taking his leaue of the King and all his nobles for presently after dinner he minded to depart abord also the King promised if the Portingales would not trade with vs he would write his letter to the gouernor of Makeau to deale with vs for all the cloues in that I le And so the Generall and Maister Browne went to the Duch house to dinner which being done he came home with the Duch marchants in his company And so taking leaue of them and of vs departed abord The 27. day in the morning came abord 2. men sent by the King of Tarnat with aletter to the gouernor of Makeau to trade with vs. They were sent by the King to go along with vs thither for our better vsage So about 8. a cloke in the morning we weighed plyed it all day for the roade of Tidore and about sunne setting we came to an anchor in 32. fadomes sandy ground on the westerne side of the I le faire of by the shore Coming to an anchor there came a Caricole with two swift Cāoas to take vewe of our ship Our General Commanded one to weaffe them with a white flag and presently one of the small Prawes came faire by vs demaunding whence we were Our Generall caused our Portingall soldiar to will them to come aboord for we were English men and their friends And so there came aboord vs three Portingales which entred in to the gallery and went into the Generalls cabin where the Generall told them his comming thither was to seeke trade with them as friends for that the wars betweene our nations was done and a peace cōcluded The Queene of England being dead and the King of Scots King of England They made answer that they knew that the Queene was dead by way of the Phillipines and to heare of the long desired peace they were very glad and for trade with vs they said they could say nothing till that they had made the Captaine acquainted therewith and because it was night they were desirous to be gone promising the next day morning to returne So the Generall let them depart and our Portingall souldier with them with a letter to the Captaine of the fort wherin he did certifie him of the newes of Christiandome and the cause of our comming thither and so they departed The 28. day about 6 a clocke we weighed hauing very little wind at 8. a clocke came a Carticole 2. Prawes frō the Portingalls towne and in them fiue Portingalls and our aboue named souldier the Generall stood in the wast and entertained them our souldier telling the Generall the principal of them was called Thome Detoris Captaine of a Galeon and the rest married men of the towne Captaine Detoris deliuered our Generall a letter from the captaine of the Fort the effect was that he was welcome with all his company to him and all the rest of the Portingalls inhabiting in that place and whereas the King of Tarnata and the Hollanders their enemies had giuen bad reports of them saying there was nothing but villanie and treason to be had at their hands hee hoped our Generall did conceiue better of them and that their reports were of malice and not of trueth and no credit to be giuen to the report of their enimies But experience should proue them lyars and themselues no such bad minded people and therefore he willed the Generall to haue no doubt of good vsage at their hands and for trade which he desired with them hee would resolue him thereof the next day for as yet they had not called a councell concerning that matter without which councell he could not doe it but willed him to haue no doubt thereof So the generall tooke them downe to his Cabin to breakfast and the Carricole and the botes towed the ship to the townwards being very little wind About eleuenth a clock we came to an anchor a little to the northwards of the Fort and saluted the fort and towne with 7 peeces of Ordinance and from the fort answered with 3. peeces and presently vpon the same in a boat came the Captaine of the fort called Petro Alleneris Debbroo and the Captain of the other Galeon called Ferdinando Perrera de Sandy these Galeons that these Captaines did belong to did ride within a league of rockes very neere the shoare with their broad sides to seaward with Ordinance placed therein to shoote at their enemies which come rowing by thē sundry times The Generall brought the Captaine of the Fort and the other Captaine downe with the rest to breakfast the Captaine of the Fort making great hast to be gone After many cōplements passed betweene our General and them they tooke their leaue and departed promising the next day to come looke vpon our commodities and to agree vpon price for them About 3. a clocke our Generall sent his brother a shoare with presents to the 3. Captaines which they very kindly accepted The Captaine of the Fort returning the Generall a fat beefe The 29. day came Captaine Torris and other Portingalls aboard and the Generall caused our Marchants to bring a note of all such commodities as were in our ship into his Cabin where he shewed euery sort vnto them setting a price vpon them Captaine Torris and the rest of the Portingalls said they were too deare at such rates saying ptotesting they sold better cheape such like cōmodities one to the other and therefore desired the Generall to bee more reasonable and then he should haue all the Cloues in the Iland The Generall with-drew himselfe apart and in writing set downe his lowest prices how hee would sell willing them to go a land and consider of it returne with an answer if they could that night so they tooke their leaue and went a shore The 30. day Captaine Torris came aboard and would haue abatement of each sort of commodities which the General would not yeeld vnto telling him if he would not giue such prices he wold be gone for Makeau and vpon the same presented the two Tarnataes which the King sent to him for the same purpose So he seeing nothing would be abated of that price agreed with the General appointed his own dwelling house for our factory with many kinde proffers which he faithfully performed The 31. being Easter day Captaine Torris with diuers of the principall men of the towne dined aboard with our Generall Aprill the 1. in the morning the Generall sent his brother M. Woodnoth with marchandise a land to Captain Torris house within an houre after the General went a land himself where he was visited by the king the Captaine of the fort and all the principall men of the towne who intertained him most kindely They stayed some small time with him and departed all of them They being gone the Generall beganne to set his Marchants a worke to buy Cloues of the Portingalls hauing set them in a ready way how to deale with them he went
7. day the Generall waited to be sent for to the King but seeing no body came he sent to know the reasō He sent word he was very busie that day and could not intend it till the morrow The Dutch admiral had conferēce with the King twise this day where belike he had what he desired for as soone as night came hee departed for Tydore The 8. day the King sent his secretary and one of the Dutch Marchants vnto him with a letter sealed with hard waxe which seale had two letters an H a B. which stood for Hance Beerepot with a Marchants marke betweene the letters This letter they deliuered and told him it was the Kings letter to the King of England The Generall would not beleeue the King would send so great a Prince as the King of England a letter with so little state and a Marchants seale vpon it They answered and if he doubted thereof they would cause the King to come and iustifie it The Generall said he would not otherwise beleeue it So they left the letter and departed Halfe an houre after came the King a great traine to our Generals chamber where saluting him kindely they sat downe vpon a trunck togither The King said I sent you a letter sealed by my secretary which you haue receiued making doubt it is not sent by mee to so great a king deliuered with so little state sealed with a marchāts seale Now you heard me say thus much I hope you are satisfied the letter is sent by me and none other therefore prepare your selfe to morrow to bee gone The General neither would nor durst deliuer it to the King of England willing him to take it againe He would not but departed The 9. Chichell Gegogoe the Kings vncle hearing how the Generall had bin vsed by the king the Hollanders came to visit him at his chāber where there passed much talke betweene thē concerning the foresaid counterfeit letter intended to haue bin sent to the disgrace of the Generall to the king of England Chichell Gegogoe assuring the Generall that if it lay in his power he wold procure of the king that they might leaue a factory there Moreouer that at his next returne to him he should know the cōtents of that base slanderous letter inuented by the Hollanders so he departed with promise to returne the next day The people of the coūtry vnderstāding the Hollanders had procured our banishment were much offended that the petty prince of Holland and his whom they esteemd but debaushed drūkards should be esteemed before the mighty King of England his subiects knowing we were commanded to depart brought all their commodities ro vs none to the Hollanders Whereat they finding themselues agreeued caused our beame that we weighed cloues with to be taken away but it was restored againe by the meanes of Chichell Gegogoe Which the Hollanders perceiuing they sent to their admiral at Tydore to returne to Tarnata which he did threatning the King that he would leaue him and establish a factory at Tydore Wherevpon the King with the vnwilling consent of his councell gaue order for our banishment sending the Sabendor to our Generall to will him to lingar no longer but to depart aboard The 16. day towards euening the king of Tarnata with a great company of his Nobles came downe from the towne landing right against our shippe and caused a tent to be set vp sending for our Generall to come a shore which he presently did The King caused him to sit downe by him excusing himselfe that we left not a factory there alleaging that the Hollanders inforst him to the contrary he and his subiects owing them much which he hoped to pay the next haruest that thē he would take an other order with them which being done he caused a letter to be read by his Secretary openly the contents whereof follow at the end of the booke Sealing it vp he deliuered it to the General intreating him to returne and he shold be welcome Who answered that it was in vaine for the English to returne thither so long as the Hollanders bare rule holding it a disparagement to his nation to giue place to them being so farre their inferiors This communication ended by the sodaine comming of a great many of lights and in the middest one of his chiefe Noble men vnder a Canopy carrying in a platter of gold couered with a couerture of cloth of gold the letter which was before so publikely read and the Generall looking earnestly not knowing what the matter was the King called vnto him willing him to arise and receiue the letter he sent to the King of England Which he presently doing the party which carried it made lowe obeisance after their country fashion and then deliuered it to the Generall which he kissing receiued and sat him downe againe by the King Giuing him thanks in doing our king himself that right in deliuering the letter in such sort as it ought to be The king answered this letter which you haue is vnsealed and written in the Malaya tongue to the intent at Bantam it might bee interpreted by some of your owne people which haue learned that language But the other was inuented by the Hollanders to haue done you iniury telling him in briefe the effect thereof excusing himselfe that hee had no good thing to send the King of England but onely a Bahar of Cloues which he hoped his Maiestie would accept in good part considering his contrey yeelds no other thing of worth Likewise hee bestowed vpon our Generall a Bahar of cloues and caused them presently to be carried to the Boate which done hee tooke his leaue and departed aboord his Caracole The 17. day the King of Tarn̄ata came roing about our ship and diuers of his women with him in a Caracole the Generall entreating him to come aboord but he would not Chichell Gegegoe came aboord this afternoone to our General certifying him that the contents of the Hollanders counterfeit Letter was that we had solde powder great ordinance and other munition to the Portugalls And more that to their great hurt in the fight we had assisted them with Gunners and that was the cause we left not a Factory there hoping the Generall would haue carried and deliuered it to his owne disgrace but he suspecting their slaunderous trecherie refused it The 18. day the King and his Vncle came aboord in a small Prawe because he would not haue the Hollanders which rid by vs to know of his being there for it was death to them to see him vse our Generall kindly their comming was to take leaue of our Generall he desired them to come downe to his Caben and made them a banquet whih they kindly did accept and spent most part of the day with him vrging our Generall to returne thither againe or at the leastwise to send and he or they should be welcome doe the Hollanders what they
could with protestation that both he and all his people were very sory for his departure finding we were good people and not such as the Hollanders did report vs to be which liued only by robbing and stealing During this communication the Holland ship which rid by vs shot off three peeces which the King hearing sent to know the cause word was brought the Hollanders Admirall was come from Tydore and gone aboord which the King hearing tooke a short farewell of our generall and went to his caracole shewing euidently his great feare to offend the Hollanders Before he could put off his boate from the side our ship was vnder sayle giuing him seuen peeces of ordinance and helde on our way beetweene Tarnata and Tydore About noone the 21. day we came to an anker at Taffasoa the Gouernour presently came to our Generall with a present of hennes and fruite telling him that he had been at Tydore and the King had giuen him order to surrender the towne vnto him if he came thither againe and the sort praying him to dispose thereof as his owne The Generall gaue him thankes telling him he had fewe men but if he had so many as he had when he came from Bantam he would leaue such a Garrison there as they should doubt neither the Hollanders nor the Tarnatanes but his weakenesse was such that hee could leaue no men there He answered he doubted not the keeping of the towne in dispite of all their enemies and although he could leaue no meÌ„ there yet had he order by his king to surrender his right and title to the King of England to whose vse he would keepe it desiring the surrender therof might be drawne and the Generall should haue the originall and he the copie Which done he caused the people to bring those Cloues they had so tooke his leaue and departed we directing our course for Selebis where wee had such water as the place afforded but it was brakish buyng some Cocus of the people who are like lauans Iuly the 24. we came to anker in Bantan road were Master Scot chiefe factor there certified our Generall of the mortallitie of men in the Hector and Ascention before they departed so that he was forced to hyer Chineses to helpe them home and that of 24 left there in their factorie 12. were dead where we continued till the sixt of October which day hauing taken leaue of M. Scot and the rest left there we set saile for England continuing in our course with variable weather till the 19. of December which day the winde scanting vpon vs we though to put into Saldania roade about 10. a clock in the morning we saw a sayle to leewards thinking it had been the Ascention whose company we lost 14. dayes before but contrary to our expectation it prooued the Hector which went in company of the Susan from Bantam aboue 9. months before in such lamentable distresse that had we not met with them that day they had purposed the next to haue run theÌ„selues aground at Pengwin Iland hauing for that purpose fardled vp their apparrel such other things as were most necessary for them Our General caused our Pinnesse to be hoysted out and sent for Cap Keeling the Purser who related their extreme miseries hauing but 10. Englishmen and 4 Chineses aliue so supper being done with thankes giuen to God for their miraculous preseruation our General sent 12. men more to help theÌ„ into Sâ—ldania road where we stayed repairing the ruines of the Hector prouiding other necessaries til the 16. of Ianuary following when we set sayle for Saint Helena where wee ariued the second of February following the eleuenth of February we departed from Saint Helena continuing at Sea with such varytie of weather as those that vse the sea are vsually accustomed vnto till the second of May following when we were of Plymoth and the sixt following at the Downes FINIS The King of Tarnata to the King of England Scotland France and IRELAND c. HEaring of the good report of your Maiestie by the comming of the great Captain Francis Drake in the time of my father which was about some 30. yeeres past by the which Captaine my Predecessor did send a Ring vnto the Queene of England as a token of remembrance betweene Vs which if the aforesaide Drake had beene liuing hee could haue informed your Maiestie of the great loue and friendship of either side he in the behalfe of the Queene my Father for him and his Successors Since which time of the departure of the aforesaid Captaine we haue dayly expected his returne my Father liuing many yeeres after and dayly expecting his returne and I after the death of my father haue liued in the same hope till I was father of eleuen-children in which time I haue beene informed that the English were men of so bad disposition that they came not as peaceable Merchants but to dispossesse them of there Countrey which by the comming of the bearer hereof wee haue found to the contrarie which greatly we reioyce at And after many yeeres of our expectation of some English forces by the promise of Captaine Drake Here arriued certaine ships which we well hoped had beene Englishmen but finding them contrary and being out of al hope of succour of the English Nation we were inforced to write to the Prince of Holland to craue ayde and succour against our auncient enemies the Portingals and according to our request hee hath sent hither his forces which hath expeld all the Portugales out of the fortes which they held at Amboyna and Tydore And whereas your Maiestie hath sent to me a most kinde and friendly Letter by your seruant Captaine Henry Middleton that doth not a litle reioyce vs. And whereas Captaine Henry Middelton was desirous to leaue a factory heare we were very willing therunto which the Captain of the Hollanders vnderstanding became to challenge me of a former promise which I had written to the Prince of Holland that if he would send me such succour as should expell the Portugales out of these parts that no other Nation should haue trade heare but they onely So that we were inforst against our liking to yeeld vnto the Hollanders Captaines request for this time whereof we craue pardon of your Highnesse and if any of your Nation come hereafter they shall be welcome And whereas the chiefe Captaine of the Hollanders doth sollicite vs not to hold any friendship with your Nation nor to giue eare to your Highnesse Letters yet for all their suite if you please to send hither againe you shall be welcome And in token of our friendship which we desire of your Maiestie we haue sent you a small remembrance of a Bahar of Cloues our Countrey being poore and yeelding no better commoditie which we pray your Highnesse to accept in good part TARNATA The King of Tydors Letter to the KINGS MAIESTIE OF ENGLAND THIS Writing of the King of Tydor to the King of England is to let your Highnesse vnderstand that the King of Holland hath sent hither into these partes a Fleet of shippes to ioyne with our ancient enemie the King of Tarnata and they ioyntly together haue ouer-runne and spoyled part of our Countrey and are determined to destroy both vs and our Subiects Nowe vnderstanding by the bearer hereof Captaine Henry Midaleton that your Highnesse is in frienship with the King of Spaine Wee desire your MAIESTIE that you would take pittie of Vs that wee may not be destroyed by the King of Holland and Tarnata to whom wee haue offered no wrong but they by forceable meanes seeke to bereaue Vs of our Kingdome And as great Kings vpon the earth are ordayned by God to succour all them that be wrongfully oppressed so I appeale vnto your MAIESTIE for succour against my enemies not doubting but to finde reliefe at your MAIESTIES hands And if your MAIESTIE send hither I humbly entreate that it may bee Captaine Henry Middleton or his Brother with whom I am well acquainted Thus We end praying God to enlarge your Kingdomes and blesse You and all your Counsels TYDOLR The King of Bantam to the King of ENGLAND A LETTER giuen from your friend the king of Bantam to the King of England Scotland France and Ireland desiring GOD to preserue your health and to exalt you more and more and all your Counsell And whereas your MAIESTIE hath sent a Generall Henry Middleton he came to me in health I did heare that your MAIESTIE was come to the Crowne of England which doth greatly reioyce my heart Now England and Bantam are both as one I haue also receiued a Present from your MAIESTIE the which I giue you many thankes for your kindnesse Idoe send your MAIESTIE two Beasar stones the one waying fourteene Masses the other three And so GOD haue you in his keeping Bantam