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

1615

Cockfighting.

On the 16th, we went to court (but one may not enter without a gift) to see a cockfight, but the King spoke of no business, and no one may bring anything up if he does not speak of it first.

On the 17th, I waited for him, but in vain, as he was amusing himself with his wives.

On the 18th, his galleys arrived from Malacca.

Elegant galleys.

On the 19th, he sent the same to Peder, and so on to Malacca. 12 of them were very beautiful, with 28 or 30 oars on each side. The Admiral had a small tower on the stern, covered with plates of solid gold and very curiously made. It was said that each of his galleys...

And a great fleet.

...could carry 1000 men, and his entire fleet (consisting of 300, both large and small) could carry 100,000 men. He forced a junk large trading ship from Gujarat, 400 tons in size, to accompany his commander, but it was judged that he did not intend to go himself, but that this was put forward to make the matter appear more significant, and the Orancay nobleman/official Maraga was to be General, a man whom he feared as being of old nobility, a good warrior, who was familiar but cautious.

The General concerning this.

But yet the King departed, and thereupon I was told that what he still owed me in pepper would be paid at 8 Tayles a bale. I did not want to agree to that, but the...

The King of Achen goes to Malacca.

Coercion in trade.

...pepper was already weighed and I was given the choice to accept the same or have nothing. The Orancay Laxaman high-ranking naval officer/admiral further suggested to me that one should present 1 cable, 1 anchor, 1 large piece of artillery, 1 small barrel of powder for 20 shots, and for himself 60 Tayles in gold, and for the other servants 30, and then we would have free trade for 2 years at Tecoo and Priaman. After many words, he agreed, if we gave that gold and 20 Tayles more on top, to ensure that we would be dispatched, but at the last, the other [amount] was also demanded.