Dutch being landed at Tancoratt the Javans all left Terrytyassy except the Sultan two Pengrans and two English men which were employed as Gunners at sight whereof the King being troubled set fire to the Palace himself and fled up the Hills and about a Month after the young King sent to his Father and promised him his Freedom and Liberty if he would come and live with him in the Fort who consented to it upon the following terms viz. as he was informed That the English French and Danes might have the same liberty that they had formerly and that the Dutch Renegado should be turned out of the Fort and that when he came in no Dutch-man should stir from his Quarters which was consented to But three dayes after he was in the Castle the Dutch desired the Son to demand his Father's Treasure who told him that he had given it all to his Son Pengran Probaya who is gone up the Hills with Four Thousand Macassars and Mallayans The 18 th July 1683 all the English being going from Batavia for Surrat the Dutch Council in Bantam sent for the aforesaid Ambrose Moody and after Examination discharged him and ordered him to take his passage to Batavia in a Dutch Ship. When the two English Men which had been with the old King came down the Hills the Javans carryed them before the Chief of the Dutch who ordered them to go before the young King who when he saw them gave them their liberty to go where they pleased But three dayes after the Dutch sent to the Pengran who lives in the English Factory and ordered him to keep the English Gunners close Prisoners All which was told and affirmed to him by the Brother of the said Pengran The 22th of August 1683. The Agent and Council of the English Nation set sail from Batavia for Surat at which time the Dutch had Wars with the King of Jambee and the King of Jehore and on the West Coast of Sumatra and with Rogia Pelatta the King of Macassar who formerly served the Dutch but is now fled from them with his Forces and dayly Mallayans and Macassars go from Batavia and Bantam to his assistance The Dutch at Ambonia sent this year as he hath heard several of them confess Fifty Dutchmen to Batavia in Irons because they began to Revolt Sometime before the English left Batavia the Dutch had been a fitting of nine ships and a Fleet of Prowes to go against Macassar but finding they had not men sufficient to man them were forced to forbear till next year Now they suffer no Java to wear either Launce or Crease or any other Weapon and the best Java that is in Bantam must pull off his Cap to any Dutchman Although the Dutch have not above Three or Four Hundred Men in Bantam yet the Young King hath not power to act any Thing and all Javans pay to the Dutch at their Marriage Ten Rs. 8 / 8 and Two Rs. 8 / 8 per month for each Fishing Prow and Two Ditto a year Head-money and several other Taxes which makes the Javans daily run from Bantam to Pengran Probaya So that now he hath about Ten Thousand Men in the Field and is in expectation that the English will send to His assistance The Dutch Received the Letters which were sent by the Ambassadors and interpreted them as they pleased And would not suffer the Ambassadors nor no Java to speak to the Young King but by their Linguester The Young King with his own Hands did crease his Uncle Pengran Coloone and keeps his Brothers which came in fast in irons Pengran Keedull did come in with the Old King but finding how severe the Young King was made his escape with several other great Men. The Dutch could not perswade the Young King to sign to their Articles at which they are much troubled The Dutch have perswaded the Young King to turn out of Bantam all Europeans the Moors Banyans and the Chineses In January 168 2 / 3 Ambrose Moody did see in Bantam the Two great brass Guns which came from Tonqueen which he thinks the Company have not charged to accompt The Young King of Bantam must pay to the Dutch for every White Man that they lose in the Wars or by sickness Thirty Rs. 8 / 8 and Twenty for each Black. They have lost already by their own confession Fifteen Hundred Europeans by sickness and by the Warrs since the 18th of July 1683. the Chief of the Dutch was poisoned in Bantam and very oft as the soldiers go to Market they are killed with Clubs The Young King by instigation of the Dutch keeps His Father close prisoner and suffers onely one slave-Woman to bring him Victuals which she puts in at a Window and keeps Centinel always at the door In the time of the aforesaid Moody's imprisonment there was sent to him in Bantam from Mr. Gurney which did belong to the Kempthorne a Letter by the Hands of Nicholas Dios which he did ask leave of the Dutch to deliver and had consent but within two days after the Dutch put the said Dios in prison and would not discharge him before the English came from Batavia which was about five months time after his first imprisonment Signed Ambrose Moody I Ambrose Moody above-named do own the foregoing Relation or Narrative to which my name is subscribed to be drawn by my self and of my own Hand-Writing And I do make Oath that all and every particular therein is true according to what I have heard from very credible persons or been my self an Eye-witness of as the same is exprest by me in the said Narrative Sworn the 25th of June 1684. before Sir John Moore Signed Ambrose Moody The Dutch Commissioners Instructors their First Paper presented to the Lords Commissioners Decisors To the most Honourable Lords my Lords the Commissioners appointed by the King of Great Brittain and the Gentlemen appointed Commissioners by the Lords the States General of the United Provinces for the Decision of Differences arisen between the East-India-Company of England and that of the said Provinces upon the Subject-matter of Bantam Most Honourable Lords AS the Directors of the East-India-Company of the United Provinces have been very sensibly moved to see that the differences of Bantam have been able to cause a difference between the two Companies whose interest is so much never to be dis-united so they have been very glad to understand that it hath pleased his Majesty to name four Lords as Illustrious by the Qualities of their minds as of their birth and office to labour jointly with the Deputies of the Lords the States General of the United Provinces in the decision of the said differences and to prevent by the wayes of Justice and Equity this coldness from ever being capable of sowing seeds of bitterness which might be able to destroy the remainder of this brotherly love which ought to be the Bond of Union and good Intelligence between the two Companies The under-written
be compleatly finished This my Lords is our Case and must be our Fortune if we must see our selves destroyed the noblest Navigation of England ruined and consequently our King and Country dishonoured with our hands tyed behind us so as not to be permitted to right our selves without being unjustly charged as the Lyon did the Lamb in the Fable as if we were Men affecting Wars and promoting Dissension between the two Nations An imputation that we disown and abhor having been in all times more averse to Armes than did consist with our Interest and Duty out of the too great inclination we had to Peace and Quietness Eleventhly And whereas the Gentlemen are pleased to insinuate that though the pretended young King of Bantam be never so mean their Faith ought to be kept with him as much as if he were the greatest King upon Earth which we deny not but say they had first plighted their Faith to our Deceased Sovereign of Glorious Memory in the last Treaty of Peace which they have violated by those injurious Articles they have made with the enslaved King of Bantam Twelfthly If the Batavians have kept their terms with that enslaved Prince of Bantam which we have reason not to believe they have it is the first time that ever we heard they have kept their Faith with any of those poor ignorant Natives Thirteenthly If they have made any Articles with that poor King they were made while he was a Prisouer within the Fort in a most abject Thraldom to the Dutch in which condition the poor man would as readily set his hand to any thing the Batavians would have him as our servants subscribed the Letter before mentioned And such is certainly his condition that the poor Creature if Bantam be delivered to the English will be so far from upbraiding the Batavians with breach of Faith for that cause that he will look upon it as the only good turn that ever they did him in his life for then he may be sure of his Liberty and hope to be a little King upon the Hills or in the Woods and at worst see his Subjects flourish under the mild Government of the English whereas in his present condition with the total loss of his little Dominion he must live in durance under the anxiety of seeing his Country ruinated and depopulated Fourteenthly For the justification of our Demands of Dammages or to lessen or invalidate what is demanded of us by the Gentlemen Subscribers we shall trouble your Lordships with no Discourse at present because we desire not to enter upon that Argument till Bantam be restored to us neither shall we trouble your Lordships with any Paraphrase upon the Dutch Papers offered for Evidence upon the Netherlands East-India Companies part because few of them are upon Oath and none of them as we apprehend to any purpose Fifteenthly There are some few particulars in the said Deputies answer that we have not replyed unto being in our judgments to use their own phrase meer trifles but if your Lordships shall think any thing of moment unanswered upon your Lordships command we shall make a farther and particular answer thereunto Sixteenthly What the Gentlemen mean by their triumphant conclusion that they have overthrown our pretensions and justified that wicked act of Bantam we understand not except it be a form of concluding litigious Papers in Holland Our Conclusion shall be no more but to assure your Lordships that we have a perfect confidence in your Lordships Justice and therefore we cannot doubt but our present Sovereigns most auspicious Reign shall be signaliz'd by having one place of importance in India that his Subjects were unjustly deprived of restored again to them in his time which never was done in the time of any of his Noble Progenitors We are Dated at the East-India-House 22th Octob. 1685. My Lords Your Lordships most Dutiful and most Obedient Servants Joseph Ashe Governour Josia Child Deputy Jeremy Sambrook Benj. Bathurst The Rejoynder of the Dutch Commissioners Instructors to the foregoing Reply being the second Paper presented by the said Commissioners to the Lords Commissioners Decisors Viz. To the Most Honourable Lords my Lords the Commissioners appointed by the King of Great Brittain and the Gentlemen appointed Commissioners by the Lords the States General of the Vnited Provinces for the decision of Differences arisen between the East-India Company of England and that of the said Provinces upon the subject matter of Bantam Most Honourable Lords THe underwritten Deputies of the Dutch East-India Company being desirous not to engage in a fight of Calumnies from which the Conquerour can reap nothing but shame and confusion instead of returning the like to the Gentlemen of the English Company will apply themselves solely to demonstrate in this replication that the Reply far from having undermined the foundation of the Answer has not so much as touched it The English Commissioners having highly maintained in their demand that on the behalf of the High and Mighty Lords the States General and of that of the Dutch Company It was agreed that restitution as they call it of Bantam should be made into His Majesties hands The underwritten before they entered into the discussion of the principal cause in relation of this preliminary point quaestio pre judicialis had proved two things I. That touching the Restitution of Bantam there was nothing concluded nor setled between the two Companies and that their High and Mightinesses were far from disposing of Towns that did not belong to them and to which they had no manner of Right II. And in the second place That the English Company after the change which happened at Bantam could not take hold of the Answer return'd by their High and Mightinesses to Sir John Chardin's Memorial no more than of the Advances which the Dutch Company made in the Year 1683 towards the Accommodating the Differences which the War at Bantam had been the cause of between the two Companies What do the Gentlemen of the English Company reply to this Nothing at all but only bring Sir John Chardin upon the Stage very improperly The question not being what Sir John Chardin acted at the Hague upon the matter of Bantam but only whether the two Companies with the consent of the States did agree to the Restitution of Bantam into the Hands of His Majesty which the underwritten have expresly denyed which was enough to prove that there was nothing concluded between the said Companies Wherefore it may be inferred since the Gentlemen of the English Company pass all this under silence speaking there only of Sir John Chardin that these Gentletlemen do indirectly detract from what they advanced in their Demand touching the Conclusion of the Restitution of Bantam The English Company having had in the Capital City only a Factory and their residence without having made any pretence there to the least Right of Territory it was demanded of the English Deputies with what appearance of Justice the
the good Advice they give us in their former Paper to subdue our passions which are too apt to stir in the Minds of injured Men and for their Prayers in this that God would incline us into the paths of Moderation and Mildness and in requital thereof we shall not only pray to God to forgive them for the Ocean of Innocent Blood they have shed in India but that at length they may repent and forsake those ill Methods by which their People at Batavia have designed to engross the whole Trade of the East-Indies which in truth is much to be feared if timely Remedy be not applyed And as to the English Proceedings in India though the English Company was settled there before the Dutch and our Trade is not yet much inferiour to theirs bating only the Spice and Japan Trades which they have engrossed by such wayes as we have justly accused them of We dare appeal to the Gentlemen themselves and to all People that know any thing of India whether the Dutch Company in the progress of their too well known Methods have not killed Thousands of Indians for one that ever dyed by the English hands upon any Cause or Quarrel whatsoever From whence we may reasonably infer that through God's Mercy we have hitherto been Men of Meekness and great if not too great Moderation considering the manifold provocations we have had Mr. Van Dam we have good thoughts of and the better because he did so frankly condemn those ill Practices of Spellman's and we do not remember nor believe there was any Conditional Words expressed or implyed in his Letter fore-quoted We observe the distinction of time which the Gentlemen now make in which they have been told the English Slaves robbed their Dutch House at Bantam but we believe not one word thereof neither is there any probability of it There is nothing more that we can observe in the Gentlemen's last Paper that deserves the troubling of your Lordships with one Line in Answer thereunto but one short Paragraph which is indeed very material and therefore we shall beg your Lordships leave to repeat it verbatim The say As to the Complaints which the English Deputies have made throughout their whole Reply in Relation to the Dutch exclusive Contracts with Indian Princes the Dutch Company will be very well able to justifie in time and place that which it hath alwayes maintain'd and which it does still maintain concerning the Right of the said Contracts In answer whereunto we say First This is plain dealing throwing the Gantlet to all Nations and amounts to a Confession of that design they have of engrossing the whole Trade of India and that they will and may easily do it is as plain except some speedy Course be taken to defend that Remainder of Ports and Places that are left us in India to trade unto For it is certainly known that any European Nation that is considerable in Naval Power in India may by their Shipping take some Advantage upon the greatest Native Prince of India and it is as certain that any Prince being surpriz'd or his Subjects Estates to a very considerable value will for a present Redemption of his Subjects from the Ruine of such a surprizal grant to the Surprizer any Conditions of Trade exclusive to any other Nation or People residing unarmed in his Country and by Consequence such unarmed People expelled from the Trade of any such Native Prince his Dominions must remain for ever deprived thereof or by force of Arms compel the Restitution which can never be without using force For after such Contract they will make themselves Parties as now they do with the Young King of Bantam and tell us in plain terms as they do your Lordships that they must defend their Allyes and maintain their Contracts or Articles Secondly We say This Assertion makes it evident what the Design of their Fleet now or late in the Gulph of Persia was where if they had prospered in their shutting up all that Great Emperours Ports which in probability they had done if the English Ships there had not undertook the Navigation between India and Persia and if they had not been as by chance they were too many and too strong to be obstructed by the Dutch at that time Your Lordships may easily conceive what Articles that Great Emperour of Persia must have entred into to perswade the Dutch to open his Ports again Thirdly Hereby your Lordships may see by what Title the Dutch hold the whole Trade of the Spice Islands although there be very many of them that have not one Dutchman resident upon them Notwithstanding which we have forborne many Years visiting those Islands because we would shun all occasions that might make any misunderstanding between the two Nations Fourthly We must deny under favour of these Gentlemen that the Dutch have alwayes or at any time maintained or could maintain their pretended Right of such exclusive Contracts which will be manifest to your Lordships not only by the last Articles of Peace and Commerce made with the Dutch but by the large Arguments on both sides which remain upon Record and were managed more closely and to the purpose as to this point than any thing we have seen from these Gentlemen On the part of the Dutch by Mounsieur Van Benninghen and others and on the part of the English by Mr. Secretary Trevor Sir Will. Temple and Sir George Downing The Result of all which long and close Argumentation was as your Lordships may observe it settled in the Treaty That the English might trade to all places and even to places blockard or besieged with any Commodities except contraband Goods Dated in London Decemb. 2. 1685. We are My Lords Your Lordships most Obedient and Humble Servants Josia Child Deputy-Govern Benjamin Bathurst Jeremy Sambrooke The Answer of the Dutch Commissioners Instructors to the Paper last beforegoing Viz. To the Right Honourable the Lords the Commissioners appointed by the King of Great Brittain and the Commissioners nominated by the Lords the States General of the United Provinces for the Decision of the differences arisen between the East-India Companies of England and of the said Provinces about Bantam May it please Your Honours THE Deputies of the Company of Holland having read and considered the Triplique or Third Paper of the Deputies of the English Company They have observed to their great Admiration that those Gentlemen far from acknowledging the Reproaches and Invectives which run through their whole Reply or second Answer do seem to pretend That it ought to be owned as an Obligation that the Dutch Company which is thereby handled and rent in the most outragious manner in the World is treated therein with Mildness and Moderation and that the said Company comes off at so easie a Rate The subscribed instead of rendering injury for injury and making use of the Law of Retaliation do earnestly desire the English Gentlemen to consider That although their Company by
after some expostulation with them their Lordships required them to re-consider of their former answer which they did very seriously and with a faithful regard to their bounden duty to His Majesty and the trust reposed in them by the Adventurers made the following address To the Right Honourable the Lord High Chancellor of England The Lord High Treasurer of England the Earl of Sunderland and the Earl of Middleton Lords Commissioners appointed by the Kings Most Excellent Majesty for determining the differences between the English and Dutch East-India-Companies according to the Treaty of 1674-75 May it please Your Lordships IN Obedience to your Lordships Commands on Wednesday last We have seriously re-considered our last Paper presented to your Lordships and humbly craving your Lordships pardon for any Error or Offence in the words thereof we think we should fail of our Duty to His Majesty and your Lordships if we should not adhere to the substance of that Paper it being our unfeigned and unanimous opinion that it is more for the Honour and Interest of His Majesty and of His Kingdoms in general That the Treaty of 1674-75 should remain as it is than that any new agreement should be made concerning Bantam except the Fort there be delivered undermolished in part of the Companies great dammages And although in our former Papers presented to your Lordships for the Dutch Deputies view We have given reasons to justifie our demands of the Fort undemolished which we did not at first ask by Sir John Chardin which reasons we humbly conceive the Dutch East-India-Company have not nor can sufficiently answer But now since this Paper is to be seen only by your Lordships and not by the Dutch Commissioners We hope we shall clearly demonstrate to your Lordships that what we first demanded from the Dutch by Sir John Chardin was though not the same in words yet in Reality Effect and Consequence as much or more than we now demand of them For at that time we had a strong Fleet of Three and Twenty Ships with Souldiers in board ready to Sail for Bantam the Old King of Bantam our Friend was then at or near Bantam in the head of a great Army and he had given that City and Countrey to His late Majesty Under which Circumstances at that time if the Dutch had delivered effectual Orders to withdraw their Forces from Bantam we should with that Fleet and that Alliance have been in the possession of the Fort of Bantam immediately on our first arrival there and in a better posture than we can now be with the Fort restored to us undemolished because now the Old King is a Prisoner in the hands of the Dutch and his Army all overcome and dispersed All which is Humbly submitted to your Lordships Signed by Order of the Court of Committees of the East-India Company Rob. Blackborne Secr. East-India-House 2d of Jan. 1685. The foregoing Original papers exhibited to the Lords Commissioners Decisors by the Commissioners Instructors for both Companies we think may give sufficient satisfaction to any indifferent persons not onely of the state of the Controversie but a full justification of the English East-India-Companies Right to have Bantam so restored that they may hope to live there without having their Throats cut or being Stabbed as the English Agent formerly was or without being obnoxious to the having all taken from them in a moment at the pleasure of the Batavians Now because all Sumatra abounds with Pepper they pretend a Right to the whole Territory of that Island which is computed bigger than England full of Inhabitants whereon as they confess are many distinct Kingdoms which are governed by antient Soveraign Hereditary Princes And we dare presume to say They have not Two Hundred Dutch men upon the whole Island and we believe not Ten Dutch Women having no place that we know upon that whole Island able to resist Twenty Europeans but Padang and Pollocinco and their Forts upon them are very inconsiderable neither of them having a Garrison of above Fifty or Sixty Europeans and about the like number of black Fellows which are of no value To Bencoolen they do not now nor ever did pretend but say it belongs or owes subjection to the Young King of Bantam Which if it be true we have rightfully taken possession of it That King being our declared Enemy but we shall say more of that hereafter To Atcheen Pryaman Teco and Indrapoora they did formerly pretend and they may as the Reader will see hereafter with as much reason pretend to all India and so questionless they will in a little time if the Kings of Europe and their respective priviledged Companies will give them leave first to take the principal places and then be content to accept of a little Money for them not the Hundredth part of the true value of them But they must first dispatch this business of Pepper and make that Commodity entirely their own as they have all other Spices already and then they need neither pay nor thank any King or their priviledged Companies of Europe for letting them take all the rest because the profit of that single Commodity if it were in one hand would defray the charge of a power sufficient to defend all the Coasts of India from any new-comers and to enslave the Sea Coasts of all those great Monarchs of the East who though they have great Forces by Land have no Naval power and very little skill in taking of Fortresses being not accustomed to the use of Fire-Arms ☜ We know the World better than to expect a Confession of guilt from States-Men and we know how to distinguish between the Dutch Nation and the Dutch East-India-Company the former may be as in-offensive and Just as any other Nation but the latter doubtless have always been a most injurious people for which difference the famous John De Wit assayes to give a reason in a certain Treatise he hath set forth But our end being not to cavil or contend for mastery in words much less to promote War or dissension with which they unjustly charge the English East-India-Company We shall satisfie our selves if we can obtain a Witness or Justification in the hearts and minds of the good and peaceable men of both Nations for which purpose if any of the States or other of the Dutch Nation dis-interested in these debates doubt the truth of the English Companies Allegations we will ask no more but that to satisfie themselves throughly they would privately discourse some of the Dutch themselves that were at Bantam or Batavia Anno 1682. when Bantam was surprized or at any time since Secondly We would pray them likewise to read their own Histories and observe therein whether most of the wrongs complained of by the English in all ages were not perpetrated by the Dutch Company in time of full Peace viz. The falling upon the English and beating them out of the Trade of Japan The taking from them Lantore
pre-admonish you not to be any ways instrumental or confederate with them in the same having just reason to suspect you by your bad Neighbourhood at Aja Rajee from whence came several Mallayes by Night surpriz'd our people by Night on board Sloop William then Riding off the Qualla at Indrapoura Road where they most barbarously and treacherously murthered several Englishmen and black Servants also carryed with them very considerable quantities of the Right Honourable Companies Bale goods c. Some of them afterwards being taken and examined declared your people to be the encouragers and authors thereof with other actions of bad circumstance which are too notorious at present to nominate Therefore in the Name of his Royal Majesty of England and Right Honourable English East-India-Company Protest against you and your Imployers that you are lyable to make intire satisfaction for whatever dammage or dammages they have already sustained or hereafter shall accrew to them by your indirect means Also in His Majesties Name require and command your speedy departure from hence and not to violate the Articles concluded between his Serene Majesty of Great Britain and the United States of Holland by obstructing and molesting us in our lawful Trade and Commerce on this West-Coast of Sumatra or infringing upon the Rights of His Royal Majesty of England and priviledges of the Right Honourable Company by any Hostility or ill usage either to their Servants or Confederates in what nature soever Signed Samuel Potts Dated at Batan Capass the 31th July 1686. But the Dutch say in their Printed Treatise they came thither three dayes before us To which we answer briefly First If they did it was purposely to hinder us because they had Pepper enough at their own places and more then they know what to do with Secondly If they came first they came wrongfully because they came with Arms to Erect a Fortress upon the King of Englands ground Thirdly If they had any pretence of Right on that side of the River they were on they might have stayed there peaceably the English did not molest them notwithstanding they had no right to be there Fourthly It s manifest they had no pretence of Right because they did not produce any to the Emperors two Sons while they were present upon the place Fifthly If they had had the justest Title in the World they ought not to have used Hostility That being a direct breach of the Treaty Marine Anno 1674-75 by which all dammages done by either Company are to be adjusted by Commissioners in Europe But this going to Batan Capass of the Dutch is but an old practise of theirs to hinder other Nations in Amity with them For so when the French Fleet Arrived in India before the War begun the Batavians by Consultation of the 30th of April 1672. Sent presently to the Island of Banca to set up the Dutch Flag there hoping thereby as they say in that Consultation that the French might alter their enterprize though they had no Flag there before and if the Dutch had done no more at Batan Capass we should have had the less cause to complain except of their insatiable Avarice but to proceed to Hostility as they did at Batan Capass is abominable Now to turn the Tables and shew how directly contrary the English treated the Dutch at Pryaman the real truth of that case is this The English Company being expelled from Bantam by the Dutch practises before-mentioned thought it their bounden duty to His Majesty not tamely to forego all the Pepper Trade for fear of a little charge as their Ancestors did the other Spice Trade after the Dutch had forced them from Banda Amboyna c. did send an Embassy to the Queen of Atcheen to settle a Trade with her Subjects for Pepper and built a Fort in her Countrey But while the said Embassadors were at Atcheen on that occasion some of the Orran Kays or Princes of Pryaman and Teco came thither on their own accords unsent for and applyed themselves to the said English Embassadors or Envoys and acquainted them that their Countreys as the truth is afforded more Pepper than the Queen of Atcheen's and the English should not onely be wellcome to Trade with them but to build a Fort in any part of their Countrey Upon which the English Envoys told the Oran Kays of Pryaman and Teco That if they would go to Fort St. George or send thither some persons sufficiently authorized they might better make their Contract with the English President and Council there then with them who were but Servants to the said President and Council and accordingly some of the said Oran Kays authorized by the rest did go over to Fort St. George in an equipage suitable to the occasion with very many attandants and did there make an absolute Agreement and conveyed unto His Majesty for the use of His East-India-Company the Soveraignty of Pryaman and as much of the ground thereunto adjoining as might be contained within the Ramble of a Shot from a piece of Ordnance Whereupon Two or Three Ships and Three or Four Sloops were immediately prepared and furnished with Souldiers and all materials necessary for a Fortified Settlement But a day before the said Ships and Vessels should have sailed for Pryaman the President and Council at Fort St. George Received advice from the King of Bencoolen that he was willing and extreamly desirous the English would settle and Fortifie in His Countrey Upon which after all the Orders were perfected for Pryaman The President and Council by Postscript ordered the Fleet and Soldiers c. designed thither to proceed first to Bencoolen being supposed the windmost Port and settle that place All this preparation wherein so many were concerned could not be so secretly carryed but that the Dutch had notice of it and thereupon sent Eight or Ten Soldiers and Twenty or Thirty pitiful black Fellows to take possession of Pryaman who built there a small Booth or Cajan-house landed Five or Six small Guns and inclosed some Ground with a slight Pallisadoe After which one of the smaller of the Companies Ships coming to Pryaman upon a Presumption that the English were setled there found those few Dutch in the posture before-mentioned Notwithstanding with Forty or Fifty of the English under the Command of James Jenifer second Mate and Purser of the said Ship marched into the said Dutch inclosure as far as their Booth with their Arms fixed and could have taken possession of the said Inclosure with as much ease as Ten Men could beat One not only because they were much stronger and were within the Dutch Guns But also because the Dutch Soldiers themselves such as they were being most Blacks came to them and told them they had no Shot in their Guns or small Arms And that if they came to take the place desired them they would shoot no Bullets as they were resolved not to do themselves but to submit to the English Notwithstanding