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May l.
Amsterdam.
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344. Matthew Slade to Carleton. Doubts not but that he has
been fully informed by the advocate Coen of the accidents in the
East Indies last year. Has received a letter written at Bantam by
a preacher in August 1617 ; he writes that negotiation is in those
lands reasonable good, but mixed with much strife and war both
with the inhabitants, who greatly fear the Hollanders, and also with
the English who traffic there. The cause of the fight between the
English and Hollanders before Pooloway in March [1617] was
given by the English themselves, who sought perforce to hinder the
Dutch at Pooloway from dealing for nutmegs and mace. "This
revolt hath caused such hatred between them and us throughout all
the Indies that well there may shortly arise from thence open war."
Dutch ships arrived and expected from Banda, Ternate, the Moluccas,
and Amboyna with nutmegs, mace, and cloves. Abundance of
pepper growing in Bantam, more than has been seen for many years ;
likely to have lading for three ships in one harvest. There will be
sent home [to Holland] from India in this year more than the worth
of ten millions that is 20 tons of gold, Spanish barks laden with
silk wares from China, taken by the Hollanders, worth about two
millions. A Portuguese carac taken by two English ships, with
2,300,000 ryals of eight, "which was the pay of all the soldiers in
the East Indies." The above are the principal points of his letter ;
the rest concern the nature and religion of the Indians, and the
little regard which "our men" [the Dutch] have to piety. Two
French ships waiting before Bantam for lading of pepper, which by
reason of the plague are almost unmanned and very likely to be
transported to the Hollanders there, "whereupon he addeth these
words 'If godliness took place here as much as ungodliness doth,
the Company might appearingly in few years become far mightier
than many Kings are.'" [Holland Corresp.]
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May 5.
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345. Court Minutes of the East India Company. Petition of
Isabel, widow of Benjamin Joseph, for a further consideration for
the ryals and plate of her late husband ; forty pounds granted which
her son Mr. Madox thankfully accepted, to conclude the business.
Petition of John Wadsworth, coxswain of the Lion, for relief, having
received a dangerous wound on each leg. Agreement with George
Hall, anchor smith. Proceedings of the committees at Deptford
and Blackwall. John Martyn to be displaced. Nailers to serve the
Company with iron at 16s. a ton. [Three and a half pages. Court
Bk., IV., 167-170.]
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May 6.
Jacatra.
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346. Geo. Cokayne and John Hayward, to President Ball.
Arrived three days past ; hope to sail this night. Three tons of
nails eaten away with rust. Kindly welcomed by the King. Have
desired Ufflete to go to Bantam to settle his accounts. [One page.
O. C., Vol. VI., No. 648.]
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May 8-15.
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347. Court Minutes of the East India Company. Request of
John Halloway to meet his bills by payment of 500l. stock, purchased
by him of Sir John Wilde refused. Letter read from Thomas
Mitford, desiring a reward for his long service and his extrordinary
expenses in apparel in the Mogul's Court ; the Company finding
some future use may be had of him, and that the complaints against
him happened by the fury of his youth, granted him one hundred
nobles. Permission to Geo. Thorpe and Sir Henry Neville to
adventure 300l. each. John Martyn to be discharged from the
Company's service and brought into the Star Chamber.
May 12.-Request of Williams of Bristol, for some means for the
maintenance of Aldworthe's children from his estate. Letter of
thanks read from the Countess of Derby for accepting her adventure
when in justice she was excluded. Sir James Cunningham to be
concluded with, if 500l. will clear that business finally. Petition of
Jeremy Sambrooke to adventure 200l., refused.
May 14.-Letters read from Edward Connok, dated from Persia
in April and June 1617, (see ante Nos. 56 and 91), and one of
special import of 4 August 1617, (see ante No. 122,) all to be
"abbreviated" by Mr. Ellam, who is to buy 500 cloths for
Persia, and as many for Bantam and Surat. Advice read of
Anthony Fugars, who has lived long in Persia and knows those
coasts, (see ante No. 21.) Authority to be procured from the
King to confirm Connok in his appointment as agent in Persia.
Answer to be sent to his letters that he may find he is not neglected,
and that seeing how late his letters came to the Company's hands,
it was not their fault that he had not the things expected, and for
safety some letters to be sent by the way of Muscovy, some by
Marseilles to Aleppo, and others by Constantinople.
May 15.-Letters from his Majesty to the King of Persia, and
from the Company to Connok, to be dispatched immediately.
Resolution to prosecute the trade in Persia with all possible means,
being of opinion that it may yield 70 or 80 per cent. ; the fleet to
go first to Surat and thence to send a convenient strength to Jask
to countenance the business and oppose any attempts of the Portuguese.
A ship of 500 tons to be built at Blackwall, to proceed
with another at least to Jask to secure the trade and two
pinnaces to be bought. Ellam ordered not to allow any letters or
Journals to be carried out of the house without special permission,
but those belonging to the Company to have leave to read them in
the counting house. Complaint against Harlowe for having a book
with the names of all the adventures and their amounts ; the
Governor requested to try and get possession of it. Information of
Carmychel, a Scotchman, that something has been enacted in the
Low Countries against this Company ; all desired to endeavour to
procure a copy of it. [Four pages and three quarters. Court
Bk., IV., 170-4.]
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May 15.
Paris.
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348. Wil. Becher, his Majesty's agent in France, to the Privy
Council. His endeavours to obtain reparation for a depredation
committed upon a ship belonging to the East India Company on
the coast of Brittany. The French King has commanded the
President of Brittany, who was formerly employed in the business,
to be sent for, at the King's charge. Will do his best to obtain
justice for the Company. [One page. East Indies Vol. I., No. 63.]
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[May 15.]
[Siam.]
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349. [Richard Pitt, Chief at Siam,] to [Ric. Cocks at Japan.]
Desires Wm. Eaton to come over next year to take the post of
principal in this place or in case of his decease, John Osterwick ;
wishes to return home. After John Johnson's death the writer
was struck with a miserable sickness. A great junk may be built
as large as the Hollanders' provided two or three English carpenters
be sent ; the King will furnish them with two hundred men
to cut timber or perform any other service for the English. Commodities
that will sell, and the prices. [Draft fragment ; unsigned.
O.C., Vol. VI., No. 649.]
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May 15.
Jacatra.
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350. N. Ufflete to President Ball. Capt. John Totten arrived.
Should there be any news worth mention will not delay sending it.
[One page. So injured by damp as to be almost illegible. O.C.,
Vol. VI., No. 650.]
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May 17.
Amsterdam.
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351. Matthew Slade to Carleton. The Netherland India Company
earnestly desire accord with the English. Thinks they will
very shortly also sue for Carleton's furtherance therein, having made
a project of union which Slade thinks the English cannot with
reason refuse. [Extract from Holland Corresp.]
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May 18/28.
The Hague.
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352. Carleton to Sec. Lake. Complaint of Mons. de Maurier,
the French Ambassador, to the States, touching two French ships
unmanned by the Hollanders at Java, referred to the Dutch East
India Company. The Company within four years of the expiration
of their octroi ; they are suitors to the States to have it renewed
for 50, 40, or at least 30 years ; Holland and Zealand are only
interested now, the other provinces now require to enter, so that a
new grant will not be yielded to without alterations in the conditions.
[Extract from Holland Corresp.]
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May 18.
Sambopa in
Macassar.
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353. Thos. Staverton to President Ball. The Solomon and
Thomas arrived in safety on 2nd February ; the Attendance with
Cassarian David on 12 February ; all laden with rice and left under
the command of David on 6 March. Nine men lost, including
Capt. Handson, in the voyage from Bantam ; three died while at
Sambopa, and five left behind sick, three of whom are since dead.
Kellum Throgmorton accompanied David. Found with Kellum,
Geo. Jackson, [John] West, Wm. Withers, Thos. Fowle, Daniell, and
Hance, a German, who promised to go with David to Banda, but
turned Moor and ran to the King of Gooa's protection who would
not give him up, saying it was against his law which he must not
violate ; Hance has since murdered a Moor and married his wife,
which the King "now villain and Moor" tolerates ; Jackson, Fowle,
and Daniell gone with David, so that only West and Withers remain.
Found this factory without goods of any sort. The King uses them
friendly and accepted their presents gratefully. No China junks have
arrived this year. Concerning Hernandez, the Spaniard, who left
secretly in a Spanish frigate, which is said to have robbed the
Viceroy of Malacca of a large sum ; Richard Short, one of Mr.
Hawkridge's mates supposed to have gone away with the Spanish
vessel ; some think he has been secretly murdered by the Portugals.
Jackson gone with his junk for Jambi and so for Bantam. Report
from the Portugals who came from Ternate, with rotten cloves, that
the Hollanders' in the Moluccas were in great want and had few
ships there. Also, it is confidently reported, that the Hollanders
intend this year to regain the King's grant for a factory here and
it is thought the King is likely to entertain them "though to our
appearance no such matter." Letter brought by a junk from Succadana,
directed to Kellum Throgmorton and signed by Wm. Raven
and Geo. Collins, state the factory there to be in great want which
if not shortly supplied could not be continued. The Queen of Gooa
accepts his good will as though she had received the gold twist
mentioned in Ball's letter. The King of Gooa sends his love and
recommendations ; Crayne Angillo, the King of Tollowe's [Tolo]
eldest son, often asks if there is not something for him aboard the
ships. Likely to be a plentiful year for rice. [Two pages and
a half. O.C., Vol. VI., No. 651.]
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May 19.
Amsterdam.
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354. Matthew Slade to Carleton. The Dutch East India Company
complain much of injury done by the English at Banda and
Bantam. [The English] to avenge themselves for what they had
justly suffered at Banda, shortly after massacred five Netherlanders
at Bantam, two being merchants, and drew their ordnance on land
to batter the Netherlanders lodge. [Extract from Holland Correspondence.]
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May 19.
Paris.
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355. W. Becher to Sec. Lake. Answer from the French Council
concerning our traffic. They have agreed that the President of
Nepthunires should be sent for to give an account of the "pursuit,"
of the East India Company (in reference to the loss of one of their
ships wrecked among the rocks upon the coast of Brittany by the
inhabitants of Audierne). Letters from the King and the Privy
Council lately delivered to him on the subject. [Extract from
Correspondence, France.]
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May 19-23.
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356. Court Minutes of the East India Company. Christopher
Farewell's bonds for "true service" to be cancelled. There being
many points unfit to be divulged in the letters from Persia which
both the Spaniards and the Hollanders will be ready to take advantage
of, the Committee only to be allowed to read them. Letter
read from Aleppo, that the delay of Connok's previous letters was
caused by his sending them by way of Marseilles ; also of the danger
of sending the two Arabs according to Connok's advice. Discussion
whether in the letter from his Majesty to the King of Persia, the King's
kindness in offering to give credit to his Majesty's subjects for 2,000
or 3,000 bales of silk, should not be acknowledged. A pinnace of 130
or 140 tons, and not to draw more than 11 feet of water and of extraordinary
length, to carry good ordnance "for offence," to be built for
the coast of Persia. A Committee to appear before the Privy Council
concerning Sir James Cunningham's business. Request of Mrs.
Walthall to sell 100l. of her husband's adventure in the first joint
stock, referred. Petition of Nathaniel Basse about brokerage. Petition
of divers poor men of Blackwall, Ratcliffe, and Limehouse
for employment and to be relieved from the opposition of the
porters of London. Petition of Eliza, wife of John Noble and
a prisoner with the Turks, for payment of certain debts. The lease
of Leadenhall to be sealed by the Company.
May 23.-Permission to Mary Walthall to pass over 100l. of her
late husband's adventure in the first joint stock to the account of
Humphrey Browne. [Two pages. Court Bk., IV., 175-177.]
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[May 26.]
Jacatra.
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357. Ufflete to President Ball. The King and Prince, with their
wives and women to the number of near 500, feasted at the Dutch
house by John Coome and presents given to them to the value of
230 ryals, by which means Ufflete thinks the Dutch have renewed
their trading. The recal of Laurence Ryall was to answer certain
complaints made by the English against him for wrongs they
suffered in the Moluccas. Is certified the Dutch will take the
China junk because they will overthrow the Chinese trade for
Bantam. Gourdayne has had a relapse. [One page. O.C., Vol. VI.,
No. 652.]
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May 29.
Madrid.
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358. Fras. Cottington to Sir Dudley Carleton. Sir Robert
Sherley has as yet negotiated nothing. He is not pleased to understand
that the English East India Company have an ambassador or
a commissioner in Persia treating with his master for settling a
a trade by a way which it seems Sir Robert never dreamed of. He
has here well paid him 1,500 ducats a month for his diet, and 300
ducats monthly for his lodging and furniture. [Extract from Correspondence
Spain.]
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May 30.
Jacatra.
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359. Ufflete to President Ball. Twelve men gone to cut a tree
for a flag staff. The Dutch are lading the Frenchmen's pepper
and have landed part of her provisions. The apparel of the French
General and others deceased garnishes every tailor's shop and all
are employed in altering and turning both their form and and fashion.
A junk arrived from Banjermassin with wax. Serious illness of
Gourdayne ; "in the judgment of man he is past recovery" and has
made his will. [Three quarters of a page. O.C., Vol. VI.,
No. 653.]
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May 31.
Acheen.
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360. Consultation at Acheen. Have already spent a month in
soliciting from the King a grant of two years trade at Tecoe, that
being declined, of one year and then of four months to recover their
debts, for which grant they promised four pieces of ordnance, but
are still denied and detained in the hope they will buy the King's
pepper. Although they have followed the King six miles two days
together, lying on the cold ground they cannot speak with him. They
are therefore resolved to repair forthwith to Laxaman and to desire
only the King's letter for recovery of their debts at Tecoe, which
may incline the King to lower his rates for pepper. Signed by
Wm. Nicolls, John Beaumont, Michael Holman, and Tanfield Evans.
[Three quarters of a page. O.C., Vol. VI., No. 654.]
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