one of his sonnes who wee likewise tooke and sent to lande The Bishoppe was of Meca and much esteemed of among them a great Clearke and Gouernour ouer all the rest of the Countrey There was a Iewell found about him which as yet is kept About euening we hoysed ankers set sayle the 11. of December we came to two small Islands where wee ankered there wee founde none but poore people and fishermen that brought vs fish Hens other fruit to sell How farre they were from Moluccas The 13. wee set sayle and the 14. wee had a West winde which they call the passage winde that would haue serued vs well to saile to Moluccas from whence wee were not distant aboue two hundred miles and as then it was a good yeare for Cloues which happeneth euery three yeares It was told vs that we might there haue a Cabbin laden full of Cloues wherevpon wee determined to sayle thither but because wee had already indured a long and troublesome voyage and but ill manned wee woulde not longing to bee at home This contrary wind holding vppon the foure and twentie of December wee came to an Islande where we had beene before The 25. of December Iohn Molenaer maister of the Mauritius dyed sodainely for an hower before hee was well and in good health The 28. 29. 30. and 31. of December wee were busied to take all the wares sayles and other thinges out of the Amsterdam her victuailes and furnitures seruing for our voyage homewarde lying vnder that Island we had victuailes brought vs euery day as much as wee needed both fish Hens venison and fruit and at reasonable price but there we could get no water The Amsterdam set on fire The 11. of Ianuary when we had vnladen the Amsterdam we set her on fier letting her burne taking her men into our shippes The 12. of Ianuarie we set sayle again some desiring to sayle Eastward others Westward but in fine wee set Westwarde to sayle once againe to Bantam wherewith the Mauritius sayled Southeastwarde to gette about the Island of Iaua and we followed her The 14. of Ianuary we once againe perceyued the East point of the Island of Madura and held our course Southward on that side of Madura there lyeth many small Islandes through which we sayled The Pinace on ground The 16. in the morning our Pinace fell on grounde vpon the coast of Iaua not far from Pannorocan where she shotte off three peeces at the which warning wee made thither with our boates and by the helpe of God got her off againe There we saw a high hil that burnt vnder and aboue the fire hauing a great smoake most strange to behold The 18. of Ianuary we entered into the straight that runneth betweene Iaua and Baly and by reason of the hard contrary streame that ran therin we were forced to anker vpon the coast of Iaua where wee found good anker ground The 19. wee set sayle and when wee came neere to the coast of Baly we entered into a rough streame and our shippes draue backeward as swiftly as an arrow out of a bow and there we found no anker ground nor any anker could haue holden vs but Molenaer got the coast of Iaua and ankered which in the ende wee likewise did and ankered at the least three miles from him and so much we had driuen backe in the space of halfe an houre The 20. of Ianuarie wee went and lay by our other ships The 21. of Ianuarie there came two barkes to the Mauritius wherein there was one that coulde speake good Portingall who tolde vs that the towne of Ballaboam was besieged by a strange King that had marryed the King of Ballaboams daughter and after he had laine with her he caused her to bee slaine and then came to besiege her father This towne of Ballaboam lyeth on the East end of the Island of Iaua and is the same towne where M. Candish was when hee passed that way and the old King wherof he writeth was as then yet liuing being at the least 160. years of age There we saw great numbers of Battes that flew ouer our shippes and were as bigge as Crowes which in that Countrey they vse to eat as they say About noone we came before the towne of Ballaboam so neare vnto it that we might easily see it and there we lay behind a high point of lande thinking to take in water The 22. of Ianuarie we tooke our Pinace and sayled about the shore as neere the land as possible we might to seeke for fresh water but we found none for the Riuer that ran through the towne was paled vp by them that lay before it so that no man might passe either out or in but onely on the lande side and that with great daunger The same day there came 2. or 3. men abord our shippe that stole out of the towne by night and came from the King to desire our help with our great shot which wee coulde not doe because that thereabouts it was very shallow and we might not go neere it with our shippes they tolde vs they had great want of victuailes within the towne whereby many of them were already deade for hunger and much desired our aide but it was not in vs to doe Those that besieged the towne were Mores but they in the towne were heathens and as yet had not receyued Mahomets lawe and that as wee heard after was the cause of their warre There wee sawe many Storkes flying and sitting in the fielde with vs we cannot imagaine where the Storkes remaine in winter time but here wee sawe them in the winter time The 24. of Ianuarie we sayled from thence perceyuing nothing for vs to get and tooke our course right ouer to the Island of Bally The 25. we came to Bally where one of their barks borded vs telling vs that there we should find a Riuer of fresh water and of all thinges els sufficient to serue our necessities wherevpon wee ankered The 26. of Ianuarie our Pinace sent her boat to land to see the Riuer and there one of our men was sent on shore but when he was on land he found nothing but an armie of ten thousand men that ment to relieue the towne of Ballaboam and the Riuer was nothing worth to lade water wherevpon our men came on borde againe Their Generall thought to haue gotten some great pray out of our shippes The 27. of Ianuarie we set sayle to finde a conuenient place to refresh vs with water and other prouision for wee were informed by a man of Bengala that of his owne will sayled with vs and that had beene in Bally that there wee should finde water and other thinges to serue our necessities so that by night wee ankered vnder a high pointe of lande on the South west ende of Bally The 28. of Ianuary one of their boates borded vs with sixe or seuen men saying that their King was
desirous to deale with vs for such wares as hee had and sent to know from whence we came and we saide wee came out of Holland The 29. and 30. there came more men aborde our shippes but as wee suspected that was not the right hauen for the people came rowing in great haste a far off and the man of Bengala could not tell what to say but the King was thereabout and euery day sent vs some fruit The first of February wee had two hogges brought aborde our shippes that wee bought for two Ryalles of eyght and we eate them very sauerly The 2. of Februarie we set saile that wee might get aboue the point where wee thought to finde a better place for freshe water but by reason the winde was contrary wee coulde not doe it but were forced to anker againe The 3. of February we set saile againe and then wee had a storme so that our saile blew euery way and because of the contrarie winde we could not reach aboue the point but were constrained to anker but the Mauritius and the Pinace got past it although thereby the Mauritius was in no little daunger but because the Pilot had laid a wager of 6. Rialles of 8. that hee woulde get aboue it hee would passe what daunger soeuer it might be and sayled close along by the cliffes whereby wee lay at anker without companie The 4. and 5. wee set saile once againe to get aboue the point but could not reach it The 6. we had a letter from Rodenburgh that certified vs how the Mauritius lay at anker at the least 7. or 8. miles beyond the point and he that brought the letter came with it ouer land and at the same time there was a man sent on lande with a small present for the King that we might winne his fauour The 7. our man came on borde againe and brought vs newes how Rodenburgh with one of the Portingalles slaues being on lande were against their willes led before the King but the saylors of the Mauritius had gotten men for pledges The 8. of Ianuarie the same man went on land out of our shippe with more presentes of veluet and a caliuer the better to get the Kinges fauour which liked him well and desired vs to bring the ship nearer to the towne saying he would send vs water and other things sufficient to supply our wants The 9. we sayled into the cheeke with our shippe ankered about a small halfe mile from the land being ankered there came at the least 70. boates of the Countrie to see our ship and the King sent vs word that hee was desirous to heare vs shoote off 5. or 6. of our great peeces wherevppon wee shot fiue of our greatest peeces and the King stoode vppon the shore to see them The 10. we had a letter from Cornelis Houtman to wil vs to come to them for that there they had founde a good place for water and of all other necessaries so that about euening wee set sayle leauing two of our men and a Portingall slaue among the Indians whome the King promised should come vnto vs ouer land yet that night wee could not reach aboue the point meane time we perceyued our Pinace that came to helpe vs. The 16. we got by the Mauritius that had already laden in her water and hooped her vessels wherevpon we began presently to do the like and to visite our vessels that were almost spoyled The 17. our men whome wee left with the King came ouer land vnto our shippes and then we bought great store of cattle and fruit The 18. 19. 20. and 21. wee imployed our time to lade water which wee had verie easily and refreshed our selues with Cattle Hogges fruit and Lemons sufficient There came one of the Kinges principall officers with our men ouer land to pleasure vs in all things we desired he was very desirous to haue some present of vs. The 22. of Ianuarie two of our men that sayled in the Mauritius stayed on lande but wee knewe not the cause it should seeme some great promises had beene made vnto them for as we vnderstoode the King was very desirous to haue all sortes of strange nations about him Two of our men stayed with the Indians but our people were therein much ouerseene for there they liued among heathens that neyther knewe God nor his commandementes it appeared that their youthes and wilde heades did not remember it one of their names was Emanuel Rodenburgh of Amsterdam the other Iacob Cuyper of Delft within a day or two they sent vnto vs for their clothes but wee sent them not The 23. 24. and 25. we made a voyage on land and fetcht as many Hogges abord our shippes as we could eate The 25. of Februarie we hoysed ankers minding to set saile so go homeward leauing our 2. men aforesaid on land but because it was calme weather we ankered and went once againe on lande and the 26. of the same Month wee set saile and helde our course West South west but we had a calme The situation of the Island of Baly THe Island of Baly lying at the East end of Iaua is a verie fruitfull Islande of Ryce Hennes Hogges that are verie good and great store of cattle but they are very drie and leane beastes They haue many horses the inhabitantes are heathens and haue no religion for some pray to Kine others to the Sunne and euerie man as hee thinketh good How 50. women burnt them selues with one man When a man dyeth his wife burneth her selfe with him there were some of their men aborde our shippes that told vs that when some man dyeth in that Countrey that sometimes there are at the least fifty women that will burne themselues with him and she that doth not so is accounted for a dishonest woman so that it is a common thing with them The apparel both of men and women is for the most part like those of Bantam nothing but a cloth about their middles Their weapons is each man a poinyarde at their backes and a trunke with an iron point like a speare about a fadom and a halfe long out of the which they blowe certaine arrowes whereof they haue a case full it is an euil weapon for naked men they are enemies to the Mores and Portingalles This Island yeeldeth no spice nor any other costly ware onely victuailes and clothes which they weare about their bodies and slaues that are there to be solde The King went with more state then the King of Bantam all his garde had pikes with heades of fine gold and he sate in a wagon that was drawen by 2. two white Buffles The first of March we had a calme The third we got a good wind that blew Southeast holding our course West South west The fourteenth the wind blew stil South east sometimes more Southwarde and sometimes Eastward being vnder 14. degrees and a good sharpe gale holding our course West Southwest
called Manancabo where they make poinyardes and daggers by them calde cryses which are much esteemed in those Countries and those of Malacca and Iaua hold them for their best weapons and with them are very bold The same day our Pinnace returned againe vnto vs bringing vs good newes that wee were welcome vnto the Countrey people and brought vs certaine Indian Nuttes or Cocus Melons Cocombers Onions Garlicke and a sample of Peper and other spices which liked vs well The fourteenth of Iune we laded in some fresh water IAVA MAIOR The 15. of Iune there rowed a scute called a Prawen harde vnder the lande by vs wee called him but not against his will and shewed him siluer and other wares that liked him well he bad vs make towards the strand and told vs of Bantam saying that there we should haue al kinds of Marchandise Then we made signs vnto him taht if he wold bring vs to Bantam we wold pay him for his labor he asked vs 5. rialles of 8. and a red cap which we graunted vnto and so one of the men in the scute came on bord the Mauritius and was our Pilot to Bantam where we passed by many Islandes The nineteenth of Iuly as wee sailed by a towne many Portingalles borded vs and brought vs certaine Cocus and Hens to sell which wee bought for other wares The 22. of the same Month wee came before the towne of Bantam within three miles of it and there ankered vnder an Island The same day about euening a scute of Portingals borded vs that were sent by the Gouernour to see what ships we were when we shewed them that wee came thither to traficke with them they told vs that there was the right Pepper country that there we might haue our lading that new Pepper was readie to be gathered and would be ripe within two Monthes after which pleased vs well for wee had already beene fifteene Monthes and twelue daies vppon our voyage hauing endured great daungers miseries and thirst many of our men by sicknesse being dead The 23. of Iune wee hoysed our ankers and went close to the towne of Bantam and ankered harde by 4. small Islands that lie right North from the Towne the same day the Sabandar who is there one of the greatest officers next the King came abord our shippes asking vs what we would haue we said we were come to buy Pepper and other spyces and that wee had readie money and certaine wares whereof we shewed him some parte which hee liked well saying that there wee might haue lading enough shewing vs great countenance The same day likewise there came a great number of scutes vnto our ships bringing all kinds of victuailes to sel as Hennes Egges Cocus Bonanas sugar canes Cakes of Ryce baked and many other thinges The 24. of Iune there came many men aborde our ships bringing diuers wares to sell shewing vs great friendshippe and as it seemed were very glad of our arriuall there telling vs that there we might haue Pepper enough and new Pepper within two Months after and that Pepper was then as good cheap as it had beene any time within ten yeares before that wee might buy 5. or 6. sackes for one Catti being about 20. Guilderns which was ordinarily sold but one sacke for that price euery sacke wayeth 54. pounde Hollandes waight so that a pounde would be worth about a brasse penie Hollands money The same day about noone the Sabandar borded vs once againe willing Cornelis Houtman to go on land to speake with the Gouernour for as then there was no King for about a Month before our arriuall there the King was gone with a great armie before the towne of Palimbam which hee thought to take and had almost gotten it but there he was striken with a great Peece by a Renigado of the Portingalles and so was slaine His death was much lamented by the straungers that dwelt at Bantam for he was a good king being about 25. years of age he left behind him foure wiues whereof the eldest was not aboue 15. yeares of age and a yong sonne of three Monthes olde that was to succeed him in his Kingdome and they had chosen a Protector or Gouernor to rule in his minoritie whom they call Kipate and when the Kipate by the Sabandar sent to our Sargeant Maior to come vnto him into the towne he made him answer that he had no such commission but he desired the Gouernor first to come abord his ship and then he would go on shore he likewise desired vs to go neerer to the towne with our shippes THe Towne of Bantam in the Island of Iaua as our foure shippes lay before it A. is the barre of the Riuer that was shutte vp by it all wares passed both in and out and the next house vnto it is the custome house B. the Hollanders lodging where we receyued and sold our wares C. is the walles of the towne of Bantam al made with flankers vpon them lay great store of brasse peeces which when they shot at vs did not much hurt vs because they knew not wel how to vse them the wal is not aboue two foot thicke made of brickes and at euery place where the peeces lyeth there are places made of mastes and other wood which they vse for defence against the enemies D. are the Portingalles houses E. the Pepper market F. the Hollanders market G. the pomegranat market H. the apparell market I. the porseline market K. the great market which is also the Burse where many nations do meet L. the Fish market M. the hogge market N. the Chinars houses O. their Church or Mostua P. a skirmish betweene our Pinace and 24. of their boates that came towardes vs like a halfe Moonâ— all full of men armed with bowes and speares with some bases making to the Pinace that lay on grounde vnder an Islande where it wound off 17. of them being on the larborde and 7. on the starre borde of her so neare that they thrust their spears in at her portes but those of the Pinace shewed themselues like men shooting brauely against them both with great shot and Caliuers for they could hardly shoot in vaine and hauing hoised saile she came to the shippes againe in dispight of all her enemies that were in great numbers and had compassed her about like sconces And therevpon wee sayled somewhat neerer to the Island that lay next vnto the towne within halfe a mile from it there we ankered at 4. fadome clay grounde the towne lying South from vs where wee had a good roade The Gouernor of Bantam came abord their ships The next morning the Gouernor sent aborde and the men that came spake not onely good Portingal but other languages he let our Sargeant Maior vnderstand that he would come aborde and desired that hee woulde with a shalop meet him halfe the way which was done about noone and the Gouernour came aborde with a great
for now there is not any trade of marchandise The fourteenth of Nouember wee sent two of our men into the towne hauing some of theirs in pawne who tolde vs that many of the inhabitantes were gone out of the towne with all their goodes being in great feare of our peeces and there wee had great store of victuailes and much more then wee required brought abord our ships The 18. wee set saile from Iacatra and being about two miles from the towne our shippe called Amsterdam fell vppon a cliffe but it got off againe without any hurt and therewith wee presently made towardes the straight The 2. of December we passed by 3. townes which we might easily perceiue we likewise passed by Tubam and ankered vnder Sidaya The 3. of December there came men out of the towne desired vs to stay saying that there we might haue Cloues Nutmegs as many as we woulde bringing certaine banketting stuffe as a present from their King vnto Scheâ—lengers ship because it lay nearest to the land and they came most abord it The 4. of December they came again into Schellengers ship bringing certaine presentes with them and among the rest a certayne birde that coulde swallowe fyer which is a very strange fowle and was brought aliue to Amsterdam which after was giuen to the states of Hollande lying in the Hage and some good fruites willing vs to sende a man on shore to see their spices whereof they said they had great store wherevpon we sent a man out of the Amsterdam and with him an interpreter one of the Portingalles slaues they leauing three or foure of their men aborde our shippes for pawnes till his returne when our man came to lande hee was well vsed and there they shewed him fortie or fiftie bals of Cloues which done they brought him before the King that promised him great fauor and told him that the next day he wold himselfe come aborde our ships and deale with our Captaines and with that he let our man depart The 5. of December we expected the Kinges comming aborde putting out all our flagges and streamers and about noone there came 8. or 9. indifferent great shippes full of men from off the shore wherein wee thought the King to bee but when they were almost at vs they diuided themselues three of them rowing to Shellengers ship and when they borded him they thinking the King had been there Reymer van Hel as Factor and the Maister came forth to receyue him but the Iauers entering all at once Reymer van Hel said What will all these people doe aborde the shippe for there was at the least two hundred men who all at one time drewe out their poinyardes and stabbed our men that neuer suspected them so that presently they had slaine twelue of the shippe and two sore wounded that boldly withstoode them the rest of our men being vnder hatches presently tooke their pikes and thrust so fast out at the grates How the Indians betrayed theÌ„ that the Iauers woulde haue forced the middle part of the ship wherein was two entries but our men standing at them with their swordes in hande draue them out not ceasing still to thrust vp with their pikes meane time they kindled fier lighted their matches shot off their stone peeces that lay aboue the hatches wherwith they began presently to flie most of them leaping ouer bord and swam to their two boates that lay harde by our shippes whereof one with a great peece was presently striken in peeces The rest of our ships hearing vs shoote in that manner entered into their boats and made towardes them rowing harde to the three Indian fustes wherein were at the least 100. men and shotte among them with their peeces wherewith they leapt into the water euery man swimming to shore and we with two boates after them hewing and killing them as our deadly enemies who vnder pretence of friendshippe sought to murther vs and wee handled them in such sort that of two hundred men there got not aboue thirty of them to lande the rest of their fustes lay farre off and beheld the fight Three of their fustes thought to rowe to the Pinace to take her which they might easily haue done as hauing not aboue 7. or 8. men in her being busie to set vppe a newe maste but when they perceyued their men to bee so handeled in the Amsterdam and that they leapt ouer borde they turned backe againe and in great haste rowed to land so that at that time they got not much by the bargaine and no small griefe to vs for there wee lost 12. men that were all stabbed with poinyards their names were Iohn Iacobson Schellenger maister of the ship Reymer van hel Factor Gielis Gieleson Gentleman Barent The names of their men that were stabed Bonteboter Arent Cornedrager Cornelis van Alcmuer Simon Ianson Wiltschut Ioos the Carpenter Adrian de Metselar one of the Portingalles slaues and two boyes whereof one was but twelue yeares olde whereby wee perceyued them to be a kinde of cruell people for they had giuen the little boy and all the rest of our men at the least 12. stabbes a peece after they were dead The same day about euening we hoysed ankers and set saile hauing manned the Amsterdam with men out of our other shippes and so helde our course Eastward The 6. of December we came to a great Island called Madura where we ankered and in the euening two of their men came aborde our shippes with message from their Gouernour saying that we were welcome desiring vs to stay there for he would trafficke with vs and sell vs some Pepper as they saide but wee belieued them not The 7. of December there came another boat abord bringing certaine fruites saying that the next day their Gouernour would come to see our shippes The 8. there came a great fuste and three smal boats from off the land all full of men saying their Gouernor was among them we willed them not to goe to the Amsterdam but to the Mauritius but they woulde not but made to the Amsterdam thinking because there had beene so many murthered in her there was not many men aborde her at that time and when they were within a pykes length of her although they were directed to the other shippes they remembring their late mischance shotte off three or foure stone Peeces full laden wherewith they slew and hurt many of the Indians wherevpon they presently leapt ouer bord wee with our boates followed after and slew diuers of them taking ten or twelue thinking by them to know what their intent was to doe but they coulde not certifie vs and therefore we let them go againe onely keeping two boyes who long after stole out of the shippe and swamme to lande They tolde vs that the Gouernour being a Bishoppe or chiefe instructor of the countrey was within the boate and slaine among the rest hee had therein likewise a little boy
men and the next day we were assayled by a company of wild men against whom our weapons little preuayled for they hurt one of our men and tooke all that we had from vs whereby vpon the thirteenth of the same Month wee were forced to insconse ourselues with peeces of wood and braunches of trees making Cabins within our Sconse for that the 15. of October they came againe but then we tooke one and slew another of them The 19. of Nouember our Pilot Claes Ianson was intrapped and murthered by the wild people although we vsed all the means we could to helpe him but they feared no weapons about ten or twelue dayes after we tooke one of them that paide for his death The first of December our men hauing for the most part recouered their healthes were all carryed aborde the ships The maner custome of the wild people in that parte of Madagascar the people are of good condition and goe naked onely with a Cotton cloth before their priuie members and some from their breasts downward Their ornaments are Copper ringes about their armes but Tin rings are more esteemed with them and therefore Tinne with them is good Marchandise Their Oxen haue great lumpes of fat vpon their backes Their sheepes tayles way at the least twelue pound being of an elle long two and twentie inches thick They gaue vs six of those sheepe for a tinne Spoone They dwel in cottages and liue very poorely they feare the noyse of a peece for with one Caliuer you shall make an hundred of them runne away Wee coulde not perceyue any religion they had but after wee were informed that they helde the law of Mahomet for the two boyes that wee tooke from of the land shewed vs their circumcision There we found no fruit of Tambaxiumes but great numbers of Parrats Medicats and Turtle Doues whereof we killed and eat many The second of December we burned our Sconse and fourteene of our men going further into the Islande brought certaine of the countreymen prisoners and being abord our ships taught them what they shoulde doe The thirteenth of December wee hoysed anker minding to holde on our course for the Islands of Iaua for that by reason of the pleasantnesse of the ayre we had in a manner all recouered our healthes we set our course East and by North and East Northeast The nineteenth of the same Month wee were seperated by foule weather the 22. with great ioy we met againe The tenth of Ianuarie Vechter Willemson dyed being a verie honest man and Pilot in Molenaers shippe for whome we were much grieued and the same day we determined to put back againe for the Islande of S. Laurence for as then wee began againe to haue a great scouring among our men and many of them fell sicke The wilde men brought things aborde to comfort them But presently therevpon we espied the Islande of Saint Mary and the next day being arriued there some of the inhabitants came abord out shippes with a basket of Ryce Sugar canes Citrons Lemons Hens whereof we were very glad as being phisicke for vs. The 13. 14. 15. 16. and 17. dayes we were on land where we bought Ryce Hens Sugar-canes Citrons and Lemons in great aboundance and other kinde of fruites to vs vnknowne also good fish and greene Ginger There we tooke a Fish which thirteen men could hardly pull into our shippe and because the Island was little and we had many men wee entred into the Bay of the firme land with our Pinnace where for a string of Beades of small value we had a tunne of Ryce The discription of one of their kings The King came abord our Pinnace to see it was as blacke as a Deuill with two hornes made fast vpon his heade and all his body naked like the rest of the countrey people This Island lyeth about a small mile from Madagascar about 19. degrees Southward from the Equinoctiall line Madagascar or S. Laurence is an Islande belonging to the Countrey of Africa and lyeth Southwarde vnder 26. degrees ending Northwarde vnder 11. degrees by the inhabitants it is called Madagascar by the Portingalles the Islande of S. Laurence because it was discouered on S. Laurence day The riches of this Island is great it aboundeth in Ryce Honnie Waxe Cotton Lemons Cloues c. The inhabitantes are blacke and go naked but the haire vpon their heades is not so much curled as those of the Mosambique they are not ful so blacke The wilde people came on borde their ships and seemed very friendy The 23. of Ianuary we ankered before a Riuer where likewise we had all kind of necessaries and after that we went to lie vnder a small Islande within the same Bay The 25. of Ianuarie there came some of the wild people aborde our ships making signes to haue vs go on land which we did and there we had good Ryce other fruits in great abundance on the left side of the entry of the Riuer lyeth one of their Townes and on the right hand two townes where we had most of our trafique The 26. of Ianuarie wee had interpreters whom we made to drink wine wherewith they were as drunk as beastes The manner condition of the people inhabiting in the great Bay of Antogil on this side the Equinoctiall line vnder 16. degrees on the South side of the Island Madagascar IT is a very great Bay about ten mile broade behind it lyeth a high Island and three small Islands there is good harbour against all windes The Island is inhabited and therein groweth all kindes of fruites it hath a great fall of water that commeth down out of the hilles where we laded all our water and halfe a mile from thence within the land there runneth a great Riuer wherein likewise there is much water to be had when you enter into the Riuer about a quarter of a mile inward on the left hand ther is a smal towne or village not closed nor fortified in it there is about 200. houses on the right hand where the Riuer diuideth it selfe there is two other such Townes They were all compassed with palles and the houses were placed about two foote aboue the ground vpon foure or fiue palles or stakes of wood and all the vpper partes of reede and strawe Why their houses stand so high aboue the earth The cause why their houses are made so high from the ground is to auoide the danger of venemous beastes that are there in great aboundance as Serpents Snakes Camelions and other kindes of beastes The maner of the wilde men in that countrey The people are very blacke but their hayre and beardes are not so much curled as the right Mores nor their noses nor lippes so great nor flat They are subtill and strong people much addicted to drinking for they will bee as drunke as Swine with a kind of drinke made of Honie Ryce
to sende two men aborde our ships which done we were to pay the halfe of our ransome and vpon the payment thereof they shoulde set halfe of our men at liberty and that halfe of our men being come aborde wee were to pay the other halfe of our ransome which was 1000. Ryalles of eyght which being performed their two men and their other halfe of our men were on both sides to bee deliuered and sette free and without contradiction it was performed The 12. and 13. this agreement being ended diuers victuailers came aborde our shippes to sell vs Hennes Egges and all other kind of victuailes The 14. we gaue certaine presentes in signe of good will to such as had shewed vs fauour when we were in contention with them The 15. 16. 17. and 18. some of our Factors went into the towne where they bought certaine Pepper brought it abord our ships The 19. they went again into the towne bought a greater quantitie at 5. sackes for one Catti minding in that sorte euery day to take in our lading but it fell not out as wee desired for the Portingalles that coulde not brooke our company made such means to the Gouernour that he gaue commandement that we should buy no more Pepper before we had paide 1400. Rialles of 8. which he challenged of vs because we had cast anker within his streame whereupon our Marchantes went and agreed with him which done wee thinking to buy Pepper as we did before Why the Gouernor forbad vs trafficke the Gouernour againe commanded to the contrarie whereby we perceyued their deceipt in that he wold not hold his word The country men would gladly haue solde their Pepper as also the Chinars Arabians Mahometitians and secretly some Portingalles but when we saw wee could not get it out but with great daunger wee thought it not conuenient to buy and when we spake vnto the Gouernour touching the holding of his worde he made vs answere that he had no bones in his tongue and that therefore he could speake that which he ment not to doe and to say the truth most part of the Iauars are a kind of deceitfull people for whatsoeuer they say and presently performe that shall you be sure of and no more The 25. of October there came an Ambassador into Bantam sent from Malacca to the Gouernor with a present of 10000. Rials of 8. desiring him to forbid vs both his towne and streame that wee might not traffique there Whereof wee were aduertised by the Sabandar and other of our friendes counselling our men to get them out of the towne and not to returne again otherwise they would be in daunger to be stayed againe and we hauing sent a man into the towne to saue him from being holden prisoner our host where we lay being on shore was forced to bring him out couered with certaine mattes so that vppon the 26. of the same month all our trafficke and friendship with them ceased but our hoast being our friende came secretly aborde our ships and shewed vs that he and his company had two ships lying before the towne laden with Nutmegges and Mace that came from Banda for the which hee agreed with vs at a price vpon condition that we should seeme to take them by force that thereby he might colour his dealing with vs wherevpon the first of Nouember we sailed close to the towne with all our ships How they tooke two Iauan ships and set vpon the two Iauan shippes wherein we found to the number of 30. slaues that knew nothing of their maisters bargaine made with vs so that they began to resist vs wherewith we shot among them and presently slew 4. or 5. of them the rest leapt ouer borde and swamme to land which done we tooke the two ships and put their lading into ours They fought with a Portingall shippe The Portingalles shippe that brought their Ambassadour lay close vnder the shore wherevnto we sent two of our boats but the Portingals that were in her shot so thicke with their peeces vppon our men that our boates were forced to leaue them with losse of one of our men but our shippes shot in such sorte with their ordinance vppon the Portingall shippe that they spoyled and brake it in peeces wherein their Captaine was slaine and the victuailers that stil brought vs victuailes to sell tolde vs that with our peeces we had slain three or foure men within the towne that the townes men began to make an armie of ships to set vpon vs. They fought with a Iauan shippe The 2. of Nouember we espyed a shippe that came toward Bantam which we ioyned vnto with our boats and being neere vnto it they spread their fights which were of thicke mattes and began to defend themselues our men shot among them with stone peeces and Caliuers and they defended themselues with great courage hauing halfe pikes wherewith they thrust at vs that serued likewise to blow arrowes out of them for they were like trunkes out of the which trunkes they shot so great numbers of arrowes that they fell as thick as hayle and shotte so certainely that therewith they hurt at the least eyght or nine of our men but the arrowes are thinne and light so that their blaste coulde not make them enter into the flesh aboue the thicknes of two fingers onely the head of the arrowe which is made of reede and loose stayeth in the flesh when we shot with our Caliuers they runne behind their fightes but whē they perceiued that their matted fights could not defende them and that they were killed through them they entered into their boate and by strength of oares rowed from vs leauing their shippe wherein we founde two dead men and we slew three more of them as we rowed after their boat so that in all they lost fiue men as we after heard and that they were to the number of 40. which done wee brought their shippe to ours wherein we found good store of Ryce and dryed fish The 6. of Nouember perceyuing not any hope of more trafficke for vs with those of Bantam wee hoised anker and set sayle setting our course towardes the straight of Sunda The marchants follow them with wares The seuenth of Nouember wee came and ankered before a Riuer of freshe water about sixe miles from Bantam where wee tooke in our prouision of water thither certaine Merchants followed vs with Porseline telling vs that they were sory for our departure that they longed for our returne againe The thirteenth of Nouember wee set sayle and about euening wee came before Iacatra in time past called Sunda Calapa which hath beene a rich Towne of marchandise but vppon some occasions and by reason of their hard vsage the Marchants had withdrawen themselues from thence therefore at this present there is little or nothing to doe Iohn Hughen in his booke saith this to be the principal towne of trafficke but that is long sithence
The situation of Iaua There we found that Iaua is not so broade nor stretcheth it selfe not so much Southwarde as it is set dovvne in the Carde for if it were we should haue passed clean through the middle of the land The 22. of March the winde helde as it did being vnder 19. degrees holding our course West South west The 19. of April our ship had no more bread left but for our last partition euery man had seuen pound both good and badde breade and from that time forwarde our meate was Rice sodden in water and euery man had a canne of water euery day with three romers of wine and weekely each man three romers or glasses of oyle and that very strong and nothing els The 20. we had a calme the 21. a calme with a Northerne aire The 23. a good wind that blew Southwest The 24. we saw the firme lande of Aethiopia being vnder 33 degrees and as wee gessed wee were then about an hundred miles from the Cape de bona Sperance yet we thought we had been at the least three hundred miles from it so that wee may say that God wrought wonderfully for vs for that if wee had fallen by night vpon the land we had surely runne vpon it wee had a good winde out of the West and West Southwest The 25. of Aprill in the morning wee had a calme with a very hollow water at euening we had a good winde that came North and Northeast and although wee had so good a vvind yet our shippe bare but little sayle although the other two shippes of our company were at the least two mile before vs for most part of the night wee sayled with our schouer saile holding our course Southwest by West The 26. of Aprill in the morning we coulde not see our shippes which pleased not our men besides that our shippe was very weake whereby her ribs shoke and her ioynts with the force of the water opened and shut so that as then our shippe was very leake hauing the winde Northwest holding our course as neere as wee could West Southwest and then we put out our maine sayles at noone the winde came West with a great storme so that most of our sayles blew in peeces and so wee draue forward with out sayles The 27. of Aprill still driuing without sayle with a West winde wee were vnder thirty sixe degrees so that we found that the streame draue vs South South West The 28. of Aprill still driuing without sailes we had the height of 36. degrees and 20. minutes and about euening we hoised saile againe the winde being West Southwest we held our course Northwest with very hollow water The 29. of April we could not as yet see our shippes the wind being West The 30. of Aprill we had fayre weather with a West and west South west wind and then we saw many great birdes with white billes which is a signe not to bee far from the Cape de bona Sperance we likewise saw certain small birdes speckled on their backes and white vpon their breasts The first of May wee had a South vvinde with fayre weather hauing 34. degrees and a halfe holding our course West Southwest The seconde of May wee vvere vnder 35. degrees and ½ holding our course West and West and by North. The fourth of May we found our selues to be vnder 37. degrees South South east winde our course being West and by North and West North west The 5. and 6. of May we had all one winde at noone being vnder 35. degrees wee thought wee had past the Cape and held our course Northwest towardes Saint Helena still without sight of our ships The 8. of May with a South wind wee helde North West and by West Signes of the Cape de bona Speranza The 9. we had a calme with a gray sky and were vnder 31. degrees and twentie minutes and then our portion of oyle was increased a glasse more euery weeke so that euery man had foure glasses The 10. we had stil south winds were vnder 29. deg The 14. of Aprill twice or thrice we saw reedes called Trombos driuing on the water being such as driue about the Cape de bona Speranza which wee thought verie strange for that the Portingals write that they are seene but thirtie myles from the Cape and wee gest our selues to be at the least 200. beyond it The 15. we still had a South east wind helde our course Northwest The 16. of Aprill in the morning we saw two ships whereat we much reioyced thinking they had beene our companie we made to leewarde of them and the smallest of them comming somewhat neere vs about the length of the shotte of a great peece shee made presently toward her fellow whereby we perceiued them to bee French men yet wee kept to leeward thinking they would haue come spoken with vs but it should seeme they feared vs and durst not come but held their course Northeast at noone we had the height of 22. degrees and 50. minutes with a Southeast wind holding our course Northwest The 17. of May wee were vnder 21. degrees and a halfe the 18. the wind being Southerly we vvere vnder 19. degrees and a halfe The 19. and 20. we had a calme with a Southern are SANCTA HELENA The 21. the ayre comming Southwest we held our course Northwest and were vnder 17. degrees and ⅔ partes There we found the compasse to decline three quarters of a strike or line North eastward after noone we had a Southeast wind and our course West Northwest The 22. of May we had still a Southeast winde and were vnder the height of 16. degrees and 40. minutes holding our course West Northwest The 23. of May by reason of the cloudy sky about noone we could not take the height of the Sunne but as we gest we had the height of the Island of S. Helena and held our course West and by South to keepe vnder that height for there the compasses decline a whole strike or line in the euening we found that we were vnder 16. degrees The 24. of May in the morning wee discouered a Portingall ship that stayed for vs and put out a flagge of truce and because our flagge of truce was not so readie as theirs and we hauing the wind of him therefore he shot two shootes at vs and put forth a flagge out of his maine top and we shot 5. or 6. times at him and so held on our course without speaking to him hauing a South east winde holding our course West and by South to find the Island of S. Helena which the Portingal likewise sought The 25. of May we discouered the Island of S. Helena but we could not see the Portingal ship still sayling with a stiffe Southeast wind about euening we were vnder the Island which is very high lande and may be seene at the least 14. or 15. miles off and as
Northeast and by East The second of August one of our men called Gerrit Cornelison of Spijckenes died being the first man that dyed in our voyage homeward The 4. of August we had a Northwest wind The 5. of August in the morning the winde came Southwest and we were vnder 47. degrees holding our course Northeast and the North Northeast and wee gest that vvee vvere not farre from the channell those dayes aforesaid vve had so great colde in our shippes as if it had beene in the middle of winter We could not be warme with all the clothes wee had The same day we saw Sargosse driue vpon the water They saw a shippe with the Prince of Prince of Oranges flagge The 6. of August we had a West wind in the morning cast out our lead and found grounde at 80. fadome and about noone we saw a shippe that bare the Princes flagge yet durst not come neare vs although we made signes vnto him and after noone wee saw the land of Heissant whereat we all reioyced The 7. of August in the morning we saw the land of Fraunce and held our course North northeast and likewise vve saw a small shippe but spake not vvith it The 8. of August in the morning vve savv the Kiskas and had a South vvind and somevvhat West holding our course East Northeast They saw a man of war The 9. of Augst vve entered the heades and past them vvith a Southvvest vvind sayling Northeast After noone we past by a man of vvarre being a Hollander that lay at anker and hee hoysed anker to follow vs about euening vvee spake with him but because of the wind wee coulde hardly heare what hee sid yet hee sailed on with vs. The man of war gaue them victuailes The 10. of August the man of warre borded vs with his boat and brought vs a barrell of Beere some bread and Cheese shewing vs what news he could touching the state of Holland and presently wee sawe the land of Holland because it blew very stiffe a great storme after noone wee ankered about Petten to stay for better weather and some new Pilots that was the first time we had cast anker for the space of 5. monthes together about euening it beganne to blow so stiffe that wee lost both an anker and a cable The 11. of August we had still a Southerly winde therefore about noone the Mauritius set saile and wee thought likewise to saile but our men were so weake that we could not hoyse vp our anker so that we were constrained to lie still till men came out to helpe vs about euening the winde came Southwest and with so great a storme that we thought to haue run vpon the strand They cut down their main mast and were forced to cut downe our maine maste The 12. and 13. we had a hard South west wind sometimes West so that no Pilots came abord our ship but the 13. day about euening it began to be faire weather The 14. of August about breake of day in the morning there came two boats with Pilots and men abord our ship that were sent out by our owners brought vs some fresh victuailes which done they hoysed vp our ankers and about noone we sayled into the Tessel and ankered in the channell where we had fresh victuailes enough for we were all very weake This was a great noueltie to all the Marchantes and inhabitantes of Hollande for that wee went out from thence the second of April 1595. and returned home again vpon the 14. of August 1597. there you might haue bought of the Pepper Nutmegs Cloues and Mace which vvee brought vvith vs. Our saylors vvere most part sicke being but 80. men in all tvvo third partes of their company being dead lost by diuers accidentes and among those forescore such as vvere sicke as soone as they vvere on land and at their ease presently recouered their healthes The Copper money of Iaua THis Copper money commeth also out of China is almost as thicke great and heauy as a quarter of a Doller and somevvhat thicker in the middle hauing a square hole 2000. of them are vvorth a Riall of 8. but of these there are not ouer many the vse to hang them vpon stringes and pay them without telling they stand not so narrowly vpon the number for if they want but 25. or 50. it is nothing The leaden money of Iaua THis peece of money being of bad Leade is very rough hath in the middle a foure square hole they are hanged by two hundred vppon a string they are commonly 10. 11. and 12. thousand to a Riall of 8. as there commeth great quantitie out of China where they are made and so as there is plentie or scarcitie they rise and fal FINIS