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.

CHAP. XI. A Letter written to the East India Company in England, from their Factours.

ABout the moneth of December, 1620. the Dutch Generall hauing prepared a force of sixteene ships, declared to our President, that hee entended an exploit for the good of both Companies, without mentioning any particulars of his Designes. [ 10]

And seeing vs to haue no such forces readie to ioyne with him, hee said hee would attempt it alone. And the third of Ianuary, 1620. he did set sayle from Iaquatra with his said forces, and arriued at Banda about the third of February following.

Presently vpon his arriuall, he made great preparation against the Iland of Lantore, which Iland was formerly by the Inhabitants thereof deliuered ouer vnto our people for the vse, and vnder the subiection of the Kings Maiestie of England, whereof our Captaine of the Ile of Po∣laroone had taken possession, and had also setled a Factory there.

When our chiefe Factor * 1.1 in our said Ile of Polaroone, heard of the purpose of the Dutch Generall against the said Ile of Lantore, he wrote a Letter vnto the said Generall, aduising him that the said Ile of Lantore did belong vnto the King of England, and that therefore hee should [ 20] not attempt any violence against it, seeing there is an accord made in England betweene vs. Which Letter, the said Generall threw from him in a great rage, scarce vouchsafing to reade it ouer, and caused the Messenger to bee thrust out of doores, requiring him to aduise our Factor of Polaroone, presently to send to Lantore, and fetch away all such of our people and goods as were vpon that Iland; for whomsoeuer hee should find there, hee would take them as his vtter Ene∣mies, and they should fare no better then the Inhabitants.

And within ten or twelue dayes after he landed all his forces there, and subdued the said I∣land. So long as the fight endured, our Factors and Seruants there (being three English and eight Chinees) kept themselues within doores, and afterwards our people came out of their houses, and told them, the house wherein they were, was the English house, and that therefore they [ 30] should not meddle therewith.

Neuerthelesse they sacked our house, tooke away all our goods, murthered three of our Chi∣nes Seruants, bound the rest (as well English as Chinezes) hand and foote, and threatned them to cut their throats, binding them three seuerall times to seuerall stakes, with their weapons readie drawne out,* 1.2 and did put a halter vpon our principall Factors necke, drawing vp his head, and stretching out his necke, readie to put them to death, yet did not execute them, but as they were bound hand and foot (as afore-said) tumbled them downe ouer the Rockes like Dogges, and like to haue broken their neckes, and thus bound, carryed them aboord their shippes, and there kept them Prisoners in Irons, foureteene or sixteene dayes.

After the conquest of the Iland of Lantore, the Dutch Generall threatned to doe the like vn∣to Polaroone, wherefore our principall * 1.3 Factor of Polaroone being there but newly arriued, [ 40] went vnto the Dutch Generall vnto the Castle of Nero, and told him that hee heard that hee purposed to take Polaroone by force, which he could not beleeue, although his owne Messenger sent to Polaroone, to speake with our Factors, had giuen it out also, that the Generall himselfe should say, that if the English did not come presently vnto him, and yeeld the said Fort of Po∣laroone vnto him, hee would send his forces, and ouer-runne all the Countrey, but hoped hee would enterprize no such thing against that place, considering the Articles of agreement, and knowing how many yeares (to the great losse and charge of the Company) wee held possession and maintayned the place to the vse of his Maiestie of England.

The said Generall made little answere to it, as though there were no such matter intended, [ 50] whereupon our said Factor tooke his leaue and came away.

But the next day he was followed to Polaroone, with an Armado of twentie sixe Prowes, and one ship, which did put the Inhabitants of Polaroone in such a feare, as they knew not what to doe; whereupon our chiefe Factor there asked the Commander of those forces, what his pur∣pose was with such a Fleet there, and that if he attempted any thing against Poolaroone, it was a breach of the Articles it being in our possession. This could not preuaile with him, but said the Land was theirs, and they would haue it by faire meanes or force, and as for our profession, they would not acknowledge it (the Inhabitants and not we being Masters of the place) and so the Dutch Commander went ashoare vnto the Inhabitants.

Whereupon the said Inhabitants asked vs if we could and would defend them, but perceiuing [ 60] we were not able to defend our selues, much lesse to secure them: they were forced to yeeld themselues and the Iland into his hands.

The Dutch tooke downe the English colours, and set vp their owne, and caused the Inhabi∣tants presently to bring in all their weapons, and to throw downe all their wals, and would

haue forced them to haue taken all our Ordnance out of our Fort, which they at the first refused to doe, alleaging that they had formerly giuen and surrendred the Land to the King of England, and in respect they had liued so long with the English, they would not now offer vs any iniurie or violence.

And when our chiefe Factor went ashoare to expostulate the matter with the Dutch Com∣mander, he could obtayne nothing at his hands, but that the Land was theirs, and things must be so, and should be so.

Whereupon our said Factor went againe vnto the Dutch Generall to the Castle of Nero to conferre with him thereabouts, but he would giue no other answere, but that hee had referred [ 10] those businesses to his said Lieutenant sent thither, with whom he might conferre▪ who in the absence of our chiefe Factor, had brought some of his Souldiers ashoare vpon Poolaroone, and for∣ced the Ilanders to throw all our Ordnance ouer the Rocke from the place where they were planted (being nine peeces) whereof foure broke with the fall, and were all carryed away by the Dutch.

Moreouer our Captaine of Poolarone who had defended the Iland foure yeeres together,* 1.4 going to Lantore (at the request of the Inhabitants) to receiue the surrendry thereof for our Kings Ma∣iesties vse (as aforesaid) and returning backe againe about the beginning of Nouember, 1620. was slaine by the Dutch. And it is very probable, they did it after the time they had intelli∣gence of the publication of the accord at Bantam, in March 1619. For presently vpon the said publication, they sent secretly to the Ilands in those parts, where they had trade, to preuent vs [ 20] of our part of the Spices due vnto vs by the accord.

After the said Dutch Generall had subdued the fore mentioned Iland of Lantore, hee con∣strayned them to deliuer vnto him, the principall of all their children for Hostages: Then hee tooke away from them all their small Vessels and Boates, and then he also required all the men of Lantore to be brought vnto him, and they bro••ght him all the principall men, but this did not satisfie him, but he would haue all the Bandanezes, which had ayded them, as also all their wiues and children, small and great to be brought as Prisoners aboord his ships.

Which when the Bandanezes perceiued (doubting that he meant to make them all slaues and to carrie them to some other places) they agreed together to retyre themselues into the highest [ 30] and strongest places of the Land, and there did forti••ie themselues, whereupon the Dutch slue of them and tooke twelue hundred persons Prisoners, most of them being women and children, which they haue since carryed to Iacatra and other places.

Printed according to the originall Copie the eight of February, 1621. Stilo Nouo.

[ 40] Reuerendo in Christo Fratri D. Domino Adrian Iacobson Hulsebus apud Iacatranenses Batauos Praedicatori, Salutem & pacem ab Authore vtriusque.

LOuing Brother: I haue receiued your Letters, and according to your desire, haue returned these few lines in answere thereunto. If I haue not so fully satisfied the particulars of your Letters, as I wished and purposed, I pray you impute it not to any want of will, but vnto my disacquaintance with your Dutch Tongue and hand: I should peraduenture haue giuen you better satisfaction then now I doe, if you had written to me in the Latine Tongue. But to leaue excuses and come to the matter, the thing you touch in your Letter is but too too true, to wit, that the hatred and dissention among Christians (if it continue, as God defend it should) is, and will bee the cause of much innocent bloud-shedding amongst friends, and [ 50] of estranging the hearts of Heathens, from the worship of the true God. And therefore that enmitie amongst friends may cease, and that such as are yet without, may be allured to submit themselues to the Scepter of Iesus Christ: it standeth vs vpon (who are Preachers of the Gospell of Peace) to be instru∣ments of peace, which for my owne part how willing I am to doe, is not vnknowne to such as know my selfe, and among whom I doe daily conuerse. I haue alwayes both in publike and priuate, by Letters to our Worshipfull Company in England, and by liuely voice to our Commanders here in the Indies, declared how good a thing ••t is for vs that are Christians professing one Faith, one Christ, one Baptisme, to liue in peace, and to dwell together in vnitie. And of this my earnest desire to be a Peace-maker, Master Bran∣craft your Master of the Blacke Lion, who remayned after his taking some weekes aboord of the Roy∣all Iames, can giue euident testimonie and witnesse. And now that you haue written to this end, I will [ 60] stirre vp my selfe, and set afresh vpon the worke of reconciliation. It is pelfe indeed and pride that is the Make-bate breeding strife and discord: for, had not the riches of the Molu••••as▪ and the robbing of the Chinees and others by you, vnder the English Colours, fathering thereby your theft vpon vs, cast you into a deepe and deadly Lethargie, you would not as you haue done, haue abused your best friend••

abroad, that haue shed so much of their deerest blood in defence of you and your countrey at home; but now you are freed from the Spaniard at home, you fall out with your friends abroad. Is this the recompence of our loue and blood shewed vnto you, and shed for you, to keepe you from the supposed thraldome of Spaine? Did Dauid thus reward his three Worthies, who aduentured their liues to satisfie his longing, & to quench his thirst? Did he not say, Lord, be it farre from me that I should doe this: is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardy of their liues? 2. Sam. 23.17. Doe you thus requite vs, as Lot did Abra∣ham, Who, when as hee with the three hundred and eighteene that were borne and brought vp in his house, did recouer Lot and his goods, and women out of the hands of the Conquerors, cared not for him but to serue his owne turne, and being deliuered, did in a manner scorne Abrahams company. VVell, though Abraham being the elder and worthier might haue stood vpon his right, yet yeelded of his interest, [ 10] that he and Lot might liue as brothers, and the rather because both of them at this time soiourned a∣mong the Canaanites and Pheresites, who were ready to take notice of their discord, and so to curse their God and holy Religion. Yet what gained Lot by separating company, but a showre of fire and brimstone, which rained vpon Sodome wherein he liued and would haue consumed both him and his, if God had not beene mercifull vnto him at Abrahams request.

It is not long of the English that we expose our selues to the mockery of Infidels: our Company loue peace, and trade peaceably: they haue put vp for peace sake more wrongs at your hands, then they meane to doe againe. You write and publish to the world, that the Sea is free, and ytt by your encroaching vpon it, are not you both the Mothers and Nurses of discord? One of our Commaunders, wrote (as I thinke, or at least sent word by one of speciall note amongst your selues) to Coen your Commander concerning a [ 20] parley before the shooting downe of our Turret at Iacatra: but the first and last newes we heard of him, was it not the beating downe of our house there, and the defaming of our Nation, with Penoran at Ban∣tam and others here?

And thinke you that this is the way to make peace?

The present Captaine of your Fort at Iacatra promised to the Right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Dale our chiefe Commander, vpon the faith of a Christian, that M. Peter Wadden (now your prisoner) should haue free ingresse and egresse in and out of your house to parley betweene vs, to returne to our Shippes: and yet is either promise or oath kept? hath he not, and doth he not continue your prisoner to this hower? You remember Iehu his answere to Iehoram, What peace whiles the whoredomes of thy Mother Iezabel, and her witchcrafts are yet in great number? 2. Kings 9.23. No sound league [ 30] of friendship or reconciliation can be made, or being made can continue, till the wrongs which men haue done one to another, be reproued, and remoued; and satisfaction giuen by word and deed, where it may possibly be performed; else it will be like a wound or sore, that being cured outwardly to the eye, doth bleed and fester inwardly; many hollow reconciliations are daily made amongst men, which afterwards breake out to the hurt of both parties, and scandall of others: As a wound that is ill cured, by an vn∣skilfull or an vnconscionable Chirurgion. As for mine owne part, I would to God that if it were pos∣sible, I might with all my best skill and cunning be the Chirurgion to cure this wound, that our recon∣ciliation, when euer it shall be made, may not be h••llow, but holy and firme: yea I wish from my heart, that my very blood might be the milke to put out this wilde fire which now is kindled, and (if it be not quen∣ched in time) is like to deuoure, not onely the ships and goods (as it hath done some already, and is like [ 40] to doe more) but the precious liues of many of both Nations, and of those also that are as yet vnborne, who (it is like) will curse the time that euer the English and Dutch knew the Indies. All standeth not in one side, there must be a yeelding of both sides, if euer there be a sound peace. But you say, both sides are stout, who shall begin? I answere, what auaileth anger without strength to beare it out? What is fiercenesse of spirit without wisedome of heart? but euen a fooles bolt against himselfe. And to such a one may not the saying of Archidamus to his sonne, being too foole-hardie, be as fitly applyed as a gloue to a mans hand: Sonne, sonne, either put too more strength, or take away some of this courage? You cannot be ignorant that when Herod intended to make warre against the Tyrians and Sydonians, how they came all with one accord, and perswaded Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine that they might liue in peace, or else they should all of them be starued, Act. 12.20. Take heede you come not to this when it [ 50] is too late. Are you so well able to liue of your selues in Holland, that you haue no need of your neigh∣bour countrey England? Are you so high aboue the waters, that the sluces of heauen cannot drowne you? Or are the Seas so low beneath your Netherlands, that you feare no deluge? Shebna the Trea∣surer, was he not as surely seated as your Graue is in Holland? or the greatest amongst you here in the Indies, euen Coen himselfe? and yet was he not tossed vp and downe as a foote-ball in a strange coun∣trey? and were not the Chariots of his glory the shame of his Lords house? Esay 22.18. But I haue runne my selfe a little beyond that I intended, and now to recouer my breath, by these lines I promise, and by word and deed will, God willing, with saile and care labour to bring to passe, that we may liue as friends and neighbours both here and at home. Thus I haue returned you an answere to that you desire, and looke that both of vs should doe our best endeauour for the good of our present Fleets, and of such as [ 60] hereafter may liue to blesse vs. From our Royall Iames riding neere to▪ Bant•••• Rode, this 20. of A∣prill 1619.

Your louing brother Patricke Copland.

From aboard the Bee in the Rode of Iacquatra on the Coast of Iaua, the fiue and twentieth of February. 1620.

AVgust the second 1619. our ship and goods were taken by the Flemings in the strait of Sunda neere Bantam, and set ashore at Iacquatra.* 3.1 September the eight 1619. the Flemings dispersed vs into their ships, and on the coast of Sumatra the first of October 1619. they tooke foure other English ships. viz. the Dragon, the Beare, the Expedition, and the Rose. And on the second of October they turned vs all ashore at Tecoo amongst the Indians, where our Merchants had no trade, but for eight dayes. We were then three hundred seuentie and odde men, all or the most part vndone. About fifteene men were killed in fight. They left vs the little Rose to shift for our selues.

[ 10] The three & twentieth of October, 1619. there came into the Roade out of England three other ships, the Palsgraue, the Elizabeth, and the Merchants hope. From Tecoo we sayled too and fro, and at length came to anchor at an Iland called Amyncan, where we had fresh water and some fish, but is no place of trade, nor is there any man that knoweth of any thing that growes vpon it. The people are thought to bee men••aters. After this we returned backe for Tecoo, & neere the same twenty nine of Ianuary 1619. we met with Generall Pring in the Royall Iames, and his whole fleet of ships, in number nine. All the fleet being then twelue goodly ships, were resolued to saile for Bantam: and in sight of two Flemish ships, (which we purposed to take) Captaine Adams in the ship called the Bull, together with one of the Flemish ships came vp with newes of peace. We then sailed for Iacatra, where by the way met vs seuenteen saile of good∣ly [ 20] Flemmish ships, with whom (had not the peace then come) we must haue fought it out. But peace be∣ing then concluded betweene the Flemmings and vs, our English Factorie was againe setled at Iacatra; and the ships diuided, some for one place, some for another.

The sixe and twentieth of Aprill 1620. the Royall Iames, and a ship of some eight hundred Tunnes, called the Vnicorne, set saile for Iapan, the distance neere about a eleuen hundred leagues. The second of Iune 1620. The Vnicorne was cast away on the coast of China, neere a certaine Iland called the Ma∣coio Iland. In the ship were two English women; both which, and all the men were saued: for they ran the ship neere the shore. Most part of all their goods they lost. As we sailed for Iapan at a place called Patanie, we heard of Captaine Iordayne, who being there with two ships, called the Hound, and the Samson, there came into the Rode and fought with them three Flemish ships: Captaine Iordayne was [ 30] slaine in that fight, and the Flemmings tooke both their shippes. The seuenteenth of December 1620. The great Iames being well trimmed at a place called Firando in Iapan, came away from thence: and the fourteenth of Ianuarie 1620. we arriued safely at Iacatra, where she is now loaden for England.

The ships that since my comming from England, haue beene taken and lost, are the Sunne, cast away neere Bantam; the Starre, taken neere Bantam; the Dragon, the Beare, the Expedition, and the Rose, taken at Tecoo; the Hound and the Samson taken at Patany; the Vnicorne cast away on the coast of China; two or three other ships taken and lost at the Moluccas.

Men of good command, dead, are, Captaine Parker of Plymmouth, Sir Thomas Dale, Captaine Ior∣dayne killed at Patany, Captaine Bonner killed at Tecoo while we were at Iapan. The Flemmings yeelded vp againe the Starre to the English, and she is gone to the Moluccas.

[ 40] Thomas Knowles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This was M. Hayes, Captain of the English.
• * 1.2

  Robert Randall.
• * 1.3

  This was M. Welden.
• * 1.4

  Nathaniel Courthop.
• * 3.1

  Ships taken by the Hollanders at Banda, Be∣fore this, they had taken the Swan, the Sa∣lomon, the At∣tendance, and kept the De∣fence which fu∣gitiue knaues betrayed to them: Like∣wise the Speed∣well•• Pinnasse they are repor∣ted to haue entred and ta∣ken out the English, lea∣uing only three ignorant Blacks which for want of wit or skill, suffered her to be lost: the cause, for that she would not strike to the Dutch, plea∣ding freedom in sea, as sub∣iect to a free King. The Starre was ta∣ken in the strait of Sunda. In all, these in∣fortunate shippes, are twelue.