his Merchants and Masters to a feast, where there was great cheere, and also great friendship was made betweene vs. The fifteenth day of September, two Dutch ships set saile for Holland, one be∣ing a small ship, which had laden Pepper at Bantam; the other, had taken in some Cloues at Ter∣nate. The rest of her lading was of prize-goods, which was taken out of the ships which came from Cambaya. The one and twentieth day, came in the Dutch Admirall from Banda. The two and twentieth day, our Generall sent some of his Merchants to the Dutch house, to bid him wel∣come. On which day, a drunken Flemming caused a new fray, which began with our Surgeon, and after parts, were taken on both sides, and some of the Dutch wounded.
Againe, about one a clocke the same afternoone, our Generall sitting vpon a bench at our gate, talking with a Portugall which sate by him, who sometimes had beene of good reputation, there [ 10] came one of their drunken Swads, and sate downe betweene our Generall and this Portugall. Our Generall seeing the rudenesse of this vnmannerly Flemming, gaue him a boxe on the eare, and thrust him away. Presently, diuers of his consorts came about our gate, drawing their Kniues and Sables, and began to swagger. We taking the But-ends of Pikes and Halberds, and Faggot-stickes, draue them into a Racke-house, who shutting the doore vpon vs, we brake it open, and knocked some of them downe, bringing them away as prisoners to our Generall. So many of the Flemmings as came by in peace, our Generall caused to goe into our yard, where they were in safetie, and those that would not, bare it off with head and shoulders. So soone as wee had beaten them well, that tooke the Racke-house, there came another troope of them downe the streete to take their parts, with whom we met; and after a few brabbling words past, we laid on [ 20] such load, that they were forced to giue ground, and to betake them to their heeles: some of them were beaten downe in the streete, and many had their pates pittifully broken, others were for∣ced to runne thorough a great myrie Ditch, to escape from vs, they were chased in at their owne gates.
The Master of their Admiral had occasioned this fray, and gone from ship to ship, to bid them goe weaponed on shore, and kill the English-men they met with. And when some went to goe aboord the Dutch shippes on businesse, some English-men of their Fleete, with weeping eies cal∣led to them, that they should not come: For strait order was giuen, to kill as many English-men as they could, either aboord or on shore, and willed them to certifie our Generall of it. Where∣fore the Flemmings haue no cause hereafter to complaine, but to say we dealt kindly with them: [ 30] for the truth is, it lay in our hands that day, to haue slaine a great number of them, the which had beene done, if our Generall had but giuen the word. These frayes were greatly admired at, of all Nations in that place, that we should dare to bandy blowes with the Flemmings, they ha∣uing seauen verie tall ships in the Road, and we but two. There was not one of our men had any harme, onely Master Sarys Merchant, who receiued a cut on the fore-finger with a Sable.
At the latter end of this fray, the Dutch Generall came to our house, with a great Guard of Captaines, Merchants, and diuers others, whom our Generall being in like manner accompani∣ed, met in the streets, and brought him into our house. After the beginning of the matter was declared to the Dutch Admirall, he liked well of that we had done. Some of the Captaines a∣bout him said, we complained, but their men bore away the blowes, as might appeare by their [ 40] bloudy pates and shoulders: the Dutch Admirall answered, it was no matter, for he saw plaine∣ly, the fault was in their men, wherefore hee would take order henceforward, that so many of them should not come ashore at once. After much talke had passed, and a banket of sweet meates ended, the Dutch Admirall kindly tooke his leaue of our Generall: and all the rest of the Mer∣chants, both English and Dutch, shaking hands one with another.
There were certain Iauans, which belonged vnto two of the principall men of that Land, next vnto the King, who had stolne nine Muskets and Calliuers out of the Ascentions Gunner roome: shortly after two of them comming to steale more, were taken by our people with the manner. Our Generall sent me aboord to examine them, and to bring them ashore. They first told me, they belonged to great men, which were our very good friends, but I mistrusting they did dissemble with me, bid them confesse the truth, and they should find some fauour, then they confessed tru∣ly [ 50] whose Slaues they were, and said the Peeces were forth comming. After they came ashore, our Generall sent the King and the Protector word of it, and desired he might haue his Peeces againe; The Protector sent to the Masters of these two Slaues for them, but they louing the Peeces better then their men, said they had no Peeces, but what they had bought with their Money, yet they sent to our Generall to desire him, to deferre their execution for a day or two, the which was granted: but because their Masters were no great good willers to the King, the Protectour in the Kings Name sent the Executioner to put them to death, with a Guard of Pikes. When they came to the place of execution, our Generall taking pitty of them, would haue giuen them their liues: But the Hang-man said, their liues were in the Kings hands, and [ 60] not in our Generals, wherefore because the King had sent him, he would execute them. Which the two Theeues very patiently suffered, as the manner of all that Nation is, when they are bound to it. They doe hold it the greatest glorie that can be, to dye resolutely without any show of feare: and surely so they doe, in as carelesse a manner as it is possible for flesh and bloud,