offered unto us within these kingdoms of Japon, notwithstanding the lardge prevelegese we have from the Emperour that the Japons them selves may not meddell with us. Yet these Hollanders have, by sound of trumpet abord all their shipps in the harbour of Firando, procleamed open warrs against our English nation, both by sea and land, with fire and sworde, to take our shipps and goods and destroy our persons to the uttermost of their power, as to their mortall enemies.
And their cheefe comander which came hither last, called Adam Westerwood, sett my life at sale, offering 50 R. of 8 to any man that could kill me, and 30 R. for each other Englishman they could kill; which their proceadinges could not be soe secretly donne, but I hadd dailie notis thereof by som of their owne people, although they were comanded upon payne of death to the contrary. And because your Wors. shall understand all how it hath passed, it is as hereafter followeth, viz.:—
After that the comander (as they call hym), Jno. Derickson Lamb, came hither from the Molucos and passed by the Manillias, where he took divers China junckes and staid soe long on that cost that the Spanish gallions came out against hym and sunck the admerall shipp, called the New Sunne, wherein Derickson Lamb hym selfe was, whoe escaped very hardly abord an other shipp, wherein he came to Japon. The Spaniardes also burned two other of the Hollandes fleete, and made all the rest to run away, without losse of any Spanish shipp, etc.
And Jno. Derickson Lamb, going away, left the Ould Sunne, a great ship with 38 or 40 peeces ordinance in her, with an other shipp, called the Gallias, of 300 tonns, as they say, with 30 peeces of ordinance in her, and sent them abootehawling one the cost of China, and from thence to the Manillias, where they h[ad] the rifling of xvi seale of China junckes, and filled them with such as
they liked and sett the rest on fire, and brought the China junckes along with them, being the best and ruchliest laden, puting som 8 or 9 Hollanders into each junck; but, by fowle wether at sea, they lost company of the shipps, soe that the Chinas, being too strong for the Hollanders, cut all their throtes, and carid all the junckes into China, as we hadd certen newes thereof.
These 2 shipps, the Sunne and Gallias, arived at Firando the 6th and 8th day of June, 1618. And the 8th day of August after heare arived an English shipp, called the Attendance, which the Hollanders sent hither from the Molucas, to our greater disgrace, but not an Englishman in her. So that, by generall consent, it was thought fitt I went to themperours court to complaine, thinking we might have hadd restetution, considering the lardge preveleges we have in Japon. But answer was made that for factes comitted in other places themperor would not meddell with it, but for anything donne in his owne dominions he would see us have right.
Soe the three forenamed shipps, Sunne, Gallias, and Attendance, were sett out againe, the Sunne to carry their most best stuffes and silke, her full lading, to goe for Bantam; and the other two to goe for the Manillas, to meete an other Hollandes fleete, because they had certen news that 6 of the King of Spaines gallions were cast away per misfortune at Manillas, which was true, soe that the Spaniardes hadd no strength to com out against them. Soe they took 3 China junckes more, but noe greate wealth in them, only they found such good refreshing that it saved the lives of their hongerstarved men; otherwaies they hadd never lived to see Japon.
Soe now may it please your Wors. to understand this last yeare, I meane reckning before Christmas, here cam 7 seale of Hollanders for this cuntrey of Japon and to this towne of Firando, viz.:—
1. The Bantam, a shipp of 1000 tonns, wherin Adam Westerwood came.
2. The "New Moone, a shipp of 7 or 800 tonns, vizadmerall.