Volume Ix Part 32 (1/2)
The 11th, Mr Mills arrived in the Bee from Priaman, with 300 sacks of very good rice, and eleven hogsheads of oil, giving us great encouragement to send there again. The 12th, the Claw was sent off for Pedang and Cuttatinga, to procure rice and other provisions; and, on the 15th, the Bee was sent back to Priaman for more rice and oil. The 19th the Claw returned with thirty-four bags of rice, 16,000 cocoa-nuts, and ten goats; and the same night the Bee came back with 980 sacks of rice, procured with much difficulty by Mr Mills, merchant of the Elizabeth.
The 3d March we departed from the road of Tecoo, intending first to touch at _Mintaon_, on purpose to dispatch the Bee for England, and thence to go for Acheen, in hopes of meeting the Charles and the Ruby from Surat. The 30th March we all anch.o.r.ed in the bay of Samanca, about a mile from sh.o.r.e, where we took in wood, water, and other necessaries.
Next day we sent to recall the Bee from Balembeen. The 1st April we sent the shallop belonging to the Unicorn for Anniar, to enquire concerning the Dutch force, and how the pangran stood affected towards us.[275] At eleven this night, twenty-two of our men ran away with our barge. Next morning the shallop returned from Anniar, and brought news that there were fifteen sail of Dutch s.h.i.+ps at Bantam and Jacatra, upon which we resolved to proceed to Bantam, to treat with the pangram, hoping that the Dutch _might not venture to attack us_. The Bee arrived in the afternoon from Ballambeen, [Palimbangan.] The 6th we set sail for Bantam, and on the 7th, between Crackastaw and Becee, we met a proa with some of our people coming from Anniar.
[Footnote 275: The intended voyage to Acheen seems to hate been laid aside; perhaps the monsoon had become adverse, and forced them to the S.E. towards Bantam.--E.]
--4. _News of Peace between the English and Dutch_.
At four in the morning of Sat.u.r.day the 8th April, 1620, we met the Bull, newly come from England, bringing the joyful news of peace having been concluded between us and the Dutch. She was accompanied by a small s.h.i.+p, called the Flying Hart, with letters of advice for us, or any other of the English s.h.i.+ps, giving notice of the agreement and union that had taken place between the two Honourable East India Companies of England and Holland. We came to anchor with all our fleet in the afternoon, near the point of Palimbangan. In the morning of the 11th, we descried the Dutch fleet coming from Jacatra to meet us, and to congratulate with us on the joyful intelligence of peace. General Coen was there in person, and as soon as he came to anchor, the Holland fleet and ours began to salute each other with peals of ordnance, to communicate the intelligence to the natives, and to express our own joy of the happy news of peace.
The 12th, we came altogether into Bantam roads, the Dutch fleet consisting of fifteen sail, besides two others of their nation which we found already in the roads, and ours of twelve sail. This day, Mr Janson, commander of the Dutch fleet, accompanied by their fiscal, and divers others, came to visit me, and invited Mr Brockendon, Mr Spalding, and myself on board the Dutch admiral's s.h.i.+p, where we conferred with General Coen concerning our future conjunct arrangements. After we had compared the articles and letters, the Dutch general agreed that we should jointly proceed in conformity with the instructions we had received from our Honourable Company; but he declined publis.h.i.+ng the articles till the arrival of some s.h.i.+p from Holland, with the articles and instructions from their Company. On the 14th, in the morning, by mutual concert between us and the Hollanders, we sent Mr Beaumont and Philip Baduge on, sh.o.r.e, with one Dutch merchant, to communicate the news of our peace and agreement to the pangran, and to inform him, as we were now united, we only desired to have a reasonable composition with him, through which we might remain quietly in his country, enjoying a free trade on just and equitable conditions, as in other parts of India.
But the pangran was so much dissatisfied with the news, that he would give no answer to their message, often times asking them why we had become friends with the Hollanders, so that they had to return without any answer. We sent the same message to him next day, but our messengers were not allowed to land.
”The differences and maritime warfare which took place between the Dutch and English East India Companies, of which some notice has been taken; and the peace and union which are announced, as having been communicated to their respective commanders at this time, would lead to historical discussions and deductions, which do not properly belong to the object of a Collection of Voyages and Travels; but which, if altogether pa.s.sed over, would leave much of the foregoing circ.u.mstances, and some that have to be noticed in the sequel, abrupt, isolated, and almost unintelligible. It has therefore been deemed proper to give a brief account of these differences, and of the singular so called _union_, which took place in consequence, extracted from the Annals of the East India Company, vol. I. p. 201, _et seq._[276]
[Footnote 276: This addition to --4. of the present voyage, is made by the Editor; but almost entirely derived from the historiographer of the East India Company.--E.]
”When the differences and aggressions which had occurred in the spice islands were reported in Europe, the English and Dutch Companies presented memorials and remonstrances to their respective governments, each complaining against the servants of the other, as guilty of unwarrantable aggressions. In Holland, calculating on the pacific character of King James, it was expected that the opposition to the projects of the English for partic.i.p.ating in the trade of the spice islands, although of at least a tendency towards warlike aggression, would not lead to national hostilities, but might be discussed by means of remonstrances and negociation.
”After long conferences between English and Dutch commissioners, for settling the disputes between the two Companies, a treaty was concluded at London on the 17th July, 1619; by which, after specifying an amnesty for all past excesses, and a mutual rest.i.tution of s.h.i.+ps and property, the trade of the two nations in the East was declared to be free;--That the pepper trade at Java should be equally divided;--That the English should have a free trade at Pullicat, on paying half the expences of the garrison;--That the English were to enjoy one third of the export and import trade, at the Molucca and Banda islands, commonly called the spice islands; commissioners to be appointed for regulating the trade, and the charges of the garrisons, under their inspection, to be defrayed in that proportion by the two Companies;--That each Company should furnish ten s.h.i.+ps of war for the common defence; which s.h.i.+ps were not to be employed to bring cargoes to Europe, but only in the carrying trade, between one port and another in the East Indies.--The whole proceedings arising out of this treaty, were to be under the regulation of a _Council of Defence_, composed of four members appointed by each Company, who were to reside in India; and this treaty was to subsist in force for twenty years.
”It would lead far beyond any due bounds that could be afforded in this work, to follow out this compact, singularly weak on the part of King James, and a.s.suredly either contrived by his boasted _king craft_, or devised by some wily Dutch politician, who was acquainted with his majesty's wonderful sagacity. This union and the council of defence, turned out a most fruitful source of advantage to the Dutch, who had completely duped the king and government of England, and totally expelled the English Company from any share whatever in the trade of the spice islands; after contriving to make them pay more than two thirds of the expence of fortifications and garrisons, instead of one third, all of which were effectually converted to their injury and exclusion. In the sequel of these voyages, several instances will be found, completely ill.u.s.trative of these positions; and from the year 1625, or thereabout, the Dutch enjoyed the entire profits of the spice trade, including the whole island of Java, till within these very few years; when, as subjects of Buonaparte, they have been driven from every foreign possession, and entirely excluded from all partic.i.p.ation in the trade of the East.”--E.
--5. _Voyage of Captain Pring from Bantam, to Patania and j.a.pan, and return to Jacatra_.[277]
The 26th of April, 1620, we sailed from Bantam roads, with the James Royal and Unicorn in company, intending, by the grace of G.o.d, to go for j.a.pan, there to careen and trim our s.h.i.+ps. Mr Brockendon departed at the same time for Jacatra with six s.h.i.+ps; proposing, about a month after our departure, to send five good English s.h.i.+ps after us to j.a.pan, that we might have the fittest season of the year to go from thence to the Manillas. The 27th, we took leave of this fleet, and steered towards the north, borrowing within half a league of the eastern point of Pulo-Tunda; and came to anchor in the evening about a league off the N.E. point of that island, in twenty-three fathoms upon ooze, waiting till the western stream of the tide began to return to the eastwards which was about ten at night, when we proceeded on our course.
[Footnote 277: Purchas gives two relations of this voyage, one brief, ”lest the longer one might interrupt the more delicate muses of some readers with sea-sickness, the other for those that are more studious of nautical knowledge.” On the present occasion, we have preferred the more extended narrative, and have therefore united both accounts as given by Purchas, being the remainder of --4. joined to the whole of --5. giving one instance of minute nautical remarks of our earlier navigators.--E.]
The 28th at night, we anch.o.r.ed in 18 f. on ooze, Pulo Antekero bearing N.E. three leagues off. Pulo Antekero bears N.N.E. 1/2 E. from Pulo Tunda, about eight leagues distant. The depth of water between the two islands, runs-from 16 f. to 26, and so to 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, and 12 f.
all ooze. Pulo Antekero is westernmost of the islands which extend in a row from the bay of Jacatra, [or Batavia,] to the westward. Continuing our course, we anch.o.r.ed, in the evening of the 29th, in 15 f, Pulo Kero bearing N. by E. 1/2 E. 2-1/2 leagues off. Pulo Kero bears N.N.E. nearly from Antekero, six leagues off. After pa.s.sing halfway between these islands we had 20, 18, 16, 14, 12 f. on ooze. At noon on the 30th we had Pulo Kero six leagues off, S. 1/2 E. our depth continuing 13,12,11 f. all ooze.
At noon on the 1st May, Pulo Kero bore S. 1/2 W nine leagues, and the depth 12 f. being just able to see that island from our top-mast head.
By observation of the sun, we were then in lat. 4 45' S. From noon till five p.m. our course was N.N.E. four leagues. We then anch.o.r.ed in 11 f.
on ooze, having Pulo Kero by estimation thirteen league S by W. This night at nine, being still at anchor in the same place, I made the s.h.i.+p, by observation of the Crozies, in lat. 4 40' S. allowing 29 for the complement of declination. We set sail at four a.m. of the 2d, and by noon had run about six leagues N.N.E. the depths continuing as before, 13, 12, 11 f. By noon of the 3d our course was S. by E. five leagues, the soundings as before, all the ground from Bantam roads. .h.i.therto being ooze. From Bantam for the first two days, we had land and sea breezes; afterwards, till the afternoon of the 2d, the wind was constant between E. and S.E. when the wind came northerly, and so continued till the 3d at noon. From Pulo Paniang to Pulo Antekero, the current set to the westwards, somewhat strong; but from thence we found the currents more gentle, and changing into every direction in the course of the twenty-four hours.
Our course from noon of the 3d till noon of the 4th was N.N.E. eleven leagues, the depths from 12 to 10-1/2 f. From noon this day till seven at night, we made 5-1/2 leagues N. and then anch.o.r.ed in 9-1/2 f. We weighed in the morning of the 5th. having but little wind and that variable, till half an hour after six, when it sprung up fresh at S.W.
From four to nine a.m. we made three leagues N.E. 1/2 E. and from nine till noon only half a league N.W. by N. This day at noon we were in lat.
3 30' S. when we descried a small island N.N.E. 1/2 E. four leagues off, which appeared at first like a great tree rising out of the see.
From noon till six p.m. our course was five leagues N.W. We here saw two or three hummocks like islands, N. by W. seven leagues off. From thence till three a.m. of the 6th, we sailed W. six leagues. At six in the evening of the 5th we had 9 f. which increased as we stood westwards in the night, to 10, 11, and l2 f. and afterwards decreased to 8 f. where we came to anchor. The stream by night set S.E. and by day N.W. We weighed again at six a.m. of the 6th, and steered W.N.W. 1-1/2 league, when we had sight of many hummocks rising like so many islands, but which at length we perceived to be all one land. Coming now into 6-1/2 f. we altered our course to the N.E. making our course N.N.E. till noon, about 2-1/2 leagues; at which time, by an observation of the sun, we were in lat. 3 20' S. We were now in 8 f. and found the current to set N.W. by W. About noon of this day, a junk belonging to Johor came up with us, which had been at Cheribon in Java, and was returning to Johor.
The afternoon, we steered in with the eastern part of the hummocky land of Banka, making our course N.N.E. 1/2 N. in which we came again to 8 f.
afterwards increasing regularly to 24 f. and then decreasing again to a quarter less 7 f. when we came to anchor against the E. point of that land, which bore from us N.N.E. 1/3 N. four leagues off.
We weighed in the morning of the 7th, and stood in nearer the point, in hopes of being able to pa.s.s through between that island and one which lay three leagues to the E. But in our way, we found the soundings, after increasing from 7 to 17 f. to decrease again to 6 and to one-half less 4 f. and about two miles off the point in the fair way we had only six feet water in the fair way, or mid-channel. To the eastwards, there appeared many islands, and by the report of the people in the junk, the sea is full of islands between the S.E. end of Banka and the island of Borneo. The S.E. end of Banka now bore N.N.E. 1/2 N. about two leagues off; and the land from this point to the entrance of the straits of Banka, lay W. by S. the straits being thirteen leagues from us. Where we lay at anchor, the before-mentioned point bearing N. by E. 1/2 E. 2-1/2 leagues off, we had an observation of the sun, giving the lat.i.tude of the s.h.i.+p 3 8' S. Having little hope of finding a pa.s.sage between Banka and Borneo among these islands, by reason of the fearful shoalings we had already met with, we resolved on the 8th to go through the straits between the island of Banka and Sumatra, called the Straits of Banka; wherefore we set sail, retracing as nearly as we could the course by which we came into the present shoal water; in which course we found still more dangerous shoalings than in our in-coming. After we had got about eight leagues off, S.S.W. from the before-mentioned point of Banka, we steered S.W. by W. the current setting N.W. which made our course nearest W. by S. In this course we proceeded five leagues, and anch.o.r.ed in 8 f. on ooze, about nine at night.
In the morning of the 9th, we descried Lucepara, N.N.W. seven leagues off, and steered towards it, till we had it N. two leagues. In this course we pa.s.sed over a spit, where we had only 4-1/2 f. and 4-3/4. But on nearing Lucepara, we had 5-1/4 f. all ooze. We then steered N.W. by N. till Lucepara was N.E. of us, having 5 f. and the same ground. We then, went W.N.W. having always ooze, till we were within two leagues of the Sumatra sh.o.r.e in 6 f. The isle of Lucepara bore then E.S.E. 3-1/2 leagues off; and a hill on Banka with a deep swamp, N. by W. being about a sail's breadth open of the point of Sumatra, which bore N. by W. 1/2 W. from us, about three leagues off. We steered thence away with the said point N. by W. Having 6-1/2 and 7 f. soft ground, till we came within a league of the point, where edging too near we had but 5-1/2, and only 4-1/2 in the boat hard by us: But, if we had kept a little farther from the point, we might have gone in 7, 8, 9, and 10 f. all through the strait, borrowing carefully with the lead upon the Sumatra sh.o.r.e; whereas by keeping nearer to Banka than Sumatra, the soundings are very variable, sometimes deep, and sometimes shallow, and mostly foul ground. On the Sumatra sh.o.r.e, even if coming into shoal water, the ground is mostly soft ooze, and the soundings far more regular and certain.
In the evening of the 12th May, having brought the N.W. point of Banka to bear N.E. we opened two smooth hills with a little hummock between them; one of these hills being the northermost land of Banka, and bearing N.E. nine leagues, from the N.W. point of that island. This night we steered N.N.E. to get through the channel between Lingan and the N. end of Banka, having 23, 22, 20, 18, and 16 f. all ooze, till we came near the entrance, and afterwards 15, 14, 13 f. in going through the pa.s.sage. Lingan rises at first in three islands, the northermost being larger than both the other two, being near two leagues long and full of hummocks. Among these three islands there are certain fragments of isles intermixed, like so many hay-c.o.c.ks, which is a good mark whereby to know these islands. From the smooth hill which is the north end of Banka, to the south-westermost isle of Lingan, it is N. by W. ten leagues. From the middle of the largest isle of Lingan, which is the north-eastermost, there is another smooth island nine leagues off, E.N.E. 1/2 N. From that there is another flat island, and off the north point of the round smooth island, there is a little fragment like a rock. In the fair way between this island and Lingan, there are 14 and 13 f. the course being midway between, and to the N. to pa.s.s along by the E. side of Bintang. This day at noon, being the 12th May, our lat.i.tude was 1 S.[278] the greatest isle of the Lingan group being S.W.
from us five leagues, whence we estimated its lat.i.tude to be 1 10'
nearly.
[Footnote 278: This is an evident error, as the northern side of the largest island of the Lingan group is exactly on the equator, and Bintam, or Bintang, is in lat. 1 N.--E.]