enemy out-sailed vs asking me whether wee should put on any more sailes I answered yea and willed him at any hand to keepe them still in fight Not long after that he came againe and tolde mee that the enemy had cast Anchor whervpon I charged him to Anchor also and to keepe aboue the winde The rest of our ships anchred loofeward a Canon shot wide from the enemy In the morning before the breake of day I caused a peece to bee shotte off to warne to set saile for as then the enemy had gotten some-what more and had the loofe of vs and at the same time also shotte off a warning peece vnto his shippe Our shippe called the Nassau was long winding vp of her Anchor and before I could make signes vnto her to cut the cable a Portugall ship aborded her which I perceiuing wound my shippe about to ayde her but the Sea was so calme that I could not reache her but by force borded Simon Man and could by no meanes get from him The Admirall Alioza de Caruailla seeing vs fast together boorded Symon Mau and Henrico de Loroinge boorded mee these two were the greatest Gallions the enemy had after that came Duarte de Guerra and fell also vpon mee where-with wee gaue fire on all sides at which encounter most part of Duarte de Guerras men were kild and hee himselfe also Alioza de Caruailla forsooke his ship and was likewise slaine Don Henrico receiued more then a hundred shottes thorough his ship Afterwards Claes Gherritsz Maister of the Mauritius fell vpon Duarte de Guerra and set her on fire whereby our blind also was set on fire the other Portugall ships would haue set vpon vs but durst not for the fire meane time I cast out an Anchor which was cut off by my men but they sayd that it was done by the fire The Mauritius loosed himselfe Simon Man of Middleborough draue from vs with Duarte de Guerra and Alioza de Caruailla but the people for the most part were all slaine I hauing cast out another Anchor called vnto them to cast one of their Cables vnto vs to stay them but the noyse was so great that they heard vs not so that they burnt all together Simon Mau saued the most part of his men except eighteene that were hurt and some that were taken prisoners that were afterwards released by my meanes I was still fast grapled to Henrico to whom I promisd his life if hee would yeeld for hee could not defend himselfe which hee promised to doe many of his men being very desirous to come ouer into our ship but I refused them yet twelue of them came aboord fearing that my men would fall to the spoile for they had twise more men then wee and our anchor would not hold and still the enemyes fleete approached wee beeing very weary my Maister and my Captaine beeing slaine and the chiefe Marchant hurt whereof not long after hee dyed and I was forced to bee present at euery conflict Whervpon I commanded Don Henrico to cast out anchor but hee excused himselfe saying that hee was not able to doe it for which cause I sent a man to looke whether it were so or not which gaue himselfe to the spoyle then I sent an other that tooke the maisters Whistle from his necke but comming back againe sayd that the shippe was full of dead men and that the anchors were lost and the cables shotte in peeces by the Canon shotte Where-vpon I caused a Rope to bee brought out at the Sterne to fasten it vnto vs. In the meane time our anchor tooke holde and his ship brake from vs and so I lost my prize which shewes that they which make many delayes are often disappointed so that it seemes that marshall affaires must bee vndertaken with quick and speedy resolution This grieued vs much but there was no remedie This happened about euening One of the enemies ships also boorded the Nassau at which time also their Vice-roy fell vpon him on the other side but could not winne him and therefore set the Gallery and the Sterne of her on fire and so shee was burnt the Vice-roy likewise had been burnt with her if the Galleyes had not pluckt him away by force The most part of the Nassaus men were saued Mauritius and the Black Lion thought to haue falne vpon the Viceroy but the winde was too calme the rest of our ships did their endeuours but there were some faint-hearted amongst them notwithstanding wee held out and fought all that day although vnfortunately with losse of two ships on either side The next day being the nineteene of August all our ships being repayred wee resolued to recouer our losses for the which wee were much grieued but if the Nassau had cut her Anchors in time wee had not boorded one the other and it had fallen out better for vs. The twentieth of August wee fell to it againe although I found not my men so ready and resolute as before for those that had escaped out of the shippes that were burnt especially they of Middleborough asked mee where they should haue their moneths pay wherevnto I answered that it was then no time to speake of such matters and that I knew not how the Commissaries would vnderstand these things and yet I sayd I was informed that they had behaued themselues valiantly and that therefore it was no reason but that they should haue their due and that to my power I would defend and maintaine them in all iust causes Within an houre after the men of my ship also came vnto mee and demanded security for their moneths pay or else they said they would not fight they had some setters on which as yet I dare not name This made mee halfe abasht yet I vsed all the meanes that I could possible to appease them and at the last they seemed to bee contented About the euening wee approched the enemy againe and then I first obserued what danger the words of respectiue ships set downe in our Articles brought vs into for by meanes of the losse of the two shippes aforesaid euery one drew back from ioyning with the enemy beeing lothe to vse his hypoteke or assurance whereby wee were not halfe so forward to set vpon our enemy as wee were at the first for not so much as a Swabber in the shippe but hee would dispute vpon the wordes of Respectiue ships for whereas it is sayd that for the assurance of their pay they shall haue the ship wherein they serued and the goods that were in it and no more euery one was carefull for his owne That day and the next wee shotte diuers times at the Viceroy but I perceiuing that wee had not powder enough to ouer-come such an army nor bullets to serue our turnes though I had caused some to bee made before Malacca but not sufficient wee left off The shipps that stayde behinde came neere vnto the enemy that had his rowing Pinnasses wherewith
hundred and seauenty Portingales and as many Moores for fiue or sixe of my men which they had but I reserued the Captaines and three or foure more for to get the three thousand ducats afore-said I sent a note by a Portingale on shoare to will the Vice-roy to send mee my men and I would send him all his soldiers hole and disseased which if hee refused and held mee in suspence I said I would cast all the Portingales ouer-boord he returned with a note whereby the Viceroy willed me to send him the Portingales sent me a bill of all their names both soldiers Captaines all others that were in my hands when my messēger shewed me that the prisoners were in danger of their liues Andrew Hurtado made answer let him kill them the rest will fight better an other time which whē I vnderstood I returned the messenger presently againe with this answer that if in the morning before Sunne rising hee did not send mee all my Duch men I would kill all the Portingales for I perceiued that the Viceroy delaid mee off hee returning brought with him three Duch-men for there were no more in the towne the rest were in the Armado at Poulo Bouton which hee promised to send meane time I had call'd a Councell togither and my white flagge hung out and certainly if hee had staid but two houres longer these hundred and seauenty Portingales had beene cast ouer-boord for a warning vnto them not to mocke with vs another time for when they haue their desires they scoffe at vs and esteeme vs to bee men that know not the course of the world and that dare not because of the reuerence wee beare vnto them offend them any-way and thus the boast before the Indian Princes I thought to haue sent a letter to the Viceroy but deferr'd it for certaine causes vntill some fitter time to let him vnderstand that wee intended to make warre-like soldiers and that if hee would deale hardlyer with my men that hee should take then I had hether to done with his hee would find himselfe greatly deceiued and that if he thought to stoppe my mouth with the Inquisition and such like masquerados and so keepe and consume my men in his country saying that hee could doe nothing against th'Inquisition I and those that shal come after mee to the Indies would make warre against th'Inquisition and cast all their shaueling Fryers ouer-boord which would concerne the Inquisition and not him May it therefore please the States to take such order that these fellowes may no longer terrifie vs with their vizards And thus much I caused to bee sayd vnto the Viceroy him-selfe by the Captaines that were prisoners Meane time I sent a Praw from Queda to Pulo Lankeui with one of my men in it to see whether the enemie lay still at Poulo-bouton who returned answer the nine and twentith day that they were yet there and brought two boyes prisoners with him that tolde mee that they had sent a Galliot to Mallacca to haue aduise from the Viceroy to know what they should do whither they shold returne to the Indies or to Mallacca for they durst not leaue their aduantage without command they said also that when I thought to haue set on them with the fire-shippe and shotte vppon them that twenty men were kild in the Admirall seauen in Iohn Pintos shippe and eight in Iacomo de Mararis his cousins shippe wherein they went but what was done in the other shippes they knew not I perceiuing that there was no lading at Queda and that the enemy would not leaue his place of aduantage and that my time drew neere to go to the Molucques durst not stay any longer for Amboine was of force to be fortified whilst Ternate was taken in by those of Manilles where the Gouernor Don Pedro de Sousa with a thousand two hundred Spaniards and eight hundred Indians was come and had taken the King prisoner Therefore wee concluded that the Vice-admirall with the White Lyon and the great Sunne should goe for Achin to see if they by any meanes could make the like agreement with the King as wee had made with the King of Ihor and to giue the White Lion her full lading and so send her homeward as also for to take in his owne lading if hee might if not to goe presently for Bantam and there to take in their lading and so to returne home-ward if hee could bee ready against the last of February or the middle of March at the furthest and to send the great Sunne to the coastes of Cormandel but first to saile by Puncto de Galli vnder Celon and there to trafficke and stay vntill the last of February looking for the shippes of Bengale and other places which at that very time came from Couchien and then were to goe towards Masolipatan hoping that they shall finde trafficke enough for Pauwels van Sold beeing in the Shippe called Delfte hath as I vnderstood of the Portugales that were taken before Queda gotten three hundred bales of Cotten linnen painted and also some Pintados I intended to goe the inner waye to Bantam with sixe Ships to see if I can make agreement also with the King and from thence to take our voyage towards Amboyna and the Molucques for Amboyna must necessarily bee fortified and wee must trie once againe to get the Molucques Those of Banda play the beasts some resolution or other must bee taken for our men with their goods that are there not assured of their liues and the goods of the company are much endangered From thence we will make towards China and trye what we can doe there In the boate which I tooke before Malacca vpon the three and twentith of October I had seuen and thirtie bales most part linnen cloath and some Spanish Lether whereof seauen I sent by the same boate to Amboyna with foure thousand ryals foure and forty men and forty Negros and the halfe part of his lading of Rice that was spoyled and to goe to Maraza to buy good Rise Flesh and some Pintados or Cotton Painted cloath for to carry to Amboina and to tell them that I would follow after them in the end of December The other seuenteene Bales I gaue to our Saylers for a prize with a Bale of thred to make them the more willinger and readier to fight for that they had gotten but little bootie I hope we shall finde lading at Amboina and Banda for the Pintados or Cotton cloath of Panwels van Sold shall no doubt haue prepared some-thing for vs. I perceiue full well that wee shall haue long worke to doe about the Molucques and that the time will fall out too short for vs to goe to Mouson in China but time will teach vs what is to bee done if wee assure not Amboina all our labour is in vaine it is also against my opinion that the Spaniard should come thether The Generall Don Pedro de Sousa is made Marquis of Ternate The King that is taken is carryed to the West Indies but his sonne is leaft with the King of Sidor I was in good hope to haue performed some-thing but my armie is too much weakened and I finde what hurt I receiued from the ship that was burning before Malacca for there I lost the best men in my shippes it is a strange thing that they are so rashlye and rudely giuen to the spoile yet notwithstanding I must bee content and holde my peace Your worships may hereby perceiue how wee haue behaued our selues these nine moneths here in the Straights some-time fortunately and sometime crossely but alwayes haue done the best we could following your worships councell I neuer wanted will nor courage to doe any seruice for my countrie and though I haue not done as I would or desired yet I haue performed what I could as it is manifest by the premises I comfort my selfe with this saying That it is enough in great matters to will well the Tree falls not at the first blow if I could haue ouer-throwne those seauen shippes that lay still at Paulo Bouton our time had beene well spent but wee thought it not expedient to spendall our powder and munition Wee haue yet a long iourney to make wee must not bee too prodigall I haue written my whole minde to the generall companie what meanes there are to beginne warre againe The Almightie GOD giue vs a prosperous voyage that all our endeuours may tend to the good of our natiue countrey and of the worshipfull company The 6. of Ianuary 1607. FINIS
hee could fetch water when hee would and in our sight carryed his hurt men to Malacca wherevpon wee called a counsell together and resolued to goe to Ihor chiefly to release our ships for it seemed that our enemy could sayle better then wee as also to refresh out sicke men to make Bullets and to incourage the King this wee performed at Ihor which hath one of the best riuers of the world there wee made Bullets but could get but little refreshing for money I also incouraged the King of Ihor counselling him to fortifie his towne and shewed him how hee should doe it which at last was begunne and had soone beene finished if the Hollanders would haue wrought Wee departed thence the thirteene of October and the twentith came before Malacca and for the space of sixe dayes laye in sight of the Towne but could not approach neere vnto it by reason of the winde so that the enemy placed all his shipps being seauen Galeons and three Galleys for the fourth was shotte to peeces by Capo Rachado in a rowe and all his Canon on the one side Wee there-vpon taking counsell resolued to set vpon the enemy but because wee had little prouision of pouder and a long iourney to make home-ward and perceiuing that wee could not seperate their shippes with shooting wee agreed that three of our ships should boord them which I thought to haue done in the night time taking with mee the Sunne and the Froninee of Delse but could not by reason of the streame the morning beeing coole and cleere and fitte to take some-thing in hand the winde comming from the land and wee lying Northerly from the roade wee made saile meaning to fall vpon their shippe that lay most Southerly and most beneath the streame for the water began to turne but the winde was so sharpe that I could scant passe by the roade so that wee approached neere to Illa das noas and woond about it but could not set vpon any of them but vpon that which laye Northerliest which was the greatest Gallion next vnto the Vice-royes and had in her nineteene Brasse peeces and three Yron peeces a hundred and three score Portingales and as many Moores I willed my maister called Symon Lambrechtsz Man whom I had taken into my ship in the steed of Dirick Mol that was slaine to set vpon her Wee were forced to passe by all the shippes of the enemy not without some hurt vnto vs but I shotte not at all rescuing euery thing ready vntill our aboording but when wee were halfe way forward amongst the enemies ships my Maister and the Pylote counselled mee to turne our course to whō I made answer that I wanted no aduise nor counsaile to delay them of till wee were aboord the Gallion and so held on vntill we boorded her and so let a Dragge fall appointing ten Musquetters to keepe it and to hinder that the enemy should not loose it which the enemy sought to doe I willed them also to shoote continually towards their Mersch and from our Mersch and garnates I caused stones and fire-balles to bee cast whereby the enimie was driuen vnder his net And as soone as I had fastned vppon him the Sunne fell on his other side and the Prouince came behinde vs and brake his Spritt against the enemies shippes the Galion had an anchor before the flood and a cable fastned at the Vice-royes ship but the cable was presently cutte in peeces as also the cable that fastened the Viceroy vnto him and so wee draue together towards the Lee the other Portugales perceiuing that hoysed their sailes which was that which I aymed at to drawe them from the wall and made to sea-ward Wee fell vpon the Saint Nicholas and killed all the men except eight Portingalles that hidde them-selues vnder the Ballast and so wee tooke her My Maister and the Pilote sayd that it was not expedient that two of our shippes should be bound to one shippe and that wee should leaue the Sunne alone with it and fall vpon the Viceroy that drew neere vnto vs which counsell I liked not fearing to haue the like chance that I had with Henrico A little while after Roobol Maister of the great Sunne called vnto mee to pray mee to let him alone in the shippe and that hee would carry it to the Sea which I would not consent vnto but perceiuing that I could not doe any thing to my minde I leaft it and presently the weather was very calme the Portingales shippes laye loofe-ward from vs whereof one made towards the great Sunne but hee could not fearing to be clapt on boord by vs we perceiuing that the calme either hindred vs to come togither I sent a boate to Roobol willing him to set fire in the shippe where vnto hee answered that I should hold my peace and sayd hee would not do it in the meane time hee got him-selfe loose by what meanes I know not and hoysing vp his great sayle ranne more then a myle from the Fleete not once looking backe In the meane while two Portingale shippes boorded the Vize-admirall against whome came Mauritius and the Blacke Lion and behaued themselues so well that the one of th' enemies shippes was burnt and the other spoyled The Erasmus set vppon a portingale but they were presently separated againe and I sayling by him willed him to bord him againe which he did but they were presently seperated againe The great calme hindred mee that I could not come neere them after that a whirlewinde rysing scattered the shippes and with that Mauritius made towards the Portingale againe Erasmus and I also turning towards him which the Portingale perceiuing yeelded vnto vs where wee killed foure and forty Portingales and tooke out of her eight peeces of brasse and so set fire on hir In the shippe which the Vize-admirall burnt there was not so much as a catte or a dogge saued The shippe that Roobol did let go was driuen by the Gallies to the shoare and so the euening came vppon vs. The next morning the Vizeroys shippe lying formost I made towards him but my Maister and Pilot tolde mee that I could not reach him for which cause I made to the Galion Saint Symon that yeelded it selfe vnto mee for the men were most of them runne from him the Captaine with twenty men onely remaining in her out of her I tooke foureteene peeces some flesh wine and pouder and so set it on fire This thankes bee vnto GOD was the successe of our battaile without any great losse of men wee burnt three Gallions wherein many Gentlemen were slaine and aboue foure hundred Portingale souldiers as I was after informed by certaine intercepted letters wee our selues made our victory bloudy for our men were so diuilishly giuen so seeke after prey and bootie that rowing round about the Gallion that burnt they fell to ransacking the men that swum in the water whereby the fire got into the powder and burnt three of our boates