within Cannot-shot of the Town and we could both hear and see the old King who kept continually firing upon the Castle and he had raised his Batteries above the tops of the houses that were in the City so that the Enemy might see us with ease so they immediately prepared to prevent our Landing and for that purpose order'd the Main Body to march to the Sea-shore and there raised Batteries to hinder our coming any nearer In the mean while it was not a little satisfaction to the young King to see our Fleet so near at hand as well as to hear of our Forces by Land And besides it gave him some time to take breath and freed him from the danger he was in continually of a Storm for the Walls being almost all down But now the Enemy could not go on with that Design having enough to do to look after us They took most care of a certain place where they thought we designed to Land as indeed we did But in the night time we weighed Anchor with all the stilness that might be and saild on about a League higher and drawing as near to the Shore as we could possibly we let fall our Anchors again Our Cannon on Board was all loaden and all things were order'd so that where-ever we Landed we might fire them upon the Enemy and upon the City The Tenders and other small Vessels were all Mann'd immediately for Landing some with a hundred Men some more some less all which went with all speed to Shore The Enemy having notice of this were ready as soon as we but had not time to raise any Batteries there against us or to fortifie themselves for ' ere the day begun to peep we had got all things ready for our Landing Major General St. Martini with his Life-guard which consisted of sixty Men and the Surgeons came into my Schappon and stood ready to give Order for the Signal by Drums and Trumpets for the whole Body of our Army to Land all together But the Enemy made a very vigorous Defence and being advantageously Posted in a Wood that was there they charged us after so terrible a manner that what with their Fire and what with our Great Guns that played all this while cross-wise upon the City there was need of more than ordinary Courage to stand it out Besides that we all this while being still up to the knees in Water had a very great disadvantage In this condition we Charged them for three hours and could not come to Land all that while at last five of our Companies were quite routed and of the twelve Surgeons that we brought with us there were but five left and we that did remain were not able to do any great feats by reason that we all this while stood in the Water When we saw that we could not get any ground we got some small Vessels which fetch'd us some Haubitzes which is a kind of Field-Piece to load with small Shot with which we rattled so upon the Javans that we obliged them to give ground enough for us to get on upon dry Land and at last we forced them to quit the Wood and to to retire to their Breast-works so we remained Masters of the Field that night And the next morning at break of day we marched to Attack them in their Intrenchments The Major General considering that the Dutch Companies were mightily weakned commanded Captain Jochem who led the Blacks to march in the Front and he sell upon them straightway with admirable Courage and Conduct The Major General behaved himself like a true Soldier and gave such tokens of his Invincible Valour Wise Conduct and Indefatigable Diligence as cannot be well described And tho' he had the mis-fortune to have two of his Fingers shot off from his right hand as he was Riding to and fro to give Orders he could hardly afford himself time to have his hand drest and I had no sooner done but he straight mounted again The best of this Engagement was that most of the Enemies Bullets flew over our heads But I found that they did not all of them take the same course and was a little surprized when talking with the Sergeant of our Company and jeering them for not being good Marks-men a Bullet came and laid him dead at my foot In the mean while our Men made but little on 't And the Captain was not able to do any thing more than just to keep his ground against the Enemy Wherefore the Major General having given some new Orders and briskly encouraged the Soldiers by telling them that the beating the Enemy out of that place would be the chief part of their work and the sure fore-runner of a total Victory promising to the three first that should break into the Enemies Camp an hundred Gilders two Slaves and a Pipe of Sack for a Reward and having by such like Speeches and Promises infused as it were new Spirits into them he took upon him the Management of the Front himself and drawing out Captain Bleutner and Captain Winkler's Companies together with some others he led them in Person fell upon the Enemy with such fury that we soon carried the day for he had so animated the Soldiers that every Man was worth two Our Men being now come too near to use their Muskets took their Cutlaces in one hand and their Hand Granado's in the other and when the Blacks saw the Dutch drive so hard upon the Enemy they took such heart too that with their Sword and Buckler they poured in upon the Enemy and drove all before them So that the Slaughter we made of the King's Army in this place was nothing less than that of Dangerang The Enemy was wholly put to flight and left most of their Arms behind them And we having gained that Post the Admirable gave Orders that the Ships should no longer Fire upon the City lest we our selves might receive some of their Shot amongst us All this while we push'd on forward to their Pallisado's and came to the Forr which they called Speelwick where we found a great many of the King's Men but yet most of our Officers found that we should quickly become Masters of it We sent for some heavy Cannon from our Ships and batter'd it down in a very little time The Seamen forced open the Gate with Hammers and Axes and so enter'd throwing of Granado's But all the Javaus being fled we became Masters of it without any further opposition This served our purpose mighty well and saved us the trouble of any further Entrenchments except a few Gaps that we made up with Wood which our Blacks cut down and brought to us Here we took a little breath and rested that night and the following day and a portion of Biscuit Sack and Brandy was distributed to each Soldier in the Army After this fine Refreshment the Army was put into a new Order and the Right and Left Wings formed anew and provided with
River of Bibliogam and that it was at his service and that he could get another stone to do his business as well This innocent answer satisfied the King that he did not know the value of his Jewel for had he known it it would have cost him his life The King dismist him and commanded some Land and Cattle to be given him ordering him for the time to come to let such stones lie whenever he found ' em The 3d Instant these two poor English Men were sent in a Boat to Columbo I went along with them to introduce them to the Governor who received us with extraordinary courtesie and after a great many questions to satisfie his curiosity sent for Cloaths which he freely presented them with and then took them to his Table and very civilly desired them to stay in his House till some opportunity offer'd it self to send them to Batavia where they might easily get an English Ship to carry them to Bantam The 4th I went back with two Soldiers to Sittawack where I continued till The 12th when we were all relieved by a fresh Company from Columbo The 15th we march'd from Sittawack in the Morning and came at Night to Columbo I pack'd up amongst my things two or three hundred of Bulat Leaves which two Cingulayans carried after me These Leaves I have already told you are chew'd commonly by the Inhabitants so I brought them to make a present of to my Landlady I can't tell whether Heaven design'd me an occasion of making my Fortune or no but however it was I refus'd laying hold on it and how it was I will relate in short My Landlady treated me very civilly from the first time of my coming to her House where I paid her 3 Rixdollers by the Month and had a very good Table and what Suri I pleas'd at Meals Her entertainment grew in time kinder and kinder and then it broke out into some preliminary interrogations why I would not settle there Why I would not Marry and many things of that kind at last it came to a close application and to a plain offer of her self if I would marry When I considered her on one side as to her Fortune I must confess she did not altogether displease me Her first Husband was a substantial free Merchant at Columbo call'd John Christantz he was owner of of a Ship with which he had often been at Bengal at the River Ganges and drove there a considerable Trade but going there again in the year 1678 was cast away with a Hurrican and he and his ship lost What she lost by this accident I do not know but she was left worth near thirty thousand Ducats and twenty Slaves from Bengal which she used very inhumanly But the Figure she made never would permit me to entertain a thought of marrying her but that other People may judge whether I was too nice or but reasonably so I will give some description of her I did not dislike her merely for her being Black but methoughts her Ears though they were richly set out with Gold look'd but hideously being longer than my Hand Her Hair that would reach down to her Heels she would besmear every Day with Oyl made of Coco-Nuts and then wind it up on her Head just as we serve Horses in Holland when they have long Tails She wore a little short sort of a Wastcoat that hardly covered her Breasts fastned with Gold Buttons from the Breast down to beneath the Navel she was Naked The best part of her Dress was from beneath the Navel downwards having a Linnen Garment down to the Feet and another-like one at top of that something longer than the under one She had a great Necklace round her Neck made of Gold and Ivory She spoke no Dutch but Portuguese and Cingulaish which were her Father and Mother's Languages and the Malabarian which is much the same All these things together were so far from raising any Passion for her that they were a preservative against it so I e'en left her as I found her There were at this time two Sloops and a Yacht ready to set sail for the Coast of Malabar there to hinder the Malabarians Boats in their Pepper Trafsick I was sent to command them and had my choice of Men out of all the Company After that I pick'd them out that I liked best I took twenty of them with my self on board the Yatch call'd the Trinconomala and in each of the two Sloops went 12 Men and 7 Seamen The 18th in the Evening we set sail I had with me besides my twenty Men a Steersman and 15 Seamen and I put off with our Flags and Pendants as Commadore from Columbo The 19th 20th 21st and 22d we saw no Land We had the wind for us but the stream was contrary to us The 23d we espied land in the Forenoon and in the Afternoon we came before the Town Couchin which belong'd heretofore to the Portuguese I went to the Commadore that lay there and deliver'd my Letter to him from the Governor of Columbo The next Day he joyn'd us with another Sloop well Mann'd and gave us instructions how we might best annoy the Malabarians The 25th we went to Sea again and there Cruised along the Coast up to Goa a Portuguese Town We were in a continual Chase and all the Boats that we met loaden with Cardamunga and Pepper and could not produce a Dutch Pass we took Their Provisions and Goods we stow'd in our Vessels and sunk theirs but many of the Malabarian Vessels being little ones kept in the Shallows near the Land where we could not come ours drawing much more Water than theirs did and those were secure enough The 6th of October we went back to Couchin and brought thither fifty Malabarian Prisoners with us and a great deal of Onions Pepper Cardamunga Rice and Dry Fish I acquainted the Commadore with what I had done and brought with me and he left all the Booty amongst us except the Pepper which he kept to himself Here we stay'd till the 20th of November and found it much better living than in Ceylon The 21st we went back homewards and arrived happily at Columbo on the 29th about three of the Clock in the Afternoon I deliver'd to the Governor my Letters from Couchin and every one went to his respective Post We had but two Men dy'd in the Expedition they were shot with two Poyson'd Assagayen or Darts and one Seaman had his Arm shot off by a Gun that burst in the firing The 30th a Master Gunner call'd Henry Scholten was shot to death he was a Lutheran and would not hearken to any instructions or advice that our Protestant Minister offer'd him But being come to the place of Execution he pray'd for himself Three Muskets were fired upon him which dispatch'd him in an instant Then his Friends took him and put him in a Coffin and buried him The same day two Moors of Volkendal that had been
the Men of War that lay in the Road about half a League from thence and so they were immediately embarkt And the Wind blowing then just full East as fair as they could have wish'd they straight weighed Anchor and steered directly to the Royal City of Bantam But It will be proper to give you some account of that place before I go any further and to acquaint you with the causes and motives of this Undertaking First Then you must know that this large Kingdom of Bantam being in it self of great strength hath of late much improved it self by the numbers of Foreigners that are come thither from all Nations and among them considerable numbers too of English Danes Spaniards Portugueses and Dutch which hath made it a very troublesome and dangerous Neighbour to the Dutch East-India Company insomuch that their Ships that came from Europe or any other places thither did not dare to come by the Road of Bantam but were forced to take a vast compass of three or four hundred Miles keeping to the Northward Moreover the King of Bantam had made several Attempts upon Batavia both by Sea and Land Tho' he was always forced to retire with great loss and without doing us any great damage But tho' he could not accomplish his desire and the Company could not fear a total overthrow yet they were still apprehensive that he being so much more powerful than they were would prove very fatal to them in the end and by little and little bring his designs to perfection Thus they were always very uneasie by reason of their troublesome Neighbour But not finding themselves able to declare open War against him they endeavoured to gain him by Presents and a specious shew of Friendship These means did not prove altogether unsuccessful but they were never at good understanding with each other long together For the King of Bantam besides that he was very fickle and unconstant in his Nature having so many Foreigners about him who were no Friends to the Dutch Interest he was easily perswaded by them to break Friendship with the Dutch upon the least occasion And this the English and Danes were the chief Instruments of who made there a considerable Body were rich and enioyed great freedom and a most flourishing Trade so that they with ease set the King upon us in hopes of rooting the Dutch out of their holds The Dutch therefore were always forced to be upon their Guard even while there was the greatest appearance of a settled Friendship for they were sufficiently informed that he was always contriving how he might at once fall foul on them and drive them out of Batavia Upon which they on the other side resolved to countermine his designs and thought it the best Expedient to divert him from that Undertaking by finding him some Employment with some other Neighbours and accordingly made it their business to create an ill understanding betwixt him and the King of Japara hoping that the silent Fire might in time break out into an open Flame This they effected at length but it proved little or no advantage to them for they lay so far asunder that it never came but to a few little Skirmishes which did not damage him much nor profit them So that they fell very short of what they had promised themselves for they were fully perswaded that the Emperour of Japara would have soon been induced to pursue the King of Bantam with the utmost vigour especially when there was so great a motive to spur him on as the rejoyning of that Kingdom to his Empire from which it had been divided The Island of Great Java of which I have already made mention did likewise belong to him once and altogether made but one Empire under the Dominion of the Great Mataran but now it is divided into three Kingdoms to wit Japard Bantam and Jacatra or Kartiri of which i. e. Jacatra the present Batavia is a part and did heretofore belong to the King of Jacatra from whom the Portugueezes took it After that the Spaniards got it from them And lastly the Dutch from the Spaniards Now the Dutch having all this while made several Attempts upon the King of Jacatra which had proved very advantageous to them they at length subdued him Having first made the Emperour of Japara unable to resist them or to stand up in the defence of his Neighbour over whom they carried a total Victory a little before I came to Batavia And having all this while received fresh supplies yearly from Holland which together with Germany enjoyed a profound Peace and therefore could and did constantly furnish them with large Recruits of choice good Soldiers The Duth East-India Company thought they might be able to cope with Bantam and accordingly made preparations against it Now while these things were in agitation and they big with the design and hopes of infallible success the fairest opportunity that could be wish'd for offered it self to them unexpected and therefore so much the more welcome which was a sudden falling out between the old and the two young Kings of Bantam The occasion whereof was this The old King being weary with the Burden of the Government and desirous to spend his remaining days in ease and tranquility made over his Kingdom to his younger Son the eldest having dedicated himself to a spiritual life was a Bangerang Babay something like an Archbishop with us and having thus invested his younger Son with the Regal Power he retired to an Old Castle called Dortjasse the old place of his residence about four Miles from Bantam The young King having Reigned some years his People began to grow weary of him specially the Nobles the Bourgerang and Kirria and they made their Complaints to the old King that he oppressed his Subjects and that he over-burden'd them with his Recreations and his constant Hunting and by his requiring so much Attendance and Service to be done him so that they were no longer able to bear the Yoke He did not Govern as other Heathen Kings use for the most part to do but after the Model he had taken from the European Countries some of which he had been in as Constantinople and would have gone to France England Spain and Portugal if his Law had permitted him and as far as that had given him leave he had Travelled viz. in Muscovy Schiras Ispahan Japan Siam from which several places he had taken those Methods of Government which he thought most convenient to introduce into his own Dominions But his Subjects being dissatisfied with these Innovations conspired at last together and Deposed him and set his Brother the Bangarang Babay in his stead Upon this the Old King came with a considerable Retinue and his Main Guard before the Castle which is in the middle of Bantam The young King having notice of this commanded the Gates to be shut against him and sent to know what he wanted The old King sent him an Answer which
my Place So I took my leave of 'em all and having got my Chest and Hammock ready I got me a-board my new Ship called the Enckhuysen it was laden with nothing but Rice and had but twenty eight Seamen besides the Officers and us four Master-Surgeons I parted very chearfully from Bantam the only thing that I was loath to part with was a little Summer-House I had order'd to be made in the Garden of the Hospital which was very delightful It was made of Bamboos and so contrived that I might have removed it very well but being I could not move that with it which made it so extream pleasant I left the whole standing for my Successor to enjoy but not without grudging it him heartily The Top of it was cover'd very neatly with Fig-leaves and the Sides were sweetly shaded with Pepper-planks which hung like a Vine over the Windows and made it extreamly agreeable But now that I am speaking of this Pepper it will not be amiss to give you a description of its growth c. This part of Java is the most famous for it and the great Blauwe Peper Bergh which I have so often mentioned hath its denomination from it and signifies Blew-Pepper-Mountain it being full of it there the best of all grows Indeed Malabar Malacca and Sumatra do produce vast quantities of it too but it is all white and long like the Canary Pepper and is not to compare with the Javian Pepper for goodness and for that reason hardly any but the latter is transported into Europe They plant it at the bottom of other Trees to which it clings in the nature of our Hops and winds round as that does but higher It s Leaf is like that of the Orange-Trees but less and of a more pleasant Green and tasts pretty sharp if one bites ' em The Fruit grows much like Grapes tho' every one knows much smaller and closer to one another They are ever green till they dry which is in November December and January at which time they gather 'em and spread them upon Mats in the Sun to dry then they run 'em thro' a Sieve and pack 'em up ready for the Merchants to take away Now tho' Pepper is as plenty in India as Stones in the Streets and only serves for Ballast very often and to pack up other Goods tire and altho' sometimes several whole Shiploads of it be thrown into the Sea and many hundred thousand pound weight of it burnt yet dares no Man in the service of the Company take one single Corn of it but every one is obliged to buy it of the Indians who deal with the Company for it And the same rule is observable in respect to other Spices But now the Enckhuysen lay still but one day so that the next morning after I had boarded her we weighed Anchor and sailed to Batavia with a half wind It lies but six Leagues from Bantam yet were we seven days before we could reach it for we were ever and anon forced to cast Anchor and weigh it again which fatigued our Men mightily Being now come before Batavia our Master went immediately on Shore and the next day our Ship was unlading I went to Shore too with all speed in a Chineese Praw and went to wait upon the Head Surgeon there one Mr. John Streckelberger who was my old Acquaintance but I found him now raised to the highest pitch of Preferment the Profession is capable of there which was the place of Overseer General over all the Surgeons in the whole Indies in the place of Dr. Kleyer I told him upon what design I had left Bantam to come to Batavia which was in order to get me a Deputation to some other part of India that I might travel farther still He seemed very ready at the first but afterwards he desired me to come again in three or four days time In the mean while I went to visit all my old Acquaintance in the Fort where I once lived and to divert my self with ' em But unhappily I took out an old Gentleman with me one day to go to a small Island hard by where there were a great many Oysters we had got a good many but as we were coming back it blew at so excessive a rate that our Boat was turned over The poor old Gentleman could not reach the Shore meerly for want of strength and so lost his Life within a hundred yards of the Land but the old Chineese and I câ—me safe to Shore and the Boat was driven quickly after us so that we took that up Instead of paying the Chineese I beat him soundly for being the main cause of all this And from that time I never saw him more without doubt he run away for fear the Fiscael should call him to an account for the death of my Companion This was the fourth time that God in his infinite goodness delivered me out of that Element of Water once in my own Country once in Africa once in the River of Bantam and this time at Batavia It was now time to go and wait upon the Surgeon General to know what was determined as to my affair When I came there I was surpriz'd to find a Deputation to go and Board the Phoenix for Banda and Amboina for besides that it crossed my design which was to go to Japan I knew that those two Countries were the most unhealthful of all India However after a little pause I resolved to go thither or any where rather than to stay there So taking my Orders with me I went aboard the Enckhuysen and told by Brother Surgeons how I was serv'd who instead of condoling with me laught at me very heartily I was now to be gone in two days time so I made haste and provided my self with Arac Tobacco and Long-Pepper preserved all which are found to be of greater use in those unhealthy parts than in any other And having made all other necessary Provision I went on board the Phoenix The next day we weighed Anchor and sailed from Batavia the wind N. E. passed the Streights of Sunday and in three Weeks time we arrived before Banda which is reckon'd to be three hundred Miles from Batavia There fell nothing out worth any notice in our passage thither but that a poor Seaman was blown down by a sudden puff of Wind from the Fore-Mast upon the Anchor which tore his very Guts out of his Belly CHAP. VIII Their arrival to Banda The Author falls very ill there how recovered Description of the growth of the Nutmeg and Mace Departure from thence for Amboina An account of Clove-Trees and Cloves Return to Batavia The Island Onrust why so called A vast quantity of Tortoises there The manner of taking them They are a mighty Food amongst them How Sharks are taken and the use of that Fish's Liver A Voyage from Batavia to Ceylon Columbo the Chief City there The Stratagems which the Portugueeze used in that Country to
with variety I sent for some Gomgomers the Musicians of that Country and some Javian Baliar Dancers who made us a great deal of Pastime The Baliar Dancers which come from Babylon I have spoken of before but these were Javians which are a sort far inferiour to them and differ from them much in the same manner as there is between a Dance performed by a Dancing-Master and one danced by a Rustick But what was most Diverting to us especially to my Friend was some Tumblers and Jugglers that were amongst 'em who shew'd us several Tricks which do usually so much surprize even those that see them that I know a Man runs some risk in relating of them However some of their most considerable Tricks of Activity I cannot wholly pass pass by They were five in number One of 'em laid himself flat down upon his Belly upon a Mat they had spread on the Ground and in the twinkling of an Eye raised himself upon his Legs then laying himself down again as before he rais'd himself after the same manner and stood upon his Head only After this he laid himself upon his Back and gave several Leaps in the Air like a Fish The other four did the same Tricks over one after the other and still better and better After this they took a Ladder of about 12 Rounds and set it against one of 'em one of the other four got up to the top of it and laid himself a cross it the second went up and sat a-cross theother's Shoulders the third climb'd up and pitch'd himself on his Head upon the Head of the second and there stood with his Feet directly upwards upon which the fourth came and stood upright on the Feet of the third And after playing several Tricks there he leapt down on the Ground and stood still the next Fellow that was still standing on his Head gave a spring upwards and falling down lighted on the Shoulders of him that stood below the next who was on the Ladder came down likewise with a Leap and fell a-cross the Shoulders of him and so did the fourth and last who had been the first on the Ladder He that had stood all this while and held the foot of the Ladder took it and climb'd up with it to the top of the other four and there made a sort of Harangue to us in Japponnese which concluded the Sight There was a great many other Tricks intermixt with these which were well worth the taking notice of but I thought these would suffice to shew you how far these Men out-do any thing we commonly see in Europe This being over we call'd for our Reckoning in which came to no more than Two thousand Butgis An European at first is frightned at such a reckoning as this and thinks that such a Sum of Money should be enough to Treat a King and all the Nobility or to defray the Charges of a Lord Mayor's Feast but he must understand that these Butgis are but little thin pieces of Lead with holes in the middle of 'em a certain number of them is put upon a String to save the trouble of telling them over upon every occasion and three Hundred of 'em are worth but Two Pence of Dutch Money so that our Dinner amounted but to 13 or 14 d. Besides this our Musick and Dancers cost us a Shilling and we gave a Ducatoon to the Juglers and Tumblers having paid all we went back again down the River to Batavia At this very time the Streight of Sunda was very much infested with Pickaroons They had only Praws or small Boats of their own with which they run with ease in and out of several Rivers of the Kingdom of Bantam and did a great deal of mischief about the Islands of Toppers-hoedie Dwarsin-de-zee and others They used to wait there for their Prey and when they had gotten their Booty they made immediately to their lurking holes where finding safety for a great while they were at last so bold that not a Ship could scape them and the more because the Company never concerned themselves about it nor took any Measures to suppress them But at length the Bali the Ship in which I had been some time before coming that way bound for Jambi on the Coast of Sumatra and being obliged to cast Anchor near the aforesaid Islands these Pyrates joyning their Forces together came and surrounded her and notwithstanding a stout Defence made on Board the Bali for some hours they made themselves Masters of her killed all the Men they could come at and having taken what they could conveniently carry away set it on Fire While the Ship was all in Flames a Ship from Malabar coming luckily by made towards the Fire to see what it was Two Men who in the Engagement had hid themselves below Deck and were now got out but knew not how to dispose of themselves stood upon the Fore-Castle ready to throw themselves into the Sea to avoid being burnt But they sent them a Boat by which means these poor Creatures were preserved and being brought on Board the Ship they continued their Course to Batavia where they gave the General an Account of what had happen'd The Company now being Sufferers by this thought fit to send after these Pyrates which they never minded before while they came by no loss themselves and while the Fishermen only c. were in danger Immediately two Men of War were ordered to go after 'em together with eight small Boats well Mann'd to give them Chace It being requisite there should be Chirurgions more than ordinary in those Ships and this being like to be a short Expedition and near home my Friend and I who could not be employed in a long Voyage were appointed to go with them We were very well pleas'd with our Commission and accordingly we got ready our Chests and went on Board the Ceylon which carried 300 Men and 48 Guns The other Ship was about the same Rate The Boats had each of them from 60 to 70 Men and about 16 Patterero's When we were got past the Island Onrust we kept along the Sea-shore till we came beyond Bantam and there we lay before the Mouth of some Rivers as close to the Land as we could And so as to lye to the Windward At Night we divided our Fleet and sent two of our Boats out to Sea to entice the Pirates out after them if they should chance to see them and we stood ready to clap in between them and the River so to cut off their Pass and hedge them in We lay two days close to the Shore within a Stone 's throw of Land but very safe with no less than 60 Fathom Water Atlength about Sun-set we saw five Boats making Sail towards our two Boats at about two Leagues distance from us upon which we moved altogether forwards along the Shore and by that time it was quite dark we made directly towards 'em taking still care to be
between the Shore and them The next morning we saw them by break of day sailing by a small Island They having found out our Design were endeavouring to make their escape for the two Boats we had sent after 'em were farther from 'em than we were with the whole Fleet So we joyned together again and our eight Boats sailing much faster than the Men of War could pursued them so tightly that notwithstanding these Rovers had several Oars with them which they use to make use of in a Calm or in case of pursuit yet by Noon our Boats were all got within a quarter of a League of 'em so that the last of 'em were forced to yield or fight We with our great Ships were within a League of 'em all and turn'd round a small Island during which we lost sight of them But our Boats all this while having got ground they begun to thunder amongst 'em so that in a little time two of the Pyrates Boats were seized Then we came in sight again and took these two Boats into our Charge and brought the Men on Board of us Our Boats having made some stay while they engaged these two the other three were got away again pretty far However ours were not long ' ere they came within shot of 'em and so pursued them that they came to a close Engagement and after a sharp resistance at length became Masters of them We lost in all 28 Men and had 30 wounded but we kill'd 200 and wounded above 50 of theirs The rest we carried to Batavia There was at first near 900 of 'em of which nine were Dutchmen and two Danes one of whom had been a Captain of a Man of War We caught both the Danes but we had but three Dutchmen the six others were killed in the sight Being come to Batavia they were all put into Prison and Examin'd They confess'd that they had their Habitations in some Negery's about the Blaw Peper-bergh and discover'd several of their Companions thereabouts Upon which they sent Soldiers both by Sea and Land towards those places and in three Week's time they brought back with 'em some thousands of 'em most of 'em being Javians Of the whole one part was broke upon the Wheel some were Quarter'd some were Whipt some had their Ears and Noses cut off and some were burnt in the Forehead The three Hollanders were Hang'd The two Danes Beheaded and a great number of others were sent to severalIslands to Burn Lime Hew Stone c. and there to remain Slaves all their Lives Their Wives and Children were served after the same manner that it might more effectually prove a terrour to others About this time came into the Road of Batavia a Ship from Madagascar which brought with her two and twenty Savages from the Island St. Galle They were much uglier and much more brutish than the Hottentots at the Cape of Good Hope their Speech was hardly articulate but confused like that of Children and as if they Sung They had no Hair on their Heads only a rough scabby Skin They were strong tho' excessive Lean and had scarce any thing but Skin and Bones Before their Privy-Parts they had a Wild-Cat's Skin which reach'd down to their Knees for in St. Galle there are multitudes of Wild-Cats They were shut up all together like Beasts in a Stable and were fed with nothing but raw Rice and Water which it seems was too good for 'em for in a little while they all died A nastier sort of Men I never saw for as I said except their Head they were Hairy all over to their very Hands and Feet Their Face was very red but their Teeth were very fine and white Their Eyes were very large and their large Ears slit in five or six places About their Neck and Feet they had some Twists of Sea-Rushes which their Women made use of likewise to bear up their long swagging Breasts I believe the World doth not afford a more Savage Wild sort of Men. St. Galle from which they came lies about 1300 miles from Batavia and about 300 from the Cape on the side of the Island Madagascar Some time after this a Javian Hermit who lived in a Cave on the Blaw Peper-bergh came to Batavia to speak with the General and refusing to deliver his Message to any of his Attendants he was admitted and brought before the General with whom he spent some time alone His Business with him was to make a discovery of a Plot which several Javians had laid to surprize the City of Bantam and to put all the Dutch Garrison to the Sword Upon which the General dispatch'd an Express to the Governor of Bantam to Command him to be upon his Guard and to let him know that he should have a Reinforcement sent him speedily by Sea and Land The Company upon this conceived a great Suspicion that the young King might be in this Conspiracy But it was upon a close Enquiry found to be a meer surmize and all his Actions shewing so much the contrary all along they continued to treat him with the same Respect as before For all the Ring-leaders of this Plot were detected taken and punished according to their Deserts but not the least thing could be found that might any way reflect on the young King The Hermit did not Care to return to his Cottage again So the Company promised him that he should never want if he would continue with them which he accepted of readily He spake seven Languages to wit Turkish Arabic Persian Moorish Chinese Maleish and Javian and had Travell'd over most parts of Asia and Africa He had lived 15 years in that Cell and it was a wonder how a Man should continue there so long with any thing of safety considering the many Tygers Leopards Serpents and other devouring Creatures that are in great numbers all about that Mountain His Dress was very much like that of the Armenian Women so that one would not have taken him for a Man and besides that one might have mistaken him even tho' one was near him because he had pull'd his Beard out by the Roots He was very thoughtful spake but seldom and very gravely He had above twenty pair of Shooes made of Pastboard hung about his Girdle Instead of a Hat he had a sort of a Turbant wrapt about his Head made of strip'd Cotton about twelve Ells long as the Moors usually wear As to his Diet he Eat moderately but loved to have all very good Whatever he Drank he poured part of it upon his Head which was as bare as the Palm of a Man's Head which was as bare as the Palm of a Man's Hand The Lodging that was appointed for him was over against mine so that I had some Conversation with him in the Maleish Language But he was not free of his Discourse except sometimes in the Relation of his Voyages and the Description of the Countries he had seen as to the rest he seemed
about 200 years ago by the Spaniards who invaded the Kingdom of Cotta which the City of Columbo belongs to in this following manner They came with two Ships and landed at the place where now Columbo is The Cingulaish King being informed of it at Cotta came out with an Army to meet them but in vain for his Men could not abide the smell of Gun-Powder The Spaniards fell to Building some small Fortifications and to settle themselves in the Country As soon as they were able to get some Assistance being well pleased with the Land and their Success they carried on the VVar not only against the said King of Cotta so as to beat him out of the City where he resided and lay it waste as it is now to this day a place where the wild Elephants are catch'd but in time reach'd farther and at last of seven Kings that had possession of this Island they destroyed six But the seventh who resided at Candi in the middle of the Island being vex'd to see with what Tyranny they used his Subjects begun to carry on a War very vigorously against them and continually Plagues the Cities and Forts which they had built on the Sea-side and for about 20 miles into the Land How this Country fell from the Spaniards to the Portugueses and from the Portugueses to the Dutch I will give an Account hereafter Their chief Fortifications are the City and Castle of Columbo eight Leagues Eastward of that lies the Fort Negombo 20 miles further the Fort Calpintin again 22 miles from thence another call'd Aripen and between those two the Paerl-Bank heretofore so famous Six miles further a very strong Fort on the Island of Manara very fruitful and seven miles in compass This Island of Manara is divided from Ceylon by an Arm of Salt-Water about a Cannon-shot wide Jasnapaparnum a fortified City lies 22 miles distant from Manara and is secured with Bastions call'd by these Names Pas-Piil Pas-Beschatter Pas-Elephant and Punt de Pedre Six and thirty miles farther is the Fort called Trinconamale built by the Dutch against the French This Fort the French had taken Possession of as also of the Bay where Ships ride very safe under the Command of Monsieur de la Haye as Viceroy till the Dutch drove them away again There is another Fort call'd Battacolo 40 miles from that Thence to Punt de Gala 30 miles Thence to Alecan 11 miles Thence to Galture 5 miles Thence round back again to Columbo 6 miles The Description I have given here of these outward Fortifications makes the Circuit of this Island to be in all 206 miles The Inland Fortifications are Maluane 6 Leagues from Columbo Hanguelli or Gourwebell 2 Leagues from Malvane Sittawaca 4 miles farther Ruenell also 4 Leagues farther Saffrigan and Bibliogam 8 Leagues from Ruenell And 12 Leagues on this side of Columbo you have Anguradotten and Caudingellen lying upon two Rivers that run out of the King of Candi's Country very rich in precious Stones The Island of Ceylon hath chiefly two sorts of Inhabitants Those of Columbo from Columbo to Gala are called Cinguleeses or Cingulaians They are very well shaped part of a black and part of a yellowish Complexion The Men have long streight Hair and wear their Beards very large like the Suissers They are generally very Hairy upon their Breasts and they are very proud of it They wear a piece of Linnen about their middle from the Navel down to their Knees But they make a very great distinction of their Apparel according to their Dignity and Quality Their King dresseth himself as he pleases His Cap is of Silk wrought with Gold about a yard high with a great Carbuncle before and Rubies and Saphiires all round about it and at the top a Bird of Paradise His Shirt and Wastcoat is made of the finest Cotton with Golden Buttons and he wears a Garment of colour'd Silk that goes 4 or 5 times round his middle and hangs down to his Knees His Stockings are fastned above his Knees with a string whereon is fastned a silver Plate as large almost as a Trencher His Shoes are only Leathern Soles with strings one of which comes up between his Toes and the other comes round his Foot and ties the Sole fast to it And all these strings are set out with Saphires and Rubies He wears a Sword close under his right Arm tied to a Silk Ribbon It is very heavy being in a massy Silver Scabbard it is made like a Hanger and about a yard long the Handle is ordered with fine precious Stones On his left side between his Shirt and his Wastcoat he wears a long Knife besides his Sword inlaid with Gold and Jewels and by that a sharp Pen wherewith they write upon Leaves of Trees in a Silver Sheath Those of his Council called Pisare and his Generals may also wear Silk Gold and Silver but they are not permitted precious Stones for Ornaments and it is as much as their Lives are worth to offer or pretend to wear any of 'em tho' they are of little or no value Nor do they dare so much as take up one of them when they find them any where and the greatest as well as the meanest Persons throughout all the Kingdom are equally obliged to the Observation of this Custom His Corals which are Governors over some one Coral or County may wear Silk but neither Sword nor Stockings They wear a Staff tipt with Silver with the King's Arms on it they wear a sort of Slipper or Shoe made of Wood mighty neat and very curiously wrought Next to these Corals the Apohami or Nobles are rank'd They go drest as the Corals excepting that they may not tie like them the Caps they wear on their Heads These are to be known when they come into the City by their having a Slave always behind them to carry a Talpot Leaf after them which serves as an Umbrello when it Rains The next in Rank are the Scriveners and Husbandmen who Manure the Fields of Rice They must wear nothing but Linnen no Swords Shooes Stockings nor Caps only a Knife they may and an Iron Pen. Their Wives and those of the above-named Persons may have their Garments from a handful above the Navel down to the Ground but nothing upwards but a short Bajuvan as they Name it which doth not come so low as to cover their Breasts After these are the Handicrafts-Men as Carpenters Goldsmiths Blacksmiths Potters Barbers Burners of Chalk c. These and their Wives may wear a Linnen Garment from the middle downwards and set out their Ears with Gold After them are the Trivitors who gather the Drink from the Trees and boyl the Sugar Tschallias that peel off the Cinnamon The Fishermen and the Laserins their Soldiers Mainets their Washers Borrowayen their Drummers Cubin who are a sort of People that will carry People where they please for Money the meanest of all are the Batins and Zubies These may not
lies in the Sea not far from the Land It is about twenty miles long and two broad from seven to ten Fathoms deep It belongs at this time to the Hollanders The Oysters in which the Pearls are found are about the breadth of one's hand They stick to the bottoms of Rocks some twenty or thirty together There are People to look every year and see whether the Pearls are ripe when they are so they write to all the neighbouring Kings to let them know what time the Fishing is to begin Then the Divers are sent who are Malabarian Fishermen who come with their Boats and some Stones along with them Each Diver hangs a Stone upon his Foot to sink him the sooner when he is at the bottom he fills his Net with Oysters and then loosens himself from the Stone Then the Stone together with the Net is drawn up by another Malabarian in the Boat whilst the Man shoots himself up to fetch breath When they have thus fill'd their Boat with Oysters they row to Land and throw them out There is a Dutch Soldier waits on each Boat to see that the Malabarians do not take any of the Pearls away The three first days these Boats are all employ'd for the East-India Company after this they may Fish for themselves paying a Rixdoller a day for every Diver The Oysters are laid in heaps on the Shore and the Merchants come there to buy them They are sold at the rate of eight hundred for a Rixdollar The gain or loss of the Buyer depends on meer chance For some may be find no Pearls in all they buy others make vast advantage of their Bargain There hath been no Fishing here for these eight years Some superstitiously think that the place is bewitched Others give this for a reason which I rather approve of that the boisterousness of the Sea hath cover'd the Oysters with Sand so that they cannot come at them The 6th In the morning all our Company went in the Boat call'd the Elephant and having the Wind for us we expected to reach to Columbo by night The number of the Soldiers and Officers was in all 110. We had but a small Vessel with Water a bushell of Rice a small Buffler and a young Buck which two last things were for a present to the Governor Thus the Boat was quite full and no Man had room to lye down but was forc'd to keep his Seat The Wind blew North But at noon it ceas'd and then we went but flowly but we kept in sight of Land all along on our left hand Toward night the Wind arose again and and then we made some speed Therefore the Steers-men bad us all look out sharp for Columbo where we earnestly desir'd to be especially because our Water Vessel was every drop drunk out The 7th By break of day we found that we were carry'd wide off of it by the strength of the current and partly by the oversight of our Steersman For we could see no Columbo nor Land neither All the Officers were very angry with him for 't and would certainly have thrown him into Sea if he had not got up to the top of the Mast where they made him stay all that day for his Punishment Our Captain consulted the Map of the Island Ceylon and he directed us somewhat in our course and about night we got in sight of Picod ' Adam or Adam's-Hill and at six of the Clock next morning we got happily to Columbo It was high time for us to get thither considering that we had been two days and three nights without Meat or Drink The Steersman begg'd we would pardon him and not complain of him to the Governor The 8th As soon as the Gates were open'd we enter'd the City and went to our respective Posts The Captain with whom I spent some time when I was here before sent to me to desire me to make his House my own again if I pleased I did not make any refusal of so advantagious a proffer but accepted of it and I staid with him till The 16th When I was order'd to go with several others to carry a Present which the Governor sent to the King of Candi during which time I had the Title and Office of Captain The Presents were two Persian Horses with sine Velvet Cloaths and Trappings each Horse led by two Malabarian Slaves Ten Falcons each carry'd by a Malabarian dress'd all in white Six Musk-Cats each in a different Cage carry'd by two Slaves Six very large Cocks from Tutucurini each of them likewise in a Cage cover'd with green Velvet Two Persian Sheep each with a Tail that weigh'd 20 or 25 pound A Box that had two Bottles in it that held each of them six Gallons of Persian Wine Besides this a great piece of Sandel Wood that weigh'd 200 pound wrapp'd up in sine white Linnen The Letter that was to be deliver'd to the King was carry'd in a Silver Cap by a Serjeant bare-headed and a Canopy was carry'd over it by four Cingulayan Nobles By each of which another went with a large Wax-Candle lighted as long as a half Pike Our march began in order at the Governor's House Some Companies of Cingulaish Soldiers went first then some Companies of Dutch then the Presents after them two Companies more of Dutch These were order'd to go as far as the King of Candi's residential Town Ruenel All the City was in Arms and all the Cannon was Fir'd round and a Dutch Company that conducted us out of Town gave three Vollies and went back again We together with the others before-mention'd went on with the Presents At night we came to a place where Dutch Potters live two Leagues from Columbo there we lay that night and the next morning march'd on and came The 17th At night to Hanquelle or Gourwebel a Dutch Fort where we lay The 18th We had a very unpleasant and dirty way and were not a little tormented with Blood-suckers till we came to the Fort Sittawack which is in possession of the Dutch and 12 Leagues distant from Columbo Immediately Letters were written on leaves of Sugar-trees and dispatch'd to the Coral of Candi at Ruenel to acquaint him with our being come thither with a Present for the King his Master and that he should permit them to come forwards if he pleas'd to receive them But not a word of answer did we get and we staid here in expectation of it six whole Weeks till the end of September At last we had Directions sent us from Columbo which were That we should go four Leagues farther beyond Ruenel and deliver them to the Coral and then come back And accordingly The 1st of October We went and after having crossed seven little Rivers we came to Ruenel This Fort heretofore belong'd to the Dutch but was abandon'd by them tho' themselves had built it There we cross'd over and having march'd a League further we came to a large Plain where we halted
again We heard on the other side of us some more of 'em and went towards 'em We heard where they were but we could not see 'em for they were feeding about a Tree that had boughs which reach'd down to the ground amongst which they stood like so many Horses at a Manger We came close to the very Tree where they were and yet could only hear ' em I went a little on one side of the Tree and then discover'd a terrible huge Elephant with four small ones besides about ten paces from me My Gun was cock'd and I having overcome that little Pannick fear that seiz'd me at first gave fire upon the biggest and hit him just on the head which made him roar lustily Then I retir'd and another stept in who fir'd likewise and then another so we kept firing three times a piece round The Elephants gave ground but not above 20 or 30 paces and set up a hideous roaring We did not think it safe to pursue any more Game So we went back to Sittawack The next morning the neighbouring Cingulayans came down to the Valley to see what was done there having heard much shooting in the night They found an Elephant with two very sine teeth lye dead They gave an account of it to our chief Officer who sent immediately for me and ask'd if we had shot the Elephant I told him it was probable because we had been pursued in the night by some of 'em which oblig'd us to fire upon ' em This was the only reason that could serve to excuse us for it is strictly forbidden to shoot any Elephants unless a Man is in danger of his Life Our Officer sent word of it to the Governor of Columbo and sent withal the Elephant's two Teeth The Flesh of this kind of Animals is good for nothing the Fat is used for Lamps the rest was left in the place In April it rain'd so violently that we were almost overwhelm'd with Water The Amboineses who as I told you before liv'd in the Town were forc'd to be taken into the Fort with their Wives and Children Men and Beasts both tame and wild were drove up into the Mountains And our Fort was very full of Serpents Scorpions and other venomous Creatures We did what we could to keep them out by making Fires at all the Gates and Posts where the Sentinels stood The Rains abated in May and likewise the Floods and that Month I saw nothing remarkable but that the Elephants shew'd themselves in vast Numbers about our Fort. Most nights of this Month I went a Hunting with Cingulayan Sports-men and with them I had always good Sport and brought sometimes as much home as would serve the whole Garrison An Indian used to go foremost with a lighted Torch upon his Head and a Stick in his Hand to which some Shells are tyed loose and he goes along shaking of 'em making a continual rat'ling As soon as any Bufflers Harts or Hares c. hear this and see the Fire they come towards it and within shot of the fellow then he that goes behind him shoots as many as he pleases of ' em But the fellows sometimes are in danger of being run at by an Elephant who now and then pursues them and puts 'em to it very hard notwithstanding their Fire and the ratt'ling of their Shells The 1st of July There came an Envoy from Columbo to Sittawack call'd Mierop He had with him an Ambassador from the King of Persia He rode in a very fine curious Chariot made after the Persian manner drawn by two Oxen cover'd with fine white Linnen His Presents for the King of Candi were two white Lions three Tygers twelve Musk-Cats all carry'd in very neat Cages lin'd with green Velvet Two black Persian Horses cover'd likewise with green Velvet and twenty Falcons carry'd by so many black Malabarian Slaves The Letter was carry'd by the Dutch Ambassador in a Silver Cup and over him was a Canopy carry'd by 4 Cingulayan Noblemen bare-headed The 2d We guarded these Presents as far as a place call'd The Devil's Tree by Ruenel and having given our Ambassadors three Vollies we left them They went forwards with their Presents to Buare-Birge which is in the King of Candi's Dominion As soon as the King heard of their coming thither he gave orders to have them all secured and provided Necessaries for the Men and the Beasts they brought along with them and to keep them in close custody till further orders And it is a question whether or no they will ever be set at liberty For it is above 22 years since one John Baptista was sent thither as an Envoy from the Dutch and another Ambassador sent from the French Viceroy of Trinconomala who are there still kept in Prison and in Fetters without any hopes of being ever free as long as this King lives Besides this Consinement they live very hard for tho' the King allows them necessaries and those it may be not in great plenty neither the King's Officers convert the half of them to their own Use and Profit On this same day Two gray Old Men came to us in the Fort of Sittawack dress'd after the Cingulayan manner They told us that they came about 20 years since to Calpintin with an English Ship and that they with ten other Seamen being sent on shore to this Island to fetch Provisions Water and Wood they were trapann'd by some Candians who sent them to Candi where they had been kept Prisoners all that while every one of ' em That the other ten were dead and they two had ventur'd their Lives to make their escape and had left their Black Wives behind them They had been eight days a coming or rather eight nights that being the only time they could travel in being forc'd to lye hid all day in the Woods They had heard that day the shooting from our Fort and judged it by that to be a place in the Hands of the Christians and were over-joy'd to find themselves deliver'd out of the power of their cruel Master the King of Candi One of them was a Gunner the other a Drummer and both spoke besides English very good Cingulaian and Portuguese The Gunner told us a great many passages of his Life during their Slavery and amongst other Relations described to us the Richness of the King of Candi's Warlike instruments His Carriages are all over-laid with Gold and Silver and inlaid with Rubies and Saphyrs He told us that he had seen once a great Ruby that a Cingulaian Peasant had found and carried home to use for a Whet-stone and had whetted his Knives and Hatchets with it for some Years A certain Field Officer of the King of Candi happening to go to that Contryman's House saw it and carried it to the King who sent immediatly for the Country Fellow and askt him what he would have for his Whetstone The poor fellow told the King that he had found it in the