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Our whole Manillia fleete of x seale, viz. 5 English and 5 Duch, are saffely retorned to this port of Firando, having made a farr rucher voyage this yeare then they did the last, as apereth per the coppie of the cargezon sent hereinclozed, the like being sent to Jaccatra to the precedent.
Since which tyme I have receved 2 letters from Mr. Fursland, the precedent, dated in Jaccatra the 26th of March and 25th of August last past, wherein he and his councell advized me and the rest of the merchantes in the factory to leave affe our consortshipp of the fleet of defence with the Hollanders, and to send our 5 shipps for Jaccatra with as much speed as conveniently we could; and that the Palsgrove and Moone should tuch at Jamby to take in their lading of peper; the Pepercorne to stay upon the coast of China som tyme to look out according to their former comition geven; and the Elizabeth and Bull to com directly from hence for Jaccatra and bring away all the remeander left in Japon in money or merchandiz, except a cargezon of five thousand taies to be left in the handes of Mr. Jno.
Osterwick, with one man for a second, and a therd for an assistant, as should be thought fitting; and that my selfe, Mr. Wm. Eaton, and Edmond Sayer should com alonge in the said shipps for Jaccatra, for lessenyng charges in the factory. Which directions, God willing, shall be followed soe neare as we can.
The Hollanders this yeare sent a new fleet of shipps of 14 or 15 seale, greate and small, to have taken Amacan; but they had the repulse with the losse, as som say, of 300, and others say 500 men, and 4 of their shipps burned; the king of China now permitting the Portingales to fortefie Amacon, which he would never condecend unto till now, and hath geven order to the vizroy of Canton to assist them with 100,000 men against the Hollanders, yf need require. There was 4 of our 10 shipps of the fleete of defence, 2 English and 2 Hollanders, plying up and downe before Amacon before the Hollandes fleete of 15 seale arived there. The English shipps were the Palsgrove and the Bull, whoe, in passing by, hailed them with a noes of trumpetes, but the Dutch made them noe answer nether by word of mouth nor otherwaies, but passed in by them with silence; which at first made them stand in dowbt whether they were frendes or noe. But the Hollanders made accompt to have taken the towne at first onset without the helpe of our shiping or men, and therefore vouchsafed not to speake to them; yet fayled of their purpose, but since have fortefied them selves in an iland neare to Isla Fermosa called Isla de Piscadores, where they report is a very good harbour and water enough for the greatest shipps in the worlde.
The Hollanders have geven it out to the Chinas that they are Englishmen, only to bring our nation in disgrace; of the which our China frendes in Japon have adviz and have retorned answer per 2 or 3 severall conveances to the contrary, and that we had two English shipps before Amacon, when the Hollanders gave the attempt against the place,
but went for Japon without assisting them at all. And the Hollanders in Japon doe geve it out heare that we are halves with them in the new fortification of Piscadores, of the which our precedent writeth me to the contrary. I am afeard that their attempt against Amacon will cause both them and us to be driven out of Japon, for it hath overthrowne the China trade in these partes. Yet our China frendes still tell us we may have trade into China, yf we will, it being granted allready; but by meanes of the warrs of the Tartar against them and the death of 3 kinges of China in one or 2 yeares is the cause we have not entred before now; but, for the Hollanders, he will never suffer them to enter upon any conditions whatsoever.
Mr. Osterwick and my selfe, with 2 of the cheefe of the Hollandes factory, were at Edo after the departure of our shipps the last yeare, with presentes for themperour and his councell, hoping to have gott lycense to have carid out men and munition as in tyme past, but could get nothing but feare wordes for the space of 3 months we were forced to stay at Edo before we could gett our dispach, they telling us in the end they could conclude nothing untill the arivall of the King of Firando, whome they had sent for, but at his coming they would take such order about that which we demanded, as also about the delivering the friggates goods, as should be to both our contentes. And, as we retorned, we mett the King of Firando in the way, whoe made us many faire promisses. Yet now order is com from Edo that themperour will have all the priz goodes of the friggat for hym selfe, leving the rotten hull for us and the Hollanders, and, although we have made what resistance we could, yet are we constrayned to deliver it to them, will we or nill we; and, that which is more, they constrayne us to way over all the goodes to them, we being enformed they will make plito against us for much more matters then ever we receved and beleeve the lying reportes of our
enemies whoe duble all. And for carying out men and munition as in tyme past, that such a mighty prince as themperour of Japon is, having once passed his word to the contrary, would not alter it now at the demand of such people as we are. And this is the best we can find now in Japon, and I dowbt wilbe every day worse then other.
The 2 fryres or semenary pristes which came in the friggat from Manillia are both rosted to death at Nangasaque, with Yoshen Dies, capt. of the friggat, whoe was a Japon, put to death with the frires Spaniardes; and 12 other Japons which were marrenars in the friggat were beheaded in their sight, before the other 3 were executed. As alsoe, since that tyme, above xij other Spanish and Portingall fryres and Jesuistes have byn rosted to death at Nangasaque, and above a hundred Japons put to death by fire and sword, both men, woamen, and children, for entertayning and harboring of them.