Tweede scheeps-togt, van de Engelse Oost-Indische Maatschappy, onder den Hr. Hendrik Middleton, generaal,... (1706) - Page 12

landers, if her Royal Majesty of England had not had pity on them, would have been ruined by the King of Spain and made his slaves. If one were to recount the details of the insults done to our nation, entire books would be filled with them, and they would be heard by the world with astonishment.

I shall conclude, and simply show what esteem our nation has in the East Indies Oost-Indien from the sincere copies of letters from their Kings sent to His Majesty of Great Britain Britannien.

Letter of the King of Ternate to the King of England.

I heard good reports of your Majesty during the time of my Father through the arrival of the great Captain, the Lord Francois Drake, which was about 30 years ago. My forefather sent by the same to the Queen of England a ring as a token of remembrance between us; if the said Drake arrived safely, he was able to inform her Majesty of the great affection and friendship between him on behalf of the Queen, and that of my Father for himself and his descendants. After the departure of the said Captain, we have daily expected his return, and my Father, living many years after that, looked forward to him from time to time. After the death of my Father, I lived in that same hope, until I became the father of 11 children. Meanwhile, I was informed that the English Engelse are a malicious sort of people, and that they had not come as peaceful merchants, but to take our kingdoms from us, of which we have however found the opposite through the coming of the bearer of this letter, which has greatly gladdened us. As we now, many years later...