The 12th, we came altogether into Bantam roads, the Dutch fleet consisting of fifteen sail, besides two others of their nation which we found already in the roads, and ours of twelve sail. This day, Mr Janson, commander of the Dutch fleet, accompanied by their fiscal, and divers others, came to visit me, and invited Mr Brockendon, Mr Spalding, and myself on board the Dutch admiral's ship, where we conferred with General Coen concerning our future conjunct arrangements. After we had compared the articles and letters, the Dutch general agreed that we should jointly proceed in conformity with the instructions we had received from our Honourable Company; but he declined publishing the articles till the arrival of some ship from Holland, with the articles and instructions from their Company. On the 14th, in the morning, by mutual concert between us and the Hollanders, we sent Mr Beaumont and Philip Baduge on, shore, with one Dutch merchant, to communicate the news of our peace and agreement to the pangran, and to inform him, as we were now united, we only desired to have a reasonable composition with him, through which we might remain quietly in his country, enjoying a free trade on just and equitable conditions, as in other parts of India. But the pangran was so much dissatisfied with the news, that he would give no answer to their message, often times asking them why we had become friends with the Hollanders, so that they had to return without any answer. We sent the same message to him next day, but our messengers were not allowed to land.
"The differences and maritime warfare which took place between the Dutch and English East India Companies, of which some notice has been taken; and the peace and union which are announced, as having been communicated to their respective commanders at this time, would lead to historical discussions and deductions, which do not properly belong to the object of a Collection of Voyages and Travels; but which, if altogether passed over, would leave much of the foregoing circumstances, and some that have to be noticed in the sequel, abrupt, isolated, and almost unintelligible. It has therefore been deemed proper to give a brief account of these differences, and of the singular so called union, which took place in consequence, extracted from the Annals of the East India Company, vol. I. p. 201, et seq.[276]
[Footnote 276: This addition to S.4. of the present voyage, is made by the Editor; but almost entirely derived from the historiographer of the East India Company.--E.]
"When the differences and aggressions which had occurred in the spice islands were reported in Europe, the English and Dutch Companies presented memorials and remonstrances to their respective governments, each complaining against the servants of the other, as guilty of unwarrantable aggressions. In Holland, calculating on the pacific character of King James, it was expected that the opposition to the projects of the English for participating in the trade of the spice islands, although of at least a tendency towards warlike aggression, would not lead to national hostilities, but might be discussed by means of remonstrances and negociation.
"After long conferences between English and Dutch commissioners, for settling the disputes between the two Companies, a treaty was concluded at London on the 17th July, 1619; by which, after specifying an amnesty for all past excesses, and a mutual restitution of ships and property, the trade of the two nations in the East was declared to be free;--That the pepper trade at Java should be equally divided;--That the English should have a free trade at Pullicat, on paying half the expences of the garrison;--That the English were to enjoy one third of the export and import trade, at the Molucca and Banda islands, commonly called the spice islands; commissioners to be appointed for regulating the trade, and the charges of the garrisons, under their inspection, to be defrayed in that proportion by the two Companies;--That each Company should furnish ten ships of war for the common defence; which ships were not to be employed to bring cargoes to Europe, but only in the carrying trade, between one port and another in the East Indies.--The whole proceedings arising out of this treaty, were to be under the regulation of a Council of Defence, composed of four members appointed by each Company, who were to reside in India; and this treaty was to subsist in force for twenty years.
"It would lead far beyond any due bounds that could be afforded in this work, to follow out this compact, singularly weak on the part of King James, and assuredly either contrived by his boasted king craft, or devised by some wily Dutch politician, who was acquainted with his majesty's wonderful sagacity. This union and the council of defence, turned out a most fruitful source of advantage to the Dutch, who had completely duped the king and government of England, and totally expelled the English Company from any share whatever in the trade of the spice islands; after contriving to make them pay more than two thirds of the expence of fortifications and garrisons, instead of one third, all of which were effectually converted to their injury and exclusion. In the sequel of these voyages, several instances will be found, completely illustrative of these positions; and from the year 1625, or thereabout, the Dutch enjoyed the entire profits of the spice trade, including the whole island of Java, till within these very few years; when, as subjects of Buonaparte, they have been driven from every foreign possession, and entirely excluded from all participation in the trade of the East."--E.
S.5. Voyage of Captain Pring from Bantam, to Patania and Japan, and return to Jacatra.[277]
The 26th of April, 1620, we sailed from Bantam roads, with the James Royal and Unicorn in company, intending, by the grace of God, to go for Japan, there to careen and trim our ships. Mr Brockendon departed at the same time for Jacatra with six ships; proposing, about a month after our departure, to send five good English ships after us to Japan, that we might have the fittest season of the year to go from thence to the Manillas. The 27th, we took leave of this fleet, and steered towards the north, borrowing within half a league of the eastern point of Pulo-Tunda; and came to anchor in the evening about a league off the N.E. point of that island, in twenty-three fathoms upon ooze, waiting till the western stream of the tide began to return to the eastwards which was about ten at night, when we proceeded on our course.
[Footnote 277: Purchas gives two relations of this voyage, one brief, "lest the longer one might interrupt the more delicate muses of some readers with sea-sickness, the other for those that are more studious of nautical knowledge." On the present occasion, we have preferred the more extended narrative, and have therefore united both accounts as given by Purchas, being the remainder of S.4. joined to the whole of S.5. giving one instance of minute nautical remarks of our earlier navigators.--E.]