§. II. The report of WILLIAM NICOLS a Mariner in the Ascention which [ 10] trauelled from Bramport by Land to Masulipatan, written from his mouth at Bantam by HENRY MORIS, Sept. 12. 1612. The former and greater part is the same in substance with that of T. IONES, and therefore omitted.
THe Company departed from our Generall, not able to prouide for them, and left the rest to stay by him being very sicke. Some went to one place, and some to another, and some backe againe for Surat.* 1.1 And I my selfe being one of them that were wil∣ling to take the best course for my selfe that I could, I told them I would trauell [ 20] (God-willing) to Masulipatan, for I knew there was an Holland Factorie there, as I had heard at Surat before we came from thence. I could not finde any Christian to trauell ouer Land with me; and inquiring at Bramport; if there were any that would trauell to Masulipatan, I met with company which were trauelling that way: but it was such company that few Englishmen would trauell with them. For they were three Iewes: but necessitie hath no law. After I had a∣greed to trauell with them, I thought, if I trauelled with any money the Dogges would cut my throat.* 1.2 So I made away with all my money, and attyred my selfe in the Habit of a Turke, and tooke my iourney with those Dogges, without any peny of money in my Purse: and tra∣uelling with them, foure monethes, had nothing to eate but only such food as the Iewes gaue me, and many times, when I was hungry they would giue mee no meate, so that I was inforced to [ 30] eate such meate as they gaue their Camels, and no better, and glad I could get it, nay, sometimes I was infored to be in fee with the Camell Keeper to giue mee a little. In this miserable case I trauelled with these Dogges foure monethes: sometimes they would say, come let vs cut this Dogges throate, and afterwards open his belly, for he hath eaten his Gold: two would haue cut my throate, but the third was an honest Dogge, for he would not consent vnto it. So with ma∣ny a weary iourney and hungry belly,* 1.3 after a long and dangerous trauell we came safe vnto Ma∣sulipatan, where I presently discharged my selfe from these cruell Dogges, and came vnto the Dutch house where the Captaine vsed mee very kindly, and gaue mee clothes, and meate and drinke fiue moneths before any shipping came there. At length there came three ships to Ma∣sulipatan, the one called the Hay, the other the Sunne, and the third was a Frigot, which they had [ 40] taken in the Streights of Malacca, and the Sunne and the Frigot being bound for Bantam. I in∣treated the Master to grant me passage, and I would labour for my passage, who told mee very kindly, that he would not only giue me passage, but would also giue me wages: for the which I gaue him great thankes, and so came aboord. Not long after, we set sayle from thence, and came to Bantam the sixth day of September,* 1.4 1610. being Thursday, and came presently to the Eng∣lish House with ioyfull heart. 1610.
In my trauell (with the three Iewes) ouerland, these faire Townes I passed, which I bare in minde, for I could neyther write nor reade.
First, after I came from Bramport, I came to Ieuaport, from thence to Huidare, from thence to Golacaude, and so to Masulipatania. [ 50]