Beknopte aantekeningen van een Oost-Indische reys, gedaan uyt Engeland, met 3 scheepen de Samaritaan, de ...

1615

Go there for an audience on land. And are well received.

...with us a large piece of artillery with all its equipment, along with 20 cannonballs and 2 small barrels of powder, 12 other small pieces, 10 swords, [and] 6 fine Baftas cotton fabrics, all covered with the King’s color. He sat in a large chair with the King of Johor, and being in good spirits, he gave (which is not otherwise his custom) 3 vests to me, Mr. Nicols, and Mr. Yate.

The King's splendor, and reverence toward him. Giving gifts learned through a parable. Freedom of factory.

On the 2nd of July, he came to the seaside with great pomp. He sat on an elephant, and before him went several elephants, and besides these, 12 more with castles (as they called them) on their backs, which were full of his wives, who were attended by many women and eunuchs. But all other people were kept to the side, and no one dared to show themselves. We had even received orders to close the doors and windows of our house standing on the waterfront. The Sabandar harbor master/official showed us through a parable what we had to do concerning him. He said: if someone wants to sew a piece of cloth, he lets the needle go through, and then the thread follows by itself. By this, he meant that we had to open the way to achieving our goal through gifts and offerings. The King offered to let us set up a factory there at liberty, provided we gave 7 to 100 [percent/tax] just like other nations; this was accepted by us, which did not sit at all well with the Dutch.

Drinking Arack is the death of many.

On the 6th, the ship Hector set sail for Tecoo, having lost 26 men at Achen, mostly through heavy drinking in the Arack-houses taverns serving palm wine/distilled spirits.

Dutch Captain short of money.

On the 11th, the Captain or head of the Dutch house claimed to have no money to buy food and that he had already run up many debts, for which reason I lent him 70 Tayles units of currency, likely gold in gold to give back to me at Bantam. I noticed that the gold here was base, so I would sell nothing except for silver coin.