_Second Voyage of the English East India Company, in 1604, under the
Command of Captain Henry Middleton_.[152]
INTRODUCTION.
There are two relations of this voyage in the Pilgrims of Purchas, or
rather accounts of two separate voyages by different ships of the fleet;
which consisted of four, the Red Dragon, admiral, Captain Henry
Middleton general; the Hector, vice-admiral, Captain Sorflet; the
Ascension, Captain Colthurst; and the Susan. These were, in all
probability, the same ships which had been in the former voyage under
Lancaster. The former of these journals, written on board the admiral,
confines itself chiefly to Captain Middleton's transactions at Bantam
and the Moluccas; having sent Captain Colthurst in the Ascension to
Banda. The latter contains the separate transactions of Captain
Colthurst, and is described as a brief extract from a larger discourse
written by Thomas Clayborne, who seems to have sailed in the Ascension;
and, besides describing what particularly relates to the trip to Banda,
gives some general account of the whole voyage. In the Pilgrims of
Purchas, these narratives are transposed, the former being given in vol.
I. p. 703, and the latter in vol. I. p. 185. "But should have come in
due place before, being the second voyage of the company, if we had then
had it: But better late than never." Such is the excuse of Purchas for
misplacement, and we have therefore here placed the two relations in
their proper order, in separate subdivisions of the section. The first
indeed is a very bald and inconclusive article, and gives hardly any
information respecting the object and success of the voyage to the
Moluccas.
[Footnote 152: Purch. Pilgr. I.185, and I. 703. Astl. I.279, and I.
281.]
§ 1. _Voyage of the General, Henry Middleton, afterward Sir Henry, to
Bantam and the Moluccas, in 1604_.[153]
Being furnished with all necessaries, and having taken leave of the
company, we set sail from Gravesend on the 25th March, 1604, and arrived
about the 20th December, after various accidents, in the road of Bantam,
with our crews very weak and sickly. After many salutations, and
interchange of ordnance between us and the Hollanders, the general of
the Hollanders dined with our general on the 31st December. Next day,
being 1st January, 1605, the general went on shore with a letter and
presents from James I. King of England, to the King of Bantam, then a
youth of thirteen years of age, and governed by a protector. The 16th of
the same month, our general came on board to proceed for the Moluccas,
having appointed Captain Surtlet to go home in the Hector. The 7th
February, we anchored under the shore of _Veranula_, the people of which
having a deadly hatred against the Portuguese, had sent to the
Hollanders for aid against them, promising to become their subjects if
they would expel the Portuguese. In short, the castle of Amboyna was
surrendered to the Hollanders; after which, by their command, the
governor of the town debarred us from all trade.
[Footnote 153: Purch. Pilgr. I.708. Astl. I. 279.]
At this time there was war between the islands of Ternate and Tidor, the
former assisted by the Dutch, and the latter by the Portuguese. Shortly
after we got near the coast of Tidor, we saw, between Pulo Canally and
Tidor, two gallies or _coracoras_ belonging to Ternate, making great
haste towards us; and waving for us to shorten sail and wait for them.
At the same time, seven gallies of Tidor were rowing between us and the
shore to assault the Ternaters; and seeing them in danger, our general
lay to, to see what was the matter. In the foremost of the two gallies
were the King of Ternate with several of his nobles, and three Dutch
merchants, who were in great fear of their enemies, and prayed our
general for God's sake to save them from the Tidorians, who would shew
them no mercy if we did not protect them: They likewise entreated him to
save the other _coracora_, which followed them, in which were several
Dutchmen, who expected nothing but death if taken by their cruel
enemies. Our general thereupon commanded his gunner to fire at the Tidor
gallies; yet they boarded the second Ternate coracora even under our
guns, and put all on board to the sword, except three; who saved
themselves by swimming, and were taken up by our boat.
Being determined to go to Tidor, the Dutchmen entreated our general not
to allow the King of Ternate and them to fall into the hands of their
enemies, from whom he had so lately delivered them; promising him
mountains of cloves and other commodities at Ternate and Makeu, but
performing mole-hills, verifying the proverb, "When the danger is over
the saint is deceived." One thing I may not forget: When the King of
Ternate came on board, he was trembling for fear; which the general
supposing to be from cold, put on his back a black damask gown laced
with gold, and lined with unshorn velvet; which he had not the manners
to restore at his departure, but kept it as his own.
When we arrived at the Portuguese town in Tidor, the governor of the
fort sent one Thomas de Torres on board with a letter, stating that the
King of Ternate and the Hollanders reported there was nothing but
treachery and villainy to be expected from us; but that he believed
better of us; considering their reports to be entirely malicious: Such
was our recompence from these ungrateful men. Not long afterwards, on
coming to the town of the King of Ternate, our general sent Mr Grave on
board the Dutch admiral, who gave him only cold entertainment, affirming
that we had assisted the Portuguese in the late wars against the King
of Ternate and them, with ordnance and ammunition; which our general
proved to be untrue by some Portuguese they had taken in that conflict,
on which, being ashamed of this slander, the Dutch general pretended he
had been so informed by a renegado Guzerate, but did not believe it to
be true.
Not long afterwards, when the King of Ternate seemed to affect our
nation, the Dutch threatened to forsake him, and to join with his deadly
enemy the King of Tidor, if he suffered the English to have a factory,
or allowed them any trade; affirming that the English were thieves and
robbers, and that the _King of Holland_, as they called their
stadtholder, was stronger at sea than all the other powers of
Christendom; a just consideration for all nations, to think what this
insolent frothy nation[154] will do, if they gain possession of the East
Indies. To these insolent speeches, our general made answer, that
whatsoever Hollander made such reports lied like a traitor, and that he
would make it good against any one who dared to spread any such report;
affirming, if Queen Elizabeth had not taken pity upon them, they had
been utterly ruined and enslaved by the King of Spain, and branded for
rebels and traitors. The particular wrongs done by them to our nation
would fill volumes, and amaze the world to hear.
[Footnote 154: This is to be understood of the merchants who traded, or
warred rather; not of the whole country or best men of Holland. Losers
will have leave to speak, and merchants envy each other.--_Purch_.]
* * * * *
Appended to this very unsatisfactory notice of the voyage of Middleton
to the Moluccas, are two letters to the King of England, one from the
King of Ternate, and one from the King of Tidor. In the former, the King
of Ternate mentions, that one of his predecessors, about thirty years
before, had sent a ring by Sir Francis Drake to Queen Elizabeth. He
complains that the Hollanders had prevented him from permitting Captain
Middleton to establish a factory in the island, for which he craves
pardon, being against his will, and promises a better reception
afterwards to the English ships.
The letter from the King of Tidor requests the King of England to take
pity of him, and not permit him and his country to be oppressed by the
Hollanders and the King of Ternate, but to send him succours, which he
requests may be under the command of Captain Henry Middleton or his
brother.
There is a third letter likewise, from the King of Bantam to King James,
acknowledging having received a present by Captain Henry Middleton, and
announcing that he had sent in return, two _bezoars_, one weighing
fourteen _mas_, and the other three.
§ 2. _Voyage of Captain Colthurst, in the Ascension, to Banda_.[155]
The 2d of April, 1604, we had sight of the Lizard. The 23d we fell in
with the western part of St Jago bearing W. by N. six leagues; when we
stood eastward for Mayo, having the wind at north. The 24th we fell in
with Mayo, and stood to the southward of that island, coming to anchor
in fifteen fathoms. We landed on the 25th, when one of our merchants was
taken by the people of the island. Next day we landed 100 men to
endeavour to recover our merchant, but could not get near any of the
islanders, so that we had to leave him behind, setting sail that night
with the wind at north. We passed the equinoctial on the 16th May, and
got sight of the Cape of Good Hope on the 18th July.
[Footnote 155: Purch. Pilgr. I.185. Astl. I. 281.]
The 17th July we came to anchor in Saldanha bay, in lat. 33° 56' S. or
34°, having sixty men bad of the scurvy, all of whom, God be praised,
recovered their health before we went from thence, where we remained
five weeks wanting one day. Here Mr Cole was drowned, who was master of
the Hector, our vice-admiral. We weighed anchor from Saldanha bay on the
20th August, standing to the westwards with the wind at south. On Sunday
the 23d December, 1604, we came to anchor in Bantam roads, where we
found six ships of Holland, and three or four pinnaces. The 18th
January, 1605, we sailed out of Bantam roads, with the Dragon and
Ascension, but parted at Amboyna, the general going with the Dragon to
the Moluccas, while the Ascension, Captain Colthurst, went for Banda,
The Hector and Susan laded pepper at Bantam, and sailed thence for
England about the middle of February.
We arrived in the Ascension at Banda on the 20th February, and anchored
in 4-1/2 fathoms beside _Nera_, the principal place in these islands.
From the south part of Amboyna to Banda, the course is E. by S. and to
the southwards, 30 leagues. The latitude of Banda is 4° 40' N. and the
going in is to the westwards. There is a very high hill which burns
continually, which hill must be left to larboard, having the great
island on the starboard. The entry is very narrow, and cannot be seen
till within half a mile; but you may stand fearlessly to within two
cable's length of the island on which is the high hill, for so you must
do, and will have 20 fathoms. Then stand along that island, at the
distance of a cable's length, if the wind permit, when you will find the
water shoaling, 8, 7, 6 fathoms, and 5 in the narrowest part, which
depth continues till you get into the road of Nera. With God's help, a
man may go in without danger, keeping near the before-mentioned island.
It is somewhat shallow on the starboard side of the narrow passage, but
that will shew itself. There are two small islands, Pulo-way and
Pulo-rin, about three leagues west of this entrance, but there is no
danger about them that is not quite obvious; and you may leave these
islands on either side you find convenient, either in going in or out.
At this place we found the wind variable about the middle of March, and
it so continued till about the middle of April; when it became
stationary between E. and S.E. four months to our knowledge: But, as the
people of the country say, it continues so for five mouths; and likewise
five months between W. and N.W. the other two months being variable. In
the dark moons, they have here much gusty weather with rains. We staid
here twenty-one weeks and six days, in which time eleven of our men
died, mostly of the flux.
We sailed from Banda the 21st July, 1605, having the wind at E.S.E. and
stood to the westwards. The 22d we fell in with the south end of
_Bourro_. The 27th we fell in with _Deselem_, and then came about to the
south end of the island, leaving seven islands to starboard. We then
stood close by the wind to the northward, hard by the main island of
Deselem, to clear ourselves of a small island, and a shoal off the S.W.
part of Deselem; then, leaving this island, and all the other shoals on
our larboard side, we stood N.N.W. along the W. side of Deselem, till we
came into the latitude of 6° 10' S. Then steered 18 leagues west, and
fell in with the shoal off the S.W. point of Celebes, the very southmost
part of which is in lat. 6° S. [only 5° 45',] and being clear of that, we
steered westwards, coming to anchor in Bantam roads on the 16th August.
We set sail from Bantam on the 6th October, the Dragon and Ascension in
company. The 15th November, we were in lat. 31° 48' S. the wind W.N.W.
thick foggy weather, when about 10 a.m. we came within our ship's length
of a rock or sunken island, on which the water appeared very brown and
muddy, and in some places very blue. When a ship's breadth or two to the
north of it, the water by the ship's side was very black and thick, as
though it had earth or coarse sand boiling up from the bottom. The
variation here was 21 degrees westerly. The 16th December, in lat. 34°
20' S. we had sight of the land of Ethiopia, [Africa] about 12 leagues
from us. The 26th, being in lat. 34° 30' S. and within one league of the
Cape of Good Hope, we steered N.W. and N.N.W. and N. going round the
Cape.
The 27th we came to anchor in Saldanha bay, where we found our admiral
and the Hector. Our admiral had fallen in with that ship seven days
before, driving up and down at sea, about four leagues from the Cape of
Good Hope, having only ten men in her; all the rest, to the number of
53, having died since leaving Bantam nine months before. Being in great
distress, three months after leaving Bantam, she lost company with the
Susan, which ship was never heard of afterwards. We came to anchor at
Saldanha bay in seven fathoms water, having the low point going in N.W.
by W. the sugar-loaf S.W. half W. the point of the breach of the Penguin
island N.W. by N. the hill between the sugar-loaf and the low point,
W.S.W. and the peak of the hill to the eastward of the Table S. by E.
In the morning of the 16th January, 1606, we sailed from Saldanha bay,
going to the northward of Penguin island, between it and the main. We
sounded when we had the land south from us about a mile and a half, and
had ground at 20 fathoms, white coral and broken shells. On clearing
the island, we stood W. by S. and W.S.W. till we brought the island to
bear S.E. by E. being now about six in the evening, when we saw the
Hector coming out by the south side of the island, having left her at
anchor when we weighed. The wind being at S. we stood all night
westwards, and in the morning had lost company with the Hector, when we
steered N.W. with little sail till noon, thinking to get sight of the
Hector, but could not. The 1st February, in lat. 16° 20' S. we had sight
of St Helena, 12 or 13 leagues N.W. The 2d, having the wind at S.E. we
lay off and on east of the island most part of the night, and in the
following morning we stood to the north of the island, coming to anchor
about noon in the road of St Helena, in 20 fathoms, on blackish gravelly
sand. We had a point of land to the N.E. a sharp hill like a sugar-loaf,
with a cross upon it, N.E. by E. the church in the valley S.E. In this
valley there are many trees, the high land S.E. from the church, and the
entire valley being full of trees. We moored S.E. and N.W. the anchor in
the offing being in 21 fathoms.
At night of the 3d, we had sight of the Hector coming round the south
end of the island, but she could not fetch into the road, yet stood to
the northward as near as she could, having the wind at east. The 4th and
5th our boats went out to endeavour to help her into the road, but could
not. Having a little wind on the 6th, our boats towed her in, bringing
her to anchor in 35 fathoms, a mile and half from shore, bearing from us
S.W. by W. distant about two leagues. The 11th we set sail from St
Helena, the wind at E.N.E. and steering N.W. The N.W. part of St Helena
is in lat. 16° S. and the variation is 7° 45'. The church, that bore
S.E. of us when we were in the road, stands in the bottom of the fifth
valley from that point which bore N.E. from us. We came to anchor in the
Downs on the 6th May, 1606, where we lay at anchor eight days, waiting
for a fair wind.