the English Commissioners would have reason if the Affair concerning the Restitution of Bantam were determined by their High and Mightinesses and the Company of Holland not to ingage themselves in a long Suit being able to make an end of the Affair without breaking their Heads with so many Disputes but as these Gentlemen have been mistaken in writing of a few Lines as it appears by their Answer of 27 th July to the Memorial of us the underwritten of the 19 th of the same Month where the word of Decisors at which they are so angry is not to be found but that of Negotiators is used 't is not much to be wondred at that they should be mistaken in the Explication of the Answer of the States General to the Memorial of Sir John Chardin to which they refer in their Demand Their High and Mightinesses love justice too much to have been willing to dispose of a Town that did not belong to them and to which they had no right It is true that they offered not only not to hinder the resettlement of the English in Bantam from being obstructed either by the Dutch Company or any of their Subjects but also to further it themselves and to make the said Company to assist them in it which is far from that which the Deputies of the English Company say in their Demands But it being important to prove here that the English Company cannot at this time take hold of the Answer of their High and Mightinesses no more than of the advances which the Company of Holland made in the year 1683 towards the accommodating the Differences which the War of Bantam had made to arise between the two Companies who must have recourse to what passed between Sir John Chardin and the Deputies of the Dutch Company on the subject of the said Differences It is certain that at that time it was not known in what condition the Affairs of Bantam were Whether the War between the King of Bantam yet lasted or whether it was ended and if it were determined whether it were done by a treaty or by force of Arms if by Arms which of the two the Father or the Son remained Conqueror and Master of the Kingdom It being also less known whether the Son in case that by the Auxiliary Arms he was resettled in his Throne had not granted to the Company of Holland in recompence of their Assistance some right in Bantam by virtue of which they might have been able to dispose of the reestablishment of the English in their former Residence Besides that the Dutch Company might reasonably promise themselves that the King of Bantam who owed his Deliverance from the Oppression in which he was to the Auxiliary Arms of the Company would not be displeased that to be assured that the English would never assist his Father against him they had engaged to cause the English to be resettled in their former Habitation which Consideration would not have place any more after that the Father was reduced under the Power of his Son. In these uncertainties the Dutch Company made some Advances and Sir John Chardin drew up a project of Accommodation between the two Companyes wherein it is spoken of the withdrawing the Dutch Forces from Bantam and of what each of the Companyes should be obliged to do in the Cases therein specifyed But it having pleased Mr. Chudleigh and Sir John Chardin to break up somewhat abruptly the Negotiation which was already very far advanced and that it pleased the English Company to refuse all the Offers as well of the States General as those which the Embassador Citters made here in London in the Name and on the behalf of the Company of the United Provinces after the return of the said Sir John Chardin the last Company did not think it proper to follow the Negotiation with which my Lord Embassador Citters was charged upon the foot of those offers which had been despised and by which they were by consequence no more tyed especially when in the latter end of the year 1683 they understood by Letters from India that the War of Bantam was ended with advantage to the Son who remained in possession of the Kingdom of Bantam the Father being made Prisoner and the Rebels Power overcome without however having granted to the Dutch Company any Right by virtue of which they might be able to settle the English again in Bantam To what purpose is it then to alledge at this time the Answer of the States General to the Memorial of Sir John Chardin after that they have publickly refused their offers and proposed new Conditions which appeared to their High and Mightinesses so much out of all reason that they would not so much as allow them to give so much as an Ear to them as it appears by the Resolution of their High and Mightinesses quoted B. How can the English Company then imagine that excepting at present the offers which they refused two years ago the Dutch Company should think themselves obliged to it after the change of Affairs which hath happened at Bantam Have not they declared that after the said change the Treaty could not continue any longer upon the foot of the Offers which they had rejected with so much disdain And although they had not declared it was it not a thing visible and evident of it self to conclude a project which supposing a perfect uncertainty of the Affairs of Bantam contain causes which at present cannot happen Besides it is not to be conceived how the English Company after having chosen themselves the way of decision in pursuance of the year 1674 and 1675 and prest for this Effect the Nomination of the deciding Commissioners can at present make use of the offers and projects of Accommodation which they themselves caused to be broken off and which besides has nothing of Common with a judicial discussion in which the two Companyes are at present engag'd and from which they can't dismiss themselves to return to the Treaty but by a Common Consent the underwritten Deputies of the Company of Holland having proved at present that neither from the offers of their High and Mightinesses nor those of the said Company of Holland the English Company can infer any thing which is capable of making good their Demands we will now pass to the second point which is that of the justice of the Complaints of the English Company and will Examine in them first their Nature and in what they consist and will consider in the second place the strength of the proofes which have been delivered to the underwritten to make them good As to the first point the English Company had represented to the King of Great Brittain of Glorious Memory as it appears by the Letter his Majesty wrote to the aforesaid Lords the States General dated the 23th April 1683 that the Sieur St. Martin Commander in Chief of the Dutch Forces and Ships which the Government of Battavia had sent to the assistance of the King of Bantam had committed great violences upon the Factors Servants and Effects of the English Company at Bantam even to the dispossessing them of and driving them from their antient residence and Mr. Chudleigh then Envoy from his said Majesty
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
well known methods of managing their Affairs in India If likewise the said Gentlemen after so full an answer as we gave though brief and pertinent to their voluminous papers do yet tell Your Lordships we have said nothing to several weighty points as they do in a late paper presented Your Lordships We hope we shall obtain your Lordships pardon for this Rejoynder which shall be as short as the nature of their paper and of their practices in India will admit First As to the Restitution of Bantam we say All the late King of glorious Memory demanded was the withdrawing of the Dutch Forces from Bantam and satisfaction for our dammages and we ask no more now But that the Fort built with the English Money may be left undemolished that we may be able to defend our Factors and Servants and preserve the Trade we design there which as the present Affairs of Bantam are can be no otherwise secured to us And it is certain that the Lords States General consented to the withdrawing their Forces as aforesaid by their answer to Sir John Chardins Memorial Whether we speak truly in this or not we are in Your Lordships Judgment upon view of the authentick Copies of the said Memorial and Reply lodged with Sir John Chardin and with your Lordships Secretary And for the Gentlemen to say the Lords States Concessions then to Sir John Chardin are not to be urged now because they have since made Articles with that poor Young King which the Batavians have so much abused and enslaved and who is so ignorant and so miserable that he would set his Chop or Mark to a Hundred blanks if they would have him And we appeal not only to your Lordships Wisdom but to all Men of common sense whether any thing since done with such a poor Creature now and then in durance can make any new Case since the transactions at the Hague Secondly The Gentlemen say they affirmed we had only a Factory and a Residence in the Capital City of Bantam and can found no dominion upon that and that we have replyed nothing thereunto wherein we humbly conceive your Lordships will find the Gentlemen under a great mistake For though our Factory and the Fort Built with our Money were more worth than all the rest of the Buildings in Bantam which they call the Capital City We claim no Territory by vertue thereof but we say the Old King of Bantam was King of Right and his Son only Probationary with his Fathers leave to see how he would behave himself and as such a King and the Son of a Father alwayes Obsequious to His late Majesty of Glorious Memory His Embassadours were here received with Respect And that the Old King his Father before the Articles the Dutch Gentlemen pretend to have made with his Son gave that City and Territory to His said late Majesty And if the Dutch Deputies will yet contend That the Young King was King not only Probationary but de jure and that the Father was subject to the Son which was not so of Right by the Laws of that Country nor can ever be proved but the contrary most certainly if it were worth the contesting Then we say that Young King hath violated his publick Faith by his Assassinating our Agent and other publick Persons Resident as Chiefs of the English Nation by Commission from His late Majesty of Glorious Memory And if it be true as the Dutch Deputies themselves have constantly affirmed That it was not the Batavians but that Young King of Bantam that rifled our Houses tore our King's Colours drove us from our Ancient Great and Costly Habitations and Trade while at the same time his own Embassadors were treated here by His Majesty and His Majesties East-India Company with the greatest Kindness and Respect If this be the Case do not the Dutch Deputies themselves in Effect confess That that Young King deserves no longer to be corresponded with by them And that it is most reasonable for us that are and desire to be their Friends to request them to depart thence and leave us the Fort which our Money paid for which is all we ask of them with respect to the pretended Restitution of that place and we may say to the Restitution of the Majesty and Honour of our English Name and Nation which hath been intolerably affronted and abused at that place of Bantam in sight of many Eastern Nations 3. As to that weak Question cui bono we cannot but wonder the Gentlemen should expose themselves again to the censure not only of your Lordships but of all Mankind that have the least knowledge of India They argue thus They had favour at Bantam a Factory there their Friend King why should they adventure a War if compassion to their Ally had not moved them when they could not better their Condition Our Answer was full to this before but in regard the Gentlemen will have more of it Your Lordships we hope will pardon our telling them that their Factory at Bantam was used mostly for buying Rice Hens and Provisions and it may be to inspect the English Proceedings for where the English are Trade runs generally at so low profit that the Dutch care not for medling with it in such places But if by the Artifices they have used they can keep the English French Danes Portugueez Moores Gentues and Mallayes and all other Nations from bringing Callicoes to Bantam which Callicoes are the principal Clothing of the Javans and many Nations thereabout to the Eastward they may then sell one piece of Callico for the price that two would sell for when the Trade of Bantam was open and buy two Baharrs of Pepper for the price they paid for one formerly which may alter the Dutch Companies Affairs for the better Two or Three Hundred Thousand Pounds per annum besides the much greater Advantage they would make by having the whole Trade of Pepper in Europe if they can keep Bantam as now it is by any means right or wrong Besides the design which it is manifest they have in prospect of obstructing all other Europeans from the China and Japan Trade having by preventing all Nations from the Trade of Bantam secured as they think the two great Passages viz. the Streights of Sunda and the Streights of Malacca If this be not a full Answer to their cui bono let the World judge as we doubt not but your Lordships will uprightly although the Gentlemen with as little reason as they did before should call the most clear Truth and undenyable Arguments by the same insignificant Term Gallimatias The next Question they discourse of viz. How it can be imagined that the Young King should be so simple c. We dare not say any more to it now lest your Lordships should apprehend it to be an abuse of your Lordships Patience after we have so fully and clearly answered that before We must own our selves obliged to the Gentlemen for
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
I Do hereby License this Book to be Printed and Published White-Hall March 6th 1687-88 SVNDERLAND Pr. An Impartial VINDICATION OF THE English East-India-Company FROM THE Unjust and Slanderous IMPUTATIONS Cast upon Them in a TREATISE INTITULED A Justification of the Directors of the Netherlands East-India-Company As it was delivered over unto the High and Mighty Lords the States General of the United Provinces Translated out of Dutch and Feigned to be Printed at London in the Year 1687. But Supposed to be Printed at Amsterdam as well in English as in French and Dutch. LONDON Printed by J. Richardson for Samuel Tidmarsh at the King 's Head in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange MDCLXXXVIII THE whole Treatise is such a tedious Rhapsody of Fictitious Fallacious Inferences and Arguments confusedly mixt with some distorted Truths spun out to an unnecessary prodigious length that it would be tiresome to the Reader to trace all the Prevarications Mis-Recitals and Sophistry contained in it By which the design of the Author seems to be not onely to impose a false belief upon the vulgar-well-meaning Subjects of those Provinces but even upon the Lords States General Themselves if it were possible Whether we have truly characterized the said Treatise we shall leave to the Judgment of the unbiassed Reader and have therefore caused it to be Reprinted after the Amsterdam Copy and Annexed hereunto And that we may not be guilty of framing a long Story without Coherence Verity or Proof of which we accuse the Author we shall in the first place expose to publick View and Censure true Copies of those Original Papers which passed between the Commissioners of both Companies at London Anno 1685. which will give sufficient Light and Confutation unto the Authors prolix and Erroneous History of those Transactions concerning the Affairs of Bantam And shall then proceed to detect his willful mistakes in other matters and his ill-grounded Arguments by which he endeavours to Honest many Injurious and Insolent Violations of Right done by the Dutch towards the English in India directly contrary to the Articles of Peace In all which we do profess the most Religious sincerity and to write nothing but what we know to be really true or believe in our Consciences so to be upon very sufficient Evidence without using that common Liberty which Advocates think they may innocently do viz. To put the best face they can upon their Clients Cause how bad soever it be which plea we shall be content may be admitted for the Authors Indempnity To omit Credentials and Speeches of Ceremony it was agreed that the Treaty should be managed in French and Sir John Chardin was the Interpreter The Lords Commissioners Decisors for His Majesty were For the States General of the United Provinces The Earl of Sunderland Lord Anth. Heinsius Councellor and Pensionary of the City of Delf Earl of Clarendon John Goes Lord of Absmade Consul of the City of Leyden Earl of Rochester Isaac Vanden Heuvell Councellor Earl of Middleton Adryan de Borssele Vander Hoge Senator of the Supream Court of Holland The Commissioners Instructors for the English-East-India-Company were The Commissioners Instructors for the Dutch East-India-Company Sir Joseph Ashe Baronet Governour The Heer Gerrard Hooft of the Council of Amster Sir Josia Child Baronet Deputy-Governour Jacob Van Hoorn of the Council of Flushing Sir Benj. Bathurst and Sir Jeremy Sambrook Kts Solom Van de Blocquerii and Adrian Paets of the Council of Rotterdam The First Paper of Business which the aforesaid English Commissioners Received from the said Dutch Commissioners Instructors which was Translated into English in the following words Viz. To the Honourable Seigniours Sir Joseph Ashe Barronet Governour of the English East-India Company Sir Josia Child Baronet Deputy-Governour Sir Benjamin Bathurst and Sir Jeremy Sambrooke Knights all Deputies of the said Company for Bantam Affairs WHereas the Directors of the Dutch East-India-Company do desire nothing more earnestly than a good Intelligence between them and the Royal East-India-Company of this Kingdom They also desire nothing more earnestly than to see an end of the differences which would trouble that Intelligence in case it was not from both sides endeavoured with all imaginable care to suppress in the very beginning the seeds of a quarrel of which the progress though short should be able to produce an Evil which after having taken root it would not be easie to dissipate Now forasmuch as the Late King of Great Britain of Glorious Memory and my Lords the States General of the Vnited Provinces being desirous to provide the differences that should arise between both Companies should have no bad consequences have thought fit to Order the Remedy contained in the Treaty of the Year 1674-75 Upon which ground the under-written Deputies of the said East-India-Company of the said Provinces desiring that the differences about Bantam should be determined They do desire your Lordships to concurr with them and proceed upon that Foundation and to deliver to them a Copy of all the pretensions of the English Company touching the Bantam Affairs and also of the justificative Proofs and Deeds upon which they pretend to ground their said pretensions The under-written Deputies being resolved to pursue all the Forms required by Equity and natural Right And because they have been informed that in the Conference of Munday last there were some mistakes they have thought fit to express their mind by Writing and to desire your Honours to give Answer in the same manner Dated at Westminster 27 May 1685. Signed G. Hooft Jacob Van Hoorne S. V. Blocquery A. Paets The English Commissioners Instructors their Answer in haec Verba To the Honourable Seigniours Gerard Hooft Jacob van Hoorn Solomon vande Blocquery and Adriaen Paets Commissioners Deputed by the Netherlands East-India-Company touching the Affairs of Bantam IN Answer to your Honours Memorial of the 27th of May it is impossible for the Commissioners of the Netherland East-India-Company to desire a more speedy end of the Affair of Bantam than the English East-India-Company who hath layen under the Oppression of the want of their Residence and Trade there now for above three years besides the great Loss and Spoil sustained at the surprize thereof And the said English Company by us their Commissioners have humbly besought the Lords Commissioners Decisors appointed by His Majesty Our Soveraign Lord the King that the matter of the Restitution of Bantam to His Majesties Subjects may be first Discoursed and Adjusted It having been already consented to by the High and Mighty Lords the States General and the Netherlands East-India-Company that Restitution should be made thereof as appears by the Answer to the Memorial presented by Sir John Chardin at the Hague the 21th of May Anno 1683. And the only difference then remaining upon that subject was the manner of the Restitution So that to enter into proof or any long Debate concerning the manner of the surprize of that Place and of His Majesties Subjects Expulsion
therefrom instead of making a short end of that difference would but retard it Which being once determined to mutual satisfaction we are ready immediately to produce to your Honours a List of our dammages incurred by reason of those Violences offered to our Trade Estate and Servants at Bantam with our Proofs to justifie our said Demands Dated at London first of June 1685. Signed Joseph Ashe Governour Josia Child Deputy Benj. Bathurst Jer. Sambrooke The Second Paper received from the Dutch Commissioners Instructors To the Honourable Sir Joseph Ashe Governour of the English East-India Company Sir Josia Child Deputie-Governour Sir Benjamin Bathurst and Sir Jeremy Sambrook Knights Deputies of the said Company for Bantam Affairs THE underwritten Deputies of the Dutch East-India Company having observed in the Answer of your Honours to their Memorial of the 27 th of the last Month that your Honours do persist in the same Opinion you did maintain in the Conference about the discussion of the business of Bantam having only altered the ground of the said Opinion They the said Deputies cannot but conjure your Honours to call seriously in to your minds all that hath been done as well in Holland as here about the said Affair they being sure that in case your Honours do reflect upon it advisedly and considering that in all the Affair nothing is concluded nor settled your Honours will agree that all the Articles debated and questioned about which Sir John Chardin did demand two Years ago in Holland in the Name of the English Company though without any ground Justice and Satisfaction ought now without any difference or distinction to be judged and determined by the Lords Commissioners Decisors according to the Treaty of the Year 1674-75 which in this present Affair is a Rule and a Law to both Companies Dated at Westminster 5th June 1685. Signed G. Hooft Jacob Van Hoorne S. V. Blocquery A. Paets The English Commissioners Instructors their Answer to the Paper last beforegoing To the Honourable Seigniours Gerard Hooft Jacob Van Hoorne Solomon Van Blocquery and Adriaen Paets Deputies for the Honourable Netherlands East-India Company in the Affair of Bantam THE underwritten Deputies for the English East-India Company having well considered your Honours Replication of the 5 th Instant to their Answer of the 27 th May last say That they cannot now require less of your Honours than what was upon very good and justifiable grounds demanded by Sir John Chardin two Years since at the Hague in the Name of our Soveraign Lord the King then Reigning as well as in the Name of His Majesties East-India Company and which was then consented to by the High and Mighty Lords the States General of the Vnited Netherlands viz. The entire withdrawing of all the Dutch Forces from all the Ports and Territories of both or either of the late Kings of Bantam and Restitution of that Place unto His Maiesty it â—eing of more important concern to His Majesty and His Kingdoms in General than it is to His Majesties East-India Company We have lately and for a long time past humbly supplicated His Deceased Majesty of Glorious Memory and Our Soveraign the King now Reigning that the withdrawing the Dutch Forces and Restitution of Bantam as aforesaid may be first finally adjusted before any Treaty be entred into concerning the English East-India Company 's Dammages which we shall alwayes insist upon And in regard the Netherlands East-India Companies Commissaries and Servants in India not satiated with the late Violences they did at Bantam and formerly at Macassar are at this time by the very same injurious Methods as they deprived us of our Factories and Trade of Macassar and Bantam endeavouring to deprive us of the Trade of all places on the Coast of Malabarr to engross to the Netherland's East-India Company the sole and entire Trade of Pepper which would be intolerable to the interested Great Kings of Europe We must therefore further demand of your Honours That the Fort of Bantam which was built with the English East-India Companies Money may be surrendred to His Majesty undemolished The recent Injuries and Hostilities of the Netherland's East-India Companies Commissaries and Servants upon the Coast of Malabar having created to His Majesty an absolute necessity of securing part of the Pepper Trade to his Subjects which we apprehend cannot be done without a strong English Garrison in the South Seas and at no place so well as at Bantam aforesaid Signed Joseph Ashe Governour Josia Child Deputy Benjamin Bathurst Jer. Sambrooke Dated at London June 10th 1685. The Third Paper received from the Dutch Commissioners Instructors To the Honourable Sir Joseph Ashe Governour of the English East-India Company Sir Josia Child Deputy-Governour Sir Benjamin Bathurst and Sir Jeremy Sambrooke Knights Deputies of the said Company for Bantam Affairs WHereas the underwritten Deputies from the Dutch East-India Company in all that hath passed between them and your Honours about the Bantam business since their arrival in London have had no other Scope but to agree with your Honours in the Method of discussing the said Affair They did expect that in regard of sparing time and saving to the Lords Commissioners Decisors the trouble and tediousness of hearing Debates about the Method of proceeding abovesaid your Honours would have consented to it without any further mention of the Affair in it self But since your Honours proceeding and chiefly your last Paper does give to the said Deputies a just Subject to fear it should be the design to treat the said Affair as Negotiators rather than Instructors of a Cause though the last Quality be the only proper to both and that only conform to their Commission They the underwritten must declare to your Honours That since their Power is only to bring the Differences to an Issue by the Method of the Treaty of the Year 1674-75 they likewise will not go from that way in any manner whatsoever as they will more fully expose it in the presence of the Lords Commissioners Decisors Signed G. Hooft Jacob Van Hoorne S. V. Blockquery A. Paets Dated at Westminster June 11th 1685. The English Commissioners Instructors their Answer to the foregoing To the Honourable Gerard Hooft Jacob Van Hoorne Solomon Van Blocquery and Adriaen Paets Commissioners deputed by the Netherland East-India Company touching the Affairs of Bantam THE underwritten Deputies of the English East-India Company understand not what ground your Honours can find in their last Memorial or otherwise to suspect they design to avoid the Method of the Treaty of the Year 1673-75 or that they pretend to be Commissioners Decisors which the said Deputies do not but only to be Advisers in this great Affair professing to pursue with all sincerity the Method of that Treaty desiring nothing more than to be the happy Instruments of procuring a right Understanding between the two Companies although considering the constant Inclination and late Proceedings of the Netherland East-India Companyes Commissaries and Servants in India to
engross the whole Trade of Pepper which if attained will consequently destroy the English Navigation and carry with it the Universal Trade of India in all other Commodities as well as Pepper The said Deputies therefore have been obliged in duty to inform His Most Sacred Majesty and the Lords Commissioners Decisors as they intimated to Your Honours in their last Paper what they judged to be the only means to preserve any part of the English Trade in India and to lay the foundation of an Everlasting Peace between the two Companies Which opinion the said Deputies are ready not only to Defend and Submit to the Lords Commissioners Decisors according to the Treaty of the Year 1674-75 but to demonstrate to their Lordships that all other tedious circumstantial discourses tend only to protract time Signed Joseph Ashe Governour Josia Child Deputy Benj. Bathurst Jer. Sambrooke Dated at London 17 June 1685. The Fourth Paper Received from the Dutch Commissioners Instructors To the Honorable Gentlemen Sir Joseph Ashe Baronet Governour of English East-India-Company Sir Josia Child Baronet Deputy-Governour Sir Benjamin Bathurst and Sir Jeremy Sambrooke Knights Deputies of the said Company for the Affairs of Bantam ALthough the under-written Deputies of the East-India-Company of the United Provinces cannot assure themselves well to understand the true sense of the Memorial that they received from your Honours yet they find themselves obliged to Witness how much they are satisfied with the protestation they have made not long to defer the discussion of the Controversies about Bantam in the form prescribed by the meeting in the Year 1674-75 To which seeing the under-written Deputies have been a long time conformable they shall be very glad that the said controversies may be debated as soon as possible according to the same Form before the Lords Commissioners that must decide it Signed G. Hooft Jacob Van Hoorne S. V. Bloquery A. Paets Dated at Westminster 19th June 1685. Whereupon the English Commissioners Instructors did present unto the Lords Commissioners Decisors the following Paper Together with their Demands for Dammages sustained by the surprize of Bantam To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for determination of Differences between the English and Dutch East-India-Companies occasioned by the late surprize of Bantam 1. IN Obedience to Your Lordships commands intimated to us in the Robes Chamber at White-Hall the 17th Instant We do humbly present your Lordships with Copies of all Papers that have passed between the Dutch Commissioners Instructors and our Selves since their Arrival in England We do humbly offer it to your Lordships as our Opinion and the Opinion of all English Men that have any knowledge of the Affairs of India That nothing less than the withdrawing of all the Dutch Forces from Bantam and the Territories thereof belonging to both or either of the late Kings of Bantam on the 14th day of March 1681-82 and the surrender of the Fort of Bantam unto His Majesty undemolished can prevent the Dutch from being immediately Masters of the entire Trade of Pepper And what fatal consequences to His Majesty and His Kingdoms do depend upon such their Engrossing of that Trade we have Demonstrated in Writing to His late Majesty of Blessed Memory And the Memorial relating thereunto now remains in the hands of the Clerks of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy Council And although His late Majesty did only demand from the Dutch the withdrawing of all their Forces from Bantam c. and the satisfying the East-India-Company for the dammages sustained by reason of the unjust surprisal thereof Our later advices from India have given us sufficient Reasons to justifie our further Demand of having the Fort of Bantam delivered to His Majesty undemolished for the following Reasons 1. Because as we foresaw when we humbly presented our Memorial aforesaid to His late Majestie The Dutch have since not only obstructed but Hostilely invaded our Trade and shot at our Servants with Bullets on the Coast of Mallabar to deter and beat them off from that little remainder we had there of the Pepper Trade 2. We since understand that the Dutch have so miserably enthralled and improverished both the late Kings of Bantam that they are not now both able to pay us 5 l. of that vast Debt they owe us otherwise than by that Fort of Bantam which was built with the Money the young King owed us and the Guns mounted on the said Fort are our own Guns for which we were never paid 3. Because the Young King as we have been credibly informed and do believe assassinated formerly our Agent and Factors though for what Cause or who instigated them thereunto we know not And now the Dutch say it was He the said Young King and not They that commanded us away from Bantam And therefore we dare not without a strong Garrison to defend us trust our Servants and Estates in his Dominions neither will any go thither that are worth sending without such security be provided for their Lives 4. Because if the Old King of Bantam had a right to Bantam and to the Territories thereof They are now His Majesties by His Donation of them to the late King of ever Blessed Memory If the Right thereof lyes as the Dutch say in the Young King He hath been so inhumane ungrateful and bloody an Enemy to His Majesties Subjects confessedly without the least Cause or Provocation on their part that we humbly conceive His Majesties Honour cannot be repaired without invading his City and Countrey And the rather because though he be called a King he is in truth none but a perfect Slave to the Batavians and an Executioner of their will and pleasure 5. If the Dutch say the Young King is their Allie and they are bound in honour to protect him We say by that Rule there can never be Peace between the English and the Dutch in India And they may be as good Right easily make a Quarrel between any other Indian Princes and their Neighbours or their own Sons or Brothers and then take a side and condition with the prevailing side to turn us and all other Europeans out of their Countries and we must not revenge our Selves because they will protect such injured and injurious Princes as their Allies Whereas by the Articles of Peace the English and Dutch ought mutually to assist and help each other 6. This is an old practice of the Dutch So they made a quarrel with the Macassars and when the differing Princes were equally matched they assisted one side which turned the ballance and they conditioned with the prevailing side to turn the English Nominatim and all other Europeans out of their Countrey 7. The Dutch were doing the same thing again between two Kings or Rajas on the Coast of Mallabar when our last Letters came from that Coast 8. If the Dutch say the old King was assisted by the English against his Son the Young King and therefore he turned the English out of his Countrey We
those we now exhibit to your Lordships would be an idle interruption and wasting of your Lordships time and as needless in this case as giving light to the Sun yet if more proof shall be desired We have other sufficient credible Witnesses to produce to your Lordships to prove any part of our Charge if your Lordships will require it We are My Lords Your Lordships most Dutiful and most Obedient Servants Joseph Ashe Governour Josia Child Deputy Benjamin Bathurst Jeremy Sambrooke Dated 15th Septemb. 1685. A List of the Papers delivered to the Lords Commissioners Decisors attending the said Paper of the 15 th September 1685. the Copies whereof do hereafter follow No. 2 EXtract of Captain Vtbert's Letter 3 Extract of Bantam Consultation Book Deposition of William Smith and James Jeffcoate Also of James Harrison And of Geo. Gosnell Ric. Knipe and John Burdet 4 Deposition of Captain John Fisher 5 Deposition of Mr. Charles Sweeting 6 Deposition of Mr. Nic. Waite 7 Deposition of Mr. Ambrose Moody Extract of Captain John Vtbert's Letter to Mr. Edward Rudge Merchant in London Most Honoured Sir HAving an opportunity by the so sudden return of the Amoy Merchant I have made bold to trouble you not only with the tediousness of our passage notwithstanding we were the first Ship that arrived but of some passages which have hapned since my Arrival The 7 th of May I came into Bantam Road having two of your Factors come on Board with an Order to Sail directly for Batavia where your Agent and Council was and of the Destruction of Bantam how it was in possession of the Dutch and all burnt down I having not Fourteen Gallons of Water in my Ship was forced to go ashore for a Boat load of Water where I was Spectator of what I was told by the Factors The young King hearing of my being ashore would have spoke with me but he that was Chief of the Dutch would not permit him so that the young King sent me word that if the Company had put in any Agent but a Madman and a Fool he had never sent for the Dutch and the rest of your Council so inferiour being not in Power as an Agent to treat upon State Affairs Having this from the King I went aboard and sailed directly for Batavia where I found the Agent and Council And as the King had sent me word so I found the Agent for he would not speak one word to me but sometimes nod his Head but eat and drink as well as the best so that I delivered the Pacquet to the Council whom I think are worthy Gentlemen c. Signed John Vtber Dated from Polofe the 20th June 1682. Extract out of the Consultation Books received from Bantam THese are to certifie whom it may concern That this day about Three or Four of the Clock in the Afternoon Jacob De Roy entred our Factory with a File of Dutch Musqueteers accompanyed with Pengran Natta Negana and many of his Army Attendants and after a strict search into every of our individual Godongs or Warehouses and Apartments for Goods as they pretended lost out of the Dutch Factory did put a Lock upon one of the Honourable Companies Godongs Doors and for the more security of the same the said Jacob De Roy put his Seal thereon To the truth whereof we are ready on Oath when required and subscribe our Names in Bantam this 1. April 1682. Signed George Gosnall William Hodges John Burdet John Fisher The Deposition of William Smith and James Jeffcott WE the Subscribers William Smith Commander of the Honourable Companies Ship the Return and James Jeffcott Commander of the Formosa Frigat do Declare and Certifie That about six of the Clock in the Evening we went off from the shore in the Returns Pinnace to go on Board each of our Ships and at the Rivers Mouth were detained as Prisoners aboard a Dutch Sampan by order as they told us of the Captain of the Ship Europa that now rides Admiral in this Road. We desired the Steerman of the Sampan to send aboard the Admiral for permission to go on board our Ships which after two or three hours stay the Captain of the said Admiral sent us word by the aforesaid Messenger That the Dutch Commissioners Major St. Martin and Captain Tack had given them Orders that no English Boats should pass without License from them but it being late and the first time he did grant us liberty to go on Board our Ships although he was assured he should be severely check't by the aforesaid Commissioners To the Truth whereof we are ready to depose Our Oaths when thereunto required as Witness our hands this first of April 1682. in Bantam Signed William Smith James Jeffcott The Deposition of James Harrison I James Harrison Cooper of the Honourable Companies Ship Return do Attest and Certifie That about one of the Clock this Afternoon going off in our Long-Boot from the Factory Laden with Sales of Long Cloth to carry on Board the Tywan Frigat the Tyde being low lay upon the Barr until four or five of the Clock the water then flowing we got off and Rowing without the River met with Jacob de Roy a Dutch Lieutenant who called to us and bid us go back and being out of the River came a small Boat from the Dutch Sampan that lay to command the river and likewise told us that we must go in again which refusing to do came the Admiral 's Long-Boat which lay at the Rivers mouth in call of the Sampan being Mann'd and Gun'd came to us commanding us also to go in saying that if we made any opposition they would kill my self and all the Lasâ—ars in the Boat and immediately thereupon took hold of the Painter and Towed us from thence and went with our Boat to the Factory where she was this night unladen To the Truth whereof I am ready to depose my Oath when thereunto required as Witness my Hand this first of April 1682. in Bantam Signed James Harrison The Deposition of George Gosnall Richard Knipe and John Burdet WE the subscribers do Declare and Certifie to all whom it doth or may Concern That this Morning about 9 of the Clock the Young Sultan came with his own and several Dutch Guards to the Hollands Factory from whence after some small stay they passed by our Factory and enquired of the Health of our Agent Mr. Francis Bowyer and then called Pengran Juda Ningrat who after some discourse had between them came unto our Gate and told Mr. Nicholas Waite and Mr. George Gosfright that the Young King sent him to know how long it would be before all the Companies Servants went off To which was answered that we were in daily expectation of a Ship from Batavia which when arrived should with all expedition Lade with the Honourable Companies Goods which in their Godongs were considerable and then give compliance to His Majesties commands in withfrawing from hence so he departed and
to the States General says in the Memorial which he presented to them in the Month of May of the said Year 1683 that the King of Great Brittain his Master having understood by the complaints of his Company of Merchants Trading into the East-Indies in what an extraordinary manner those of Battavia had affronted and drove away from Bantam all those of the English Nation which had been setled there for so many years his Majesty could not avoid being sensible of such a proceeding without the Companies ever troubling themselves with verifying so black an accusation with which they have filled all Europe to prepossess it to the disadvantage of the Company of the United Provinces Sir John Chardin who in the year 1683 was deputed in the behalf of the English Company into Holland for the Affair of Bantam endeavouring to risco the said Company from the plunge into which the want of proofes had cast them thought of changeing the Byafs and instead of accusing the Government of Batavia for having drove the English from Bantam contented himself with imputing their going out of the Town to the suggestion and advice of the said Sieur St. Martin who 't is said had inclined the King of Bantam to turn the English out of his Country making use for proof of an Affirmative so ill founded but on a bare conjecture grounded only upon want of Charity which we shall prove upon the Examination of the principal cause it being enough to observe here by the by that the Circumstances upon which Sir John Chardin grounded his suspition are so little considerable that there is reason to wonder a Man of Parts should pretend to make use of them in a publick manner The Deputies of the English Company holding at present the same Language say in their Memorial which they have annexed to their demand that the Hollanders at Batavia have made and fomented the quarrels between the Old and the Young King of Bantam and in their demand that those of Batavia having made the young King fall into their Snares and drawn him perfidiously under their Yoke to compass to themselves the entire Trade of that Place exclusive to all others compell'd him to put the English out of his Dominions These Complaints are very terrible and at the same time very just if they are true but they are very black Calumnies and very unjust reproaches if they are false as they will be proved to be in the sequel of this Answer 'T is not that the Subscribers think that the Directors of the English Company are the Inventers of it God forbid but that they have only too easily suffered themselves to be led away by Reports ill grounded and sown every where with a design to blacken the Dutch Company and to render it odious But these Reports although they have no other Grounds but Lyes and Scandals have insinuated themselves into the minds of several Persons and especially of the Parties concerned by the means of Credulity Jealousie and Mistrust The Subscribers although they might intrench themselves in a bare Negative and keep solely upon the Defensive without advancing of any Affirmative which may oblige them to Justification and Proofes have notwithstanding proposed to themselves before the discussion of the Justificative Papers of the English Company be entred into to give your Excellencies a true Idea of the Affair of Bantam but not intending to leave their hold which is the Negative but only with a prospect of making their Defence the stronger as it will appear supported by the truth of Facts which are indisputable and which destroy and overthrow from top to bottom all that the Commissioners of the English Company have advanced Sultan Agan King of Bantam and Father to the present King finding himself too weak by reason of his great Age to continue to bear the weight of the Government yielded up the Kingdom of Bantam to his Eldest Son retiring to Turchaser a charming and delightful place about six Leagues from the Town of Bantam and about a League from the Sea to enjoy there an agreeable Repose and to finish there the remainder of his Life in quiet and out of the troubles of the Affairs of the Kingdom The Son having ascended the Throne sent Embassadors to those of Batavia as to his nearest Neighbours to signifie to them his accession to the Empire as he also dispatched others afterwards to the late King of Great Brittain of Glorious Memory who acknowledging their Character gave them such a Reception that the Gentlemen of the English Company themselves exaggerating the Honours which were turned to the said Embassadors here at London saying in the Letter which they wrot to the King of Bantam in the Month of June in the Year 1682 and by consequence two years after his coming to the Crown that they had treated his Embassadors in as magnificent a manner as if they had come from the greatest Prince of the Earth adding in the same Letter that they had heard that God with the consent of his Father had established and settled him on the Throne of the Kingdom of Surosoan that is to say Bantam But the People being accustomed under the Reign of the old King to a looser Government then that of the young King who kept them in subjection they began to murmur and at length took up Arms to throw off the Yoke having engaged in their Party by evil Impressions and Importunities the old King of Bantam whom they had taken out of his Retirement and prevailed with him to make himself Master of the Town and afterwards to besiege the Fort into which the young King had retired to save his Life who seeing himself upon the brink of the Precipice and within two fingers breadth of his Ruine dispatched Letters and Servants to those of the Government of Batavia to represent to them the sad Condition of his Affairs and to pray their Succours But the Gentlemen of the Government of Batavia being too prudent and too circumspect to embarque themselves in an Affair of this importance they thought it fit before they resolved upon any thing upon the sollicitations and instances of the Indian Prince to inform themselves of the Condition of his Affairs and even after having found that they were very bad and almost desperate would not resolve upon any thing notwithstanding in his Favour until they had interposed their good Offices for Peace which being despised by the Father who made no Answer to them they at length took up their Resolution of assisting the Son against the Rebels and to deliver him from the Oppression wherein he was which they had the happiness to Effect and to Re-establish him upon his Throne whereon
Artifices of that Company to hide or confound the truth by a multitude of eloquent but vain words as Your Lordships may have observed in the Records of all former Transactions and Complaints of the same Nature as this is now of Bantam in most whereof they have been judged formerly to pay great sums of Money to the East-India-Company which they did pay accordingly But we could never hear or read that the Dutch Company restored to the English any place of Trade that ever they deprived them of by fraud or violence 2. We affirm to Your Lordships that we never gave any Order or Liberty to Sir John Chardin before or at his late being in Holland but enjoyned him always to keep strictly to the Demands of His late Majesty of glorious memory in his said Majesties letter memorial For the proof of which assertion we here will present Your Lordships Copies of all our Letters and Orders to him And if Sir John entered upon any discourse or Articles other then what was contained in His Majesties said Memorial and Letter through the perswasion of the Dutch Bewinthebers or otherwise he is now here and must make his own justification we being perfectly unconcerned in any thing he did contrary to His late Majesties or our own instructions 3dly For the Negotiation that was afterward concerning this affair with the late Lord Ambassador Monsieur Van Citters we referre our selves to the said Ambassadors Long Memorial and our Answer herewith presented Your Lordships by which the truth Regularity and Justice of His Majesties East-India-Company will appear to Your Lordships above all contradiction 4thly To the Dutch Deputies question cui bono what profit the Dutch could make by exciting the Young King to quarrel with his Father and the consequences that might happen thereupon We say we cannot but think it very strange that such experienced learned Gentlemen should propound so slight a question to such a wise Tribunal as Your Lordships which the simplest Sailer either English or Dutch that ever was in India can resolve Extempore Bantam was a Port to which all European Nations Trading in India and most of the Natives did resort with Ships richly loaden to the number of above forty yearly And the Batavians by causing that poor simple man they yet call King whom they will not trust with a Knife to expell all those Nations from his Port have thereby engrossed to themselves in effect the whole Trade of the South-Seas and had thereby fair hopes of Engrossing the whole Trade of Pepper as their people in India have often boasted they would And it is most apparent they designed it by the hostilities they have since perpetrated against the English and other Nations of India upon the Coast of Mallabar which Engrossement if they accomplish as by like arts they have the other Spices Cloves Mace Cinamon and Nutmegs they might gain sufficient by that sole Commodity to maintain constantly a Navy in Europe strong enough to fight any Royal Navy Fifthly Their next question How it can be imagined the Young King of Bantam should be so simple as to enslave himself and his posterity We shall resolve when they tell us by what slights the Batavians with pitiful inconsiderable Forces have enslaved and held in slavery above Fifty such Kings within Eighty years past in those Eastern parts of the World. It will be enough at present to tell Your Lordships The Princes and people of those parts are a naked people unused to fire-Arms that live in the innocent primitive estate of Nature without understanding the guiles of the Dutch East-India-Company until they have built a Fort and then the Princes themselves as well as their subjects must immediately become down-right Slaves to the Dutch and it s too late to repent without the hazard of being all cut off Man Woman and Child which was lately the Fate of one of the Javan Princes in the Eastern parts of that Island and of his people wherein an English Fugitive Captain Cooper was said to be employed by them in the execution Sixthly We herewith present Your Lordships the Articles Printed at Batavia made at Macassar for the Exclusion of the English and other Nations from the Trade of that place for which never any satisfaction was made the English Company Our end therein is not to make the breach wider between the two Nations of which they seem groundlesly to accuse us but to shew Your Lordships the same Tragedy that was acted at Bantam with little alteration except changing the Scene wherein such an Ocean of humane blood was spilt and in such a manner with a little fighting and after submission as we are not willing to mention and is not to be parallel'd in any History we have Read of which there are living Witnesses that were present at the action which we can produce to Your Lordships but that we are not willing to irritate or trouble Your Lordships with what is not pertinent to the present case of Bantam Yet this use we must beg Your Lordships leave to make of that instance of Macassar that since no satisfaction has been made to the English for that important place Your Lordships would be pleased to take and keep a strong hold of our just claim to Bantam that we may not be totally deprived of a place of rest and security in the South-Seas where the Dutch have above Thirty Forts to the irreparable shame and reproach of our Nation Seventhly The proofs we have exhibited to your Lordships are so express to the matter of our complaint that most of them do prove in terminis the things complained of and the Witnesses are not only fide digni but Men of good Fortunes and approved exemplary Veracity and we do not only believe what all of them have sworn and particularly Mr. Moody but much more which they have told us concerning the many years contrivances and horrible wicked methods that were used by the Batavians to create those unnatural quarrels between the Father and the Son which we have omitted to trouble your Lordships with because they could not attest them upon their own knowledge as we have likewise omitted for the same reason some Letters of the Old King of Bantam wherein he wrote to his late Majesty long before the surprize of Bantam that the Dutch were contriving to enslave him and his Country as they had done all his Neighbour Princes but that he would be slave to none but to his late Majesty of Glorious Memory Eighthly What the said Dutch Deputies say in extenuation of the Hostilities committed by their people upon the Coast of Malabarr is so wide from any excuse of that crime and breach of the peace between the two Nations that it seems to us to be a plain confession of what they have been so often and so justly accused of viz. that they design not only by their old arts of setting Indian Princes at War and making themselves partakers in the
c. Their Answer to the Dutch Admirals Letter viz. To the Honourable Rehnier Casembroot and the rest of the Gentlemen of his Council Sirs YOU have been pleased to require us for some time not to unload our Ship the Bengal Merchant now in the Road of the Honourable Companies goods aboard her Should we consent to that How long must our Ship continue here without making an end of her business We have perused and looked over the Marine Treaty between His Majesty of Great Brittain and the States of Holland and we cannot find any Article whereon you can ground or whereby you can justifie the stopping or impeding the unlading the said Ship Bengal Merchant of our said Companies concerns If there is any we trust you will make it known to us if there is none then we desire you to withdraw your intentions of stopping the Boats we have imployed in that Service It is not to be supposed when any of our Ships Arrive to any place where you shall have Wars that our Ships must lye still till you conclude a peace If so what enjoyment have we by the Treaty Boats are to be understood necessaries without which Ships when they come into Harbour cannot do their business Therefore we suppose not mentioned in the Articles of Peace 'T is late of the year and the Ship has but a small time of stay here having more important business in another place Therefore if you bear any Friendship to us as we have no reason to question but you do you will rather assist than hinder us In doing of which you will oblige us to continue what we desire always to be Gombroone the 4th of May 1685. Sirs Your very affectionate Friends Daniel Edwards Francis Snape Another Letter from the Dutch Admiral to the Agent and Council for the English Nation in Persia Dated the 4 / 14th of May 1685. To the very Worthy and Prudent Mr. Daniel Edwards and Francis Snape Our Honoured Friends WE Received this day your most courteous Answer to our request by your Interpreter David by which we understood your demand That we would suffer the Persian Boats and Lighters to unload your Ship and that according to your sense it will by no means be convenient for us to hinder the Boats which come from the shoar to your Ship To which we respectfully Answer that we have no other Thonght nor design than to continue in all friendship with your Nation being ready to serve you in all things as we do heartily wish we could do at this juncture without prejudice to our own honour But seeing we are basely and maliciously trampled upon in this place we don't in the least doubt relying on your goodness that you will take it ill if we should hinder the free passage of our Enemies Boats whilest we besiege this Port as we have determined to do Being heartily sorry that we are forced for the Honour of our Nation to this necessity so that we cannot consent to your demands though in any other occasion we shall heartily demonstrate our selves to be Your most obedient Servants Rehnier Casembroote William Lycochthon Jacob Van Ackersdyck Wr. Van Bullesstraete From the Ship Blew Hulk 14th of May S. N. 1685. Daniel Edwards c. Their Second Letter to the Dutch Admiral dated the 6th of May 1685. with their Protest of the same Date To the Honourable Rehnier Casembroot and rest of the Honoured Gentlemen of his Council Sirs YOur behaviour towards us in impeding our business has been such that we are forced to draw up against you in the behalf of the Right Honourable English East-India-Company the Protest and Declaration now sent you by our Linguist Senior David Your urging your aim and design to be to continue with our Nation in all Amity and Friendship is very improper while you persist against all Law and Reason to obstruct us in our Affairs We are very sorry to be the subject of your Scorn and Contempt for no other reason but because you are compelled to keep up the Honour of your own Nation against the Persians You have forced us to buy and make our selves Masters of Boats for our service which we give you to understand that you may not plead ignorance when met withal by you Sure you must think us to have little regard to our own concerns to let things pass so We trust there may be a means found to remedy these irregular proceedings We are really Gombroone the 6th of May 1685. Your Affectionate Friends Daniel Edwards Francis Snape The PROTEST WHEREAS the Bengal Merchant Captain John Goldsburrough Commander in the service of the Right Honourable English East-India-Company and laden with their Goods arrived this Road the first of May 1685. The 4th ditto we went according to the Course of our Duties to unlade the Ship the Bengal Merchant the Marine Treaty between his most Serene Majesty of Great Britain and the High and Mighty Lords the States General of the Vnited Netherlands nothing hindring but altogether allowing In Order to which we sent off two of the Countrey Boats which we had hired and taken into our service for the same purpose with Orders to go on board the said Ship to bring on shoar what of the said Companies goods should be put on board them In their way the first Boat was stopt and carried away by order and appointment of Rehnier Casembroot Commissary for affairs of the Illustrious Company of Holland which the second Boat perceiving returned again to the shoar notwithstanding they had goods on board them of the said right Honourable English East-India-Companies ordered and appointed to be delivered on board the said Ship the Bengal Merchant which they likewise carried away in the first boat detaining some time and afterwards returning them on shoar to us All which appears to us to be utterly against the sense and meaning of the first Article of the said Marine Treaty and therefore a manifest breach of the Peace We therefore in the name and behalf of the said Right Honourable English East-India-Company do protest and declare against the said Rehnier Casembroot Commissary for the said Illustrious Company of Holland for and lay to his charge to answer at such times and places as the same shall be demanded according to the Rules of Justice and Equity and in conformity to what is provided for in such cases in the said Marine Treaty all dammages that may arise to the Right Honourable English East-India-Company by these their Actions and also for all other dammages that may ensue to any of the Servants of the said Company either in Life Body goods or Estate Dated in Gombroone the 6th of May 1685. Signed and Delivered in the Presence of Daniel Edwards Francis Snape John Gorbold David Shaameir Armenian The Dutch Admiral 's Counter-Protest Dated 7 / 17 May 1685. Viz. A Counter Protestation against the unjust Complaints of Daniel Edwards and Francis Snape both Resident in Persia in the Service of
which and the previous Right before mentioned which the King of England hath to that place The English after having drank His Majesty the King of England's Health with the Prince of Orange's the States General 's and the two Companies left the place peaceably telling the Chief they had no Order to make War but to leave the Right of that place to be determined elsewhere which ought to be by Commissioners on both sides in Europe according to the Treaty of 1674-75 But one Circumstance is fit to be added viz. In treating with the Oran Kayes aforesaid at Fort St. George The English President asked them seriously whether they were under any Obligation to the Dutch Which they positively denyed assuring the President c. that the Dutch had no Residence in their Country not so much as a Factory House or Lodge as was most true at that time And for further certainty of their Allegiance to His Majesty said If there were any scattering Dutchmen in their Countrey they would cut their Throats before the English came thither But the President told them That would be an abominable Act in the sight of the true God whom they Worshipped being Mahometans and that the Dutch were the Companies Friends and Christians and therefore he would have nothing to do with them if they offered any violence or hurt to any Dutchman that might be in their Countrey upon any occasion And this is the very Truth and the whole Case of Pryaman as the English do a vouch upon their Faith and Allegiance to God and His Majesty to their Knowledge or Belief And how contrary this is to the Dutch practice in all times any indifferent Reader of any Nation will easily judge But not to let this special Matter of Fact pass without some Testimony upon Oath We have added true Copies of two Affidavits relating thereunto Viz. James Jenifer's Affidavit made in London the 22th October 1686. JAmes Jenifer Second Mate and Purser of the Syam Merchant lately come from the West Coast of Sumatra makes Oath That upon their Sailing from Fort St. George they went first to Pryaman as they were ordered by the President and Council of Fort St. George expecting to find an English Garrison there but on the contrary they met with a Dutch settlement of one Factor as Chief and about Thirty Soldiers Whites and Blacks That Mr. Potts landed with about Fifty Men well Armed of which Men under Mr. Potts this Deponent had the Command That when they came up the Pallisado Gates were open which they entred with their Arms ported no Centinel checking them and that the Chief after they were entred within the Gate met them and askt whether they were Friends which they said they were and the Dutch Soldiers whispered the English in the Ear and told them they had no Bullets in their Musquets and that if the Chief contended they would shoot nothing but Powder desiring the English to do the same for that they were willing to surrender Upon which this Deponent told Mr. Potts if he would give leave they would take the Place presently which Mr. Potts denying said he had no Order to begin a War. This Deponent further saith that the Dutch near Indrapora hired several Mallay Soldiers to surprize the Sloop William and gave them for so doing ten Dollars each Mallay who accordingly did attempt it in the Night and killed two of her Men and that they were set on by the Dutch appeared by the Confession of one of the said Mallays who was seized upon who confessed and declared that they were instigated thereunto by the Dutch and had the Reward aforesaid This Deponent further sayeth That upon their departure from Fort St. George the President and Council gave them the Proclamation for Proclaiming the Succession of our Soveraign Lord the King's Majesty now Reigning in the English Factories upon the West Coast of Sumatra That accordingly he saw His Majesty Proclaimed at Indrapoura with great Solemnity all the English standing bare with their Swords drawn while the Proclamation was read and the Emperour or Sultan and Seven Kings likewise with their Creses drawn and a multitude of the best of the Native Inhabitants in the like posture after which many Volleys of Shot were discharged by the English Seamen and Soldiers on Shoar and all the Guns fired aboard the Ship Syam then in the Road. This Deponent further sayeth that the Dutch had landed near Bencoolen a great many Soldiers most Blacks in the Name of the Young King of Bantam of Four Ships from Batavia with Order to force the English from Bencoolen Upon which several of the English being sickly did retire from the place aboard the Ship but the Chief Mr. Bloom would not stir from his Charge But the said Black Soldiers did not come on to force the English as was expected whether hindred by their own Fear or their Inclination to have the English stay there which is the desire of all the Natives both Javans and Mallays this Deponent cannot resolve but heard that upon such halt of the Black Soldiers the English return'd again from their Ships and remounted all their Guns and resolved upon their Defence And further he cannot say Sworn the 22. Octob. 1686. Before Sir John Moore Signed James Jenifer Stephen Elliot's Affidavit made in London the 30th October 1686. STephen Elliot Marriner aged Twenty One Years or thereabouts maketh Oath That he was one of the Marriners in the Service of the East-India Company in their Sloop the William which was lying at Anchor near Indrapora upon the West Coast of Sumatra That this Deponent went on shoar with the Master of the Sloop in the Evening about the Month of Octob. 1685. And that the same Night as this Deponent was informed by the other Marriners that belonged to the said Sloop there came on Board them several Prowesfull of Men armed with Clubs c. Which the said Marriners perceiving immediately leapt into the Sea and swam on Shoar they being Lascars Natives of India leaving on Board only Three of their Company which were in the Cabin viz. One English-man named Clemuel Ringstead one French man named David Jennett and one Lascar which three Men were immediately murthered by those that came on Board and cut to pieces in a most inhumane manner Soon after the English East-India Companies Factor Mr. Ord who was then at Indrapoora discovered two of the Mallayes Natives of the Island of Sumatra who were of the number of those that assaulted the Sloop as aforesaid by having found some Armes on Board the Ship which belonged to them And Mr. Ord examining them with lighted Matches betwixt their Fingers They confessed that they were employed by the Chief of the Dutch Factory residing at Padang And that they were to receive Ten Dollars each Man for destroying the People in that Sloop And that there were about Fifty Men that came upon that Design These Mallays that so entred the Sloop took away some
of the Companies Goods that were in the Sloop and some quantity of Sword-Blades But this Deponent believes they were afraid of being surprized aboard and therefore did not take so many of the Goods as they might have done And he further faith That it is the common Discourse of the Dutch in India that they will for the future have all the Pepper Trade to themselves and therefore they do cause these Outrages to be committed as this Deponent verily believes to hinder and frighten away other Nations from adventuring to have any share in that Trade Sworn 30th Octob. 1686. Before Sir John Moore Signed Stephen Elliot By this time the Reader will be able to judge Whether His Majesty had not the greatest Reason by His Envoy the Marquiss of Albeville to demand satisfaction for all the aforesaid wrongs and abuses done to His Subjects in India and to insist upon the Restitution of Pryaman and Batan Capass as well as Bantam And if any doubt can yet remain with any of the Honourable Lords States of the Netherlands of the Truth of the English East-India Companies Complaints and of their Affirmations concerning the Dutch Practices and Designs the English Company desires no more Vindication in their Lordships Breasts then such as they may find by impartial private Conference with any honest plain hearted Dutchman that understands India or any indifferent Frenchman Dane or Portugueez The Dutch Company in their Treatise Page 53. of the Amsterdam Copy say the Case of Bantam is now much altered That King being become their Debtor Six Hundred Thousand Rix Dollars and so if they will shew their own Books It will we suppose by them appear that the King of Zeilon is in their Debt Four times that Summe The Queen of Atcheen Forty Thousand Pound Sterling and many more such Debtors Kings and Princes they have Amboyna it self being not quite out of their Debt in 1672. Their Custom being when they beat any Indian King from his own Coast make a War upon him or build a Fortress by his own consent or betray him into a War for their own ends to his utter ruine To make such King Debtor not only for all the Charges according to a large Estimate they accustomarily make of them but for every Man that dies or is killed in the Service Whites at Thirty Pounds per Head Blacks at Twenty Pounds as we have heard but we are not so certain of the Rates as we are of the manner of their Accompting with such circumvented Princes Page 40. They say the King of Bantam wrote to the Governour of Batavia not to consent to withdraw their Forces and forsake him c. which we verily believe he did and durst never do otherwise since they were Masters of him but write or set his Hand to any thing they commanded And so did the ruinated Kings of Macassar write the Governour of Batavia very thankful Letters for his and Spillman's kindness to them after many Thousand Souls that submitted were set upon an Island where there was neither Meat nor Water to starve or eat up one another as they did But that story is so black that we are loath to relate it at large and had much rather such as desire to know the Truth would inform themselves from Dutchmen that were present at that Action many of whom are yet alive Page 46. They say the English for many Years made it their business to entice away their Men in Bengall The Truth whereof is plainly this Commanders of Ships Dutch as well as English when they want Seamen in India by reason of Deaths or Runawayes are alwayes willing to fill up their Companies by entertaining any Seamen that willingly proffer themselves to service and when such men are on Board Ships on either side the deficient Commanders are willing to hide or keep them But we say the Dutch East-India Company is very much more to blame for that Practice because some of their Chiefs on shoar have avowed the doing thereof which we do not remember that ever the English Chiefs did either at Fort St. George or elsewhere although it may be true that the Dutch do lose more of their Seamen in that manner than the English for which there is a plain reason in Nature which every Body understands viz. Where there is the most hardship or oppression inflicted on Sailers there will alwayes be the most Run-awayes We shall offer for truth of this Paragraph Copies of Captain Bowers and his Officers and Captain Owens Affidavit Viz. Captain Bowers Commander of the Persia Merchant and his Officers Affidavit made in London the 20th July 1687. THese Deponents make Oath That during the Persia Merchant's stay in Bengall the Dutch Director and others of his Council there and also the Commanders of Dutch Ships made it their business by many fraudulent wayes to entice into the Dutch Service the English Seamen belonging to the Ship Persia Merchant and other English Ships particularly by sending Spies on Board the Persia Merchant c. in the disguise of Run-away Dutch Sailers from the Dutch Ships who during their stay on Board the English Ships were to allure the English Sailers to run away back to the Dutch Factory with them upon promise of two Months pay in hand better usage and other specious pretences which did prevail to the drawing away of several of the Persia Merchants Seamen some of whom did receive their two Months pay in hand according to promise but finding their entertainment not according to promise run away from the Dutch and returned to the Persia Merchant and came home in the Ship but some stayed with the Dutch having not the opportunity of running back again Signed John Bowers Walter Goddard John Gale. Benjamin Brangwin Sworn the 20th July 1687. Before Sir William Turner Captain Owen's Affidavit made in London the 3d. January 1687. NAthaniel Owen Commander of the Ship Josiah in the Employment of the Honourable the English East-India Company maketh Oath that he arrived with the said Ship in Hughly River in the East-Indies in April 1686. and that during his stay there several of the Seamen belonging to the said Ship did desert the said Ship and ran away to the Dutch Factory at Hughly and were by Order from the Dutch Commissary in Hughly entertained and with-held from returning to their Service aboard the said Ship whose particular Names are viz. John Nicholls Edward Robinson Elisha Fenney Daniel Old Tho. Harrison Richard Loe John Lydiat Henry Johnson besides several others And this Deponent further sayeth that he did several times endeavour to get them back but they had alwayes Watches and Guards set on them in the Dutch Factory and aboard their Ships in the River And this Deponent further saith That on or about the 28 th October made his Application to Seigniour Willowbutts the reputed Chief of the Dutch Factory next under the Heer Commissary acquainting him that he had in Possession several of the Men belonging to
pieces and spiked them had killed about sixty might have easily killed many more as the Officers gave in their Report had they not been called off upon this occasion viz. towards the Evening of that day the fight began came a Gentleman from the Dutch Factory of the quality of a Second well known to the Agent he addrest himself in Portugueez and the Agent and he carryed on the discourse in Portugueez and Dutch which this Deponent not being acquainted with desired the Agent to tell it him in English which he did to this Effect This Gentleman says the Agent comes from Dutch Commissary to congratulate the English for the good success they have had against their Enemies And says that they themselves had begun but now the English have taken that honour out of their hands Withal he told the Agent that many of the Natives and I think the Phousdar a great Officer in that place entreated the Commissary to interceed with the English Agent for Mercy for that there were divers houses then on fire that unless the English Soldiers were stayed they would burn down the Town and kill all the People And that the Agent would be entreated to forbear till they the Natives could write to the Nabob at Decca for Orders to satisfie the English Demands The Agent on this the Dutch Intercession stayed the Souldiers from further killing or plunder that night though he caused two or three of the English Vessels to ply the Town with shooting to prevent new recruits in the night and to awe the place There was great care taken by the Agent that in this broyl the Dutch should not suffer in their persons or affairs but should be used with respect and the Dutch desiring it an Order was given that no Merchant Banyan or other Native being in the Dutch service should be molested and where their Servants the Natives goods were seized upon assurance from the Dutch that they did belong to their service they were presently restored And whereas the English kept a Guard upon the River to command it yet all such Boats and Vessels which did belong to the Dutch or did wear their colours did freely pass without stop or interruption though the Rowers and such who sailed them were Natives and at that time Enemies to the English And this Deponent saith that in all that fight and conflict with the Natives the English lost but one man and no more Thomas Ley. Septimo die Martii 1687. Jurat coram me John Shorter Major The Pages of the aforesaid Treatise beginning again about the middle of the Book which is of two parts the Reader will observe that the lower number of Pages we are now at are in the second part of the Amsterdam Copy Where in Page the 14 and 15. They say and what concerns Bencoolen it is true the English some years past came with their Forces and possessed themselves thereof under pretext that the old King of Bantam had during the Civil Wars in which he was taken prisoner granted to them free Trading and Habitation at Syllabar but being driven out of the last place by the forces of the King that now reigneth in Bantam they retired to Bencoolen and built a Fortress there where they yet keep their abode and from thence did transport and Wrest out of our hands a very considerable part of Pepper We say Wrested Forasmuch as it was by Contract with Bantam made over to us whereby although they have intruded into what belonged unto us to our great detriment yet we will pass that by as not being ignorant that such manner of Contracts and Obligations made with Princes in Those Countreys where we have only Lodges or Factories do give us no full Right actually to hinder other Nations for to buy and transport their Commodities but must leave it to the disposal of him that is Lord and Master of those Countries This Confession comes near to the truth but is not the whole Truth as has been before and will hereafter be further demonstrated and yet by this confession they must own not only our Right at Bencoolen but themselves in the wrong intirely at Indrapoura where they had neither Factory Lodge nor Dutchman and where the English had settled and fortified themselves not only with the consent but to the great joy of seven Soveraign Kings And this confession will by consequence convict them of doing injury and unjustly seating themselves at Pryaman and more especially at Batan Capass after those Kings had surrendred their Countrey to His Majesty and came in person to avow their doing it to the Dutch-Men themselves and the Dutch Chief then present did not so much as urge for his excuse any previous Contract with those Kings or any defect of Title those Kings had so to Convey their Countrey unto His Majesty His Heirs and Successors for the use of His Majesty's East-India-Company which doubtless he would have done if he had known of any such Right or pretences which have been since invented to excuse that villanous act Besides supposing the pretences to excuse that act which are now made in the aforesaid Treatise were not inventions but realities such real grounds or pretences of Contracts can never justifie the Dutch for using force and arms against the English in a time of peace for matters which it s confessed ought by the Treaty of 1674-75 to have been amicably determined by Commissioners on both sides in Europe And it is very well known to the Kings Majesty now reigning and all the Honourable Lords then of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council that when the English Company had been at the cost of about One Hundred Thousand pounds for fitting out a Fleet of three and twenty Sail of great Ships with about one thousand Land Souldiers and some of the said Fleet were departed and others advanced on their Voyage as far as the Downs The Dutch Embassadors prevailed with his late Majesty and the Lords then Ministers to command the English Company to forbear recovering Bantam by Arms upon this very ground That by Treaty aforesaid of 1674-75 such matters and differences in India ought not to be determined by Arms but by Commissioners as aforesaid and the distinction which the Dutch would make between the Maliayans and their own people in doing that mischief at Batan Capass every one knowes is a distinction without a difference those Mallayans being their hyred Servants as appears by the Protest and Affidavit aforesaid relating to that business For if the Dutch should be accountable onely for what they do by Native Dutchmen there would be found very few of them in India to be accompted with besides Merchants Nine Tenth parts of their force in India such as it is being by Computation of Forreigners or a mixture of all European Nations as well as Natives Macassars Buggesses Ballees Turnatteens Javans Mallayans Madagascar Slaves Topasses or black Portugueez which will serve any Nation for Money Page 26. Of