

  Wicked people and bold Theeues.
• * 1.7

  Nine saile of Hollanders.
• * 1.8

  Van Warwickes kindnesse.
• * 1.9

  Death of T. Morgan.
• * 1.10

  New Protector perfidious.
• * 1.11

  Master Starkeys death.
• * 1.12

  Fire.
• * 1.13

  M. Dobsons death. Another fire.
• * 1.14

  Iauans treache∣rie.
• * 1.15

  Quarrell be∣twixt Chinois and Hollanders▪ Hollanders drunken dis∣orders.
• * 1.16

  Punishment for Murth••••▪
• * 1.17

  Lampons cruell enm••ti•• to Ia∣ua.
• * 1.18

  Perfidious Ia∣uans.
• * 1.19

  Crueltie re∣warded.
• * 1.20

  Treacherie intended and preuented.
• * 1.21

  The miseries of the English.
• * 1.22

  Terror of the word Fire.
• * 1.23

  The Towne fiue times burnt in three monethes.