And I receved a letter from the Molucas from Mr. Wm. Nicoles, dated in Mallayo the 9th of August, and sent per the shipp Sealand.
September 23 (Fatchinguach 18).—This night our gunpouder howse, where we dryd our pouder, was beset with
men to have donne som mischeefe, as we thought; but, being espied, they fled and had a boate ready to convay them away. There was 5 of them seene neare unto the howse, and one of our men which were at watch thrust at one of them with a short pike, which the other caught by the iron head, and it being badly nealed he puld it affe and carid it away with hym, and soe fled with the rest, as afore said. Soe we esteeme they were sett on by the Spaniardes and Portingales to have blowne up all our gunpouder, to have overthrowne our voyadge, knowing themperour will suffer us to by nor carry out non.
September 24 (Fatchinguach 19).—There was 465 pico. lead waid out this day.
I went to Torazemon Dono, the kinges secretary, and tould hym of the pretence of blowing up our gunpouder howse, which I and the rest suspected was per instigation of Spaniard and Portingales; the which he wondered at, and tould me he would make it knowne to the king.
And, after, we were enformed that Lues Martin and other 2 Portingales departed from Firando late yisternight, after daylight donne, and went with their boate into the cod of the bay neare to our gunpouder howse, to have seene the sport of blowing up the howse; but, the matter being discovered, they made hast away, and the villens set on to doe it did escape in an other boate for Firando, som of which we hope to find out.
This night, after midnight, the dead corps of Bongo Samma was carid to be burned, or rather a peece of wood in place, for he was thought to be a Christian. All the nobilletye with a multetude of other people did follow the hearce. The cheefe mornar was a woaman, all in white, with her haire hanging downe her back and her face covered, and a strange attire upon her head like a rownd stoole. All the Boses (or pagon pristes) went before the herse with great lightes, and the nobillety followed after,
all in generall with such silence that noe words weare spoaken; and they kneeled downe in divers places, as though they had praid, but not one word heard what they said. And in many places they threw abrod cashes (or brasse money) in great quantety, and in the end most of all at the place where he was burned, that the people might take it, as they did allso much white lynen cloth which compased in a fowre square place where the herse was burned. And there was one bose, or prist, hanged hym selfe in a tree hard by the place of funerall, to accompany hym in an other world, for boses may not cutt their bellies, but hang them selves they may. And 3 other of the dead mans servantes would have cut their bellies, to have accompanid hym to serve hym in an other world, as they stidfastly beleeve they might have donne; but the king would not suffer them to doe it. Many others, his frendes, cut affe the 2 foremost joyntes of their littell fingers and threw them into the fire to be burned with the corps, thinking it a greate honor to them selves and the least service they could doe to hym, soe deare a frend and greate a personage, for he was brother to Foyne Samma, grandfather to the King Figen a Came, that now is. And he hath adopted Gentero Samma, the kinges brother, for his lawfull sonne, becase he had no children of his owne, and hath left all he hath to hym, he being the kinges pledg at Edo.
September 25 (Fatchinguach 20).—I went to Torazemon Dono, the kinges secretary, and tould hym we had found out the theefe which pulled affe the pike head and 2 other of his consortes, desiring hym to speake to the king that we might have justice against them, and that they might be constrayned to tell whoe sett them on to have blowne up our gunpouder; the which he promised me to do. But first he would examen our witnesses that had brought to light those 3 men, which were the bongew and neighbors of
the villadge neare the gunpouder howse, whoe fownd them out and made it knowne unto me and others.