And, as I understand by Capt. Robt. Adames, admerall the last yeare of the fleete of defence, that in the last voyage the yeare past to the Manillas the Hollanders did much abuse our English men, and Wm. Johnson vizadmerall was cheefe occation therof. Soe that they had like to have gon together by the eares in the Manillias, to the totall distraction of both fleetes, the enemie being so neare, yet by the discretion of som it was pacefied; as I make acco. Capt. Adames hath advized your Wors. at large, he being now apointed vizadmerall, much against his will, by the Councell of Defence at Jaccatra, he dowbting that yf the last yeare, when he was admerall, they feared not to doe soe, that, now themselves are admerall, they will doe worse. And herinclozed I send your Wors. a copie of a letter which I receved from Molucas in a shipp of the Hollanders, sent from Mr. Wm. Nicolles, agent, wherin your Wors. may see the proceadinges of the Hollanders in those partes, as I make acco. he hath advized therof hym selfe. Truly their proceadinges every wheare are allmost intolerable, and they are generally hated thorowout all the Indies, and we much the worse thought of now we are joyned with them.
Yt is very certen that with little danger our fleet of
defence may take and sack Amacon in China, which is inhabeted by Portingales. For the towne is not fortefied with walls; nether will the King of China suffer them to doe it, nor to make any fortifecations, nor mount noe ordinance upon any plotforme; and ¾ partes of the inhabetantes are Chinas. And we are credably enformed that, these 2 last yeares, when they did see but 2 or 3 of our shipp within sight of the place, they weare all ready to run out of the towne, as I have advized the Precedent and Councell of Defence at Jaccatra; and, had but 2 small shipps, as the Bull and Pepercorne, entred this yeare, they might easely have burnt and taken 17 seale of galliotas which weare at an ancor, amongst which weare the 6 galliotas which came into Japon, being then full laden; and, had they taken this fleet, the Portingales hadd byn utterly undon, as they them selves confesse, and, that towne being taken, all the Portingalles trade in these partes of the world is quite spoiled, both for Manillias, Malacca, Goa, and else wheare. And the King of China would gladly be ridd of their neighbourhood, as our frendes which procure our entry for trade into China tell me, and doe say that he wished that we could drive them from thence. But this yeare there is 3 kings of China dead, the father and his two sonns, the wives of the two bretheren procuring the poisoning of them both. Soe that now a yong man of 14 or 15 yeares ould is com to be king, being the sonne of one of the deceased brothers; which is a stay unto our proceadinges to get trade into China, for that new petision must be made, and our joyning with the Hollanders to take China juncks is ill thought of. But the barbarousnesse of the Hollanders at Manillias the last yeare is much; for, after they had taken the China junkes and that the pore men had rendred them selves, the Hollandars did cut many of them in peeces and cast many others into the sea; wherof our men saved and took many of them up into our shipps;
and much more distrucktion had byn made of them, had not Capt. Adames, the admerall, prevented it.
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Notwithstanding the previleges which we and the Hollanders have from themperours of Japon, that the Japons shall not execute any justice upon our people, yet this yeare the justis of this place (but it was in the abcense of the king) did cut offe the heades of ij Hollanders which, being drunke, did brable with the Japons and drue out their knives, as their custam is, and gave a skram or 2 to som Japons, one being a souldier, yet kild noe man; and yet the Hollanders were haled out into the filds and their heads cut offe and sent home to the Hollands howse, which they refuced to receve, desiring them to leave them with the bodies, which they did, and soe left them in the filds to be eaten by crowes and dogges; which they had byn, had not som Englishmen buried them.
And as som of our men goe along the streetes, the Japons kindly call them in and geve them wine and whores till they be drunk, and then stripp them of all they have (som of them stark naked) and soe turne them out of dores. And som they keepe presoners, forging debtes upon them, which som of our men sweare they owe not; yet it is noe beleeving of all, for som of our men are bad enough; yet out of dowbt the abuse is greate and never seene till the last yeare and this. For the king hath (by our procurement) from the first made an edect that the Japons should not trust our men without paying money for what they tooke; for it is an ordenary course for som of our men to leave the shipps and lie ashore in secret a wick, a fortnight, yea a month som of them, and in the end cause their hostes to keepe them presoners, telling us it is by force, yet confesse the debt som of 5, others of 10, 20, and 30 taies per man which they owe, desiring it may be paid and put upon their wages. Which course of theirs I withstand in all I
may, and make many set free without payment, which they murmur at as a disgrance and discredett to them, swearing, woundes and blood, your Wors. are indebted to them in farr greater somms and yet they cannot be masters of their owne; soe that the trowble I have with them heare is much. Nether can ther comanders curb them, they rise in such greate multetudes, as for example I advised your Wors. the last yeare, and laid violent handes on the admerall, Capt. Adames; and this yeare the Bulls company and most parte of the Moones mutened, and all the rest promised them to doe the like, but were prevented, for that som of these weare taken and punished, which caused the others to feare.
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And for the shipp called the English Hope (for the Hollanders have one of the same name) is ether cast away or else the company have revolted and run away with the shipp and kild the master or else carid hym away with them perforce, for every on thinketh that the master, Mr. Carnaby, would never consent thereunto; but they suspect one Thorneton and the chirurgion, with other mutenose persons in her, for that this Thornton hath a brother which they say is a piratt and entertayned per the Duke of Florence. Soe they imagin, after they have made what purchase they may, that they will direct their course thither with the shipp. This is the opinion of the cheefe in our fleete.