A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Viii Part 13

This, and the subsequent subdivisions of the present section, are given by Purchas as a continuation of the foregoing observations by Mr Scot, to which Purchas affixes the following extended t.i.tle, for the better understanding of which it is to be noticed, that Mr Saris was afterwards captain or general, as it was then called, of the _eighth_ voyage fitted out by the English East India Company, which sailed in 1611.

[Footnote 133: Purch. Pilg. I. 384.]

"Observations by _John Saris_, of Occurrences which happened in the _East Indies_, during his Abode at Bantam, from October, 1605, to October, 1609. As likewise touching the Marts and Merchandises of these Parts; observed by his own Experience, or taken from the Relation of Others; extracted out of his larger Book, and, here added as an Appendix to his greater Voyage. These may serve as a continuation of the preceding Observations by Mr Scot; and to these are added, certain Observations by the same Author, touching the Towns and Merchandise of princ.i.p.al Trade in those Parts of the World."--_Purch_.

In the Pilgrims, these observations are appended to the voyage of Captain Saris to India and j.a.pan, in 1611, but are here placed more naturally as a continuation of the observations by Scot, because considerably prior to that voyage, and precisely connected with these observations. Several uninteresting particulars are omitted from these observations in the present edition.--E.

On the 7th of October, 1605, our general Henry Middleton, and Captain Christopher Coulthurst, departed from the road of Bantam, leaving eighteen men in all, of whom five were mariners and thirteen sailors.[134] The 23d there arrived a Dutch junk from Priaman, by which we learnt that Sir Edward Mitchelburne and Captain Davis were upon the coast, and that they had captured a Guzerat s.h.i.+p in the straits of Sunda, bound from Bantam to Priaman. On the report of the Hollanders, we of the English factory were summoned to court on the 25th, and wore required to say if we knew Sir Edward, and why he had offered violence to the king's friends, who had done him no wrong. We answered, that we knew a person of that name, but knew not if he were upon the coast, nor whether he had taken the Guzerat vessel, except by the report of the Hollanders, which we held to be false, and were more apt to believe it had been done by one of the Dutch-s.h.i.+ps, which sailed from Bantam two days before the departure of that Guzerat s.h.i.+p. We were then desired to depart till further proof could be had.

[Footnote 134: This piece of information is placed as a marginal note by Purchas, and confirms an idea formerly hazarded, that mariners were in these old times of a higher description than sailors; the former being thoroughbred seamen, the latter only ordinary.--E.]

Sir Edward Mitchelburne came here to anchor in the road of Bantam on the 29th, when Mr Towerson and I went on board to visit him, and were well entertained. He then informed us of having taken the Guzerat vessel, and we entreated of him that he would not capture the Chinese junks, which he promised not to do on the word of a gentleman. He set sail from Bantam on the 2d November, directing his course for the straits of Palinbangan.

The 18th November, a small Dutch pinnace sailed for the exploration of the land called New Guinea, which was said to produce great abundance of gold. The 2d January, 1606, a junk set sail for Timor, freighted by Chinese merchants. Besides English iron, coa.r.s.e porcelain, taffetas, Chinese pans and bells, they carried with them what are called _brand_ pieces of silver, being beaten out very thin and a hand-breadth in size.

On the 20th there arrived a Chinese junk, which Sir Edward Mitchelburne had captured notwithstanding his promise to Mr Towerson and me. We were called upon to make rest.i.tution, the _nokhada_ or pilot of the junk alleging to have lost many rich commodities, and the governor and princ.i.p.al courtiers were grievously offended; but by the favour of the admiral and sabander we were let off.

On the 23d May, there arrived a small vessel belonging to the Hollanders from Ternate, bringing away the merchants left there by _Bastianson_, who were sent away by the Spaniards, by whom that island was now taken, together with all their goods, the Spaniards having allowed them to depart, but had carried off the King of Ternate as a prisoner to Manilla; and it was said they meant to send him to Spain. While about ten leagues from Jackatra, this small vessel fell in with the king of Bantam's fleet, by which they were pillaged of every thing they had saved from the Spaniards; and though they now used every endeavour to procure rest.i.tution, they could have no redress.

On the 15th June, _Nokhada Tingall_, a _cling-man_, arrived in a Javan junk from Banda with a cargo of mace and nutmegs, which be sold here to the Guzerats for 150 dollars the Bantam _bahar_, which is 450 _cattees_.

He told me that the Dutch pinnace, which went upon discovery to New Guinea, had found the island; but that, on sending their men ash.o.r.e to endeavour to procure trade, nine of them had been slain by the natives, who are canibals or man-eaters; so that the Dutch were forced to come away, and had gone, to Banda.

The 6th August, the moon was eclipsed about eight in the evening, and continued so for two hours, during which time the Chinese and Javans made a continual noise by beating on pots and pans, crying out that the moon was dead. The 4th October, the whole Chinese quarter of Bantam was burnt down, yet it pleased G.o.d to preserve our house. That same night a Dutch s.h.i.+p sailed for Holland, laden with 15,000 sacks of pepper, besides some raw silk, and great store of China sugar. The 9th, arrived a pinnace from Succadanea in Borneo, laden with wax and _cavalacca_, and great store of diamonds.

The 14th May, 1607, there arrived here at Bantam a junk from _Grese_, by which we learnt that one Julius, a Dutchman, who went from hence on the 30th November, 1606, for Succadanea, had been put to death at Banjarma.s.sen, in Borneo, and all his goods confiscated by the king of that place, because, as was reported, Julius had used certain insolent speeches concerning the king, which came to his knowledge, upon which he sent for Julius and the master of the junk, and had them slain by the way.

The 7th August arrived a pinnace from the island of _St Lucia_, in lat.

24 30' S. about a mile from the coast of Madagascar, where they were forced to take shelter in the s.h.i.+p which left this on the 4th October, 1606, having been obliged to throw overboard 3000 sacks of pepper, besides other commodities of great value, to lighten the s.h.i.+p and preserve their lives. They found this island an excellent place for refreshment, the natives having no knowledge of money; so that they bought a fat ox for a tin spoon, and a sheep for a small piece of bra.s.s.

The anchorage, as they reported, was very good, being in seven or eight fathoms; upon hard ground.

The 14th November, 1607, Captain David Middleton arrived here in the Consent.[135]

[Footnote 135: Mr Saris gives here a long account of incidents concerning a Dutch fleet outward bound, having no connection with the affairs of Bantam, or with those of the English trade, and which is therefore omitted.--E.]

The 2d October, 1608, the Dragon arrived here from Priaman, in which was General William Keeling, commander in the third voyage fitted out by our English East India Company. He went to court on the 7th, and delivered our king's letter to the King of Bantam, together with a present of five handsome muskets, a bason, an ewer, and a barrel of gunpowder.

Very early in the morning of the 13th, the governor of Bantam and his _Jerotoolies_ were put to death by the _Pangavas_; the sabander, the admiral, _Key Depatty Utennagarra_, and others. The conspirators a.s.sembled over night at the house of _Keymas Patty_, and beset the court, laying hold in the first place of the king and his mother. They then hastened to the residence of the governor, thinking to have found him in bed; but he hid himself at the back of the bed, where they found him, and wounded him in the head. He then fled for protection to the priest, called _Key Finkkey_, who came out to them, and entreated they would spare his life; but they were inexorable, and having forced their way in, they dispatched him.

The 9th November, Samuel Plummer went from hence for Succadanca in Borneo, where he intended to remain. In the afternoon of Sunday the 4th December, our general, William Keeling, set sail from hence for England; but on the 6th he was forced back by bad weather and westerly winds. He set sail again on the 10th, and returned a second time on the 13th, having met with the Dragon in the straits of Sunda, the men belonging to that s.h.i.+p being very weak in consequence of the scurvy; besides which the Portuguese of Damaun had treacherously seized their boats at Surat, taking nineteen of their men, together with cloths which had cost 9000 dollars at that place. In their way for Bantam, the Dragon had captured a pinnace belonging to Columbo, out of which they took eleven packs of cloth, containing in all 83 pieces, thirteen pieces being _poulings_, which were sent to the island of Banda. On the 23d, the Dragon, commanded by Captain Gabriel Towerson, set sail again for England.

The 1st January, 1609, our general, William Keeling, set sail in the Hector for Banda. The 20th March, a Chinese house next to our warehouse was burnt down, but it pleased G.o.d that our house escaped. Next day I was sent for to court by Paugran Areaumgalla, the governor, and went accordingly, carrying the following present: One piece of _mallee goobaer_, one piece _mallayo pintado_, a musket with a bandeleer and a roll of match, which the governor accepted very kindly. He then told me he had sent for me, having heard that there were two men in chains at our house for debt, and he desired to know by whose authority I thus confined them. I said we had laid hold of them by order of the king, and I hoped he would not take them from us till I were satisfied for the debt, or at least some part of it, and in proof of its being due I showed their bills. He said he knew that they were indebted, but knew likewise that the king had not given us leave to chain them up, and desired therefore they might be set free; but I persuaded him to allow me to keep them till _Tanyomge_, who owed 420-1/2 dollars, should pay 100, and Bungoone, who owed 500 dollars and 100 sacks of pepper, should pay 20 sacks of pepper and 100 dollars in money, pursuant to his agreement and bill. The governor sent one of his slaves home along with me, to inform the prisoners of this, and to desire them to pay me.

The 24th I was again sent for to court, where the Hollanders were likewise; on which occasion the governor asked the Hollanders, whether it were customary in their country to take a man prisoner for debt without informing the king? The Hollanders said, it was not. Whereupon, forgetting his promise made only three days before, he commanded me to liberate the prisoners immediately, although I reminded him of his promise to no purpose; and he sent one of the king's slaves to take them out of our house. I am satisfied this rigid course was taken on the suggestion of the Dutch, induced by _Lackmoy_, the great Chinese merchant, on purpose to prevent us from giving credit to the Chinese, that we might be constrained to deal only with himself: and, as he is provided by the Hollanders with all kinds of commodities, he will entirely overthrow our trade, as we cannot now give credit to any one, justice being refused to us.

Captain William Keeling arrived here from Banda on the 26th of August, having laden there 12,484-1/2 _cattees_ of mace and 59,846 _cattees_ of nutmegs, which cost him 9,10, and 11 dollars the _bahar_. The _cattee_ there weighs 13-1/2 English ounces; the _small bahar_ of mace being ten cattees, and the small bahar of nutmegs 100 _cattees_; while the _large bahar_ is 100 _cattees_ of mace, or 1000 cattees of nutmegs: so that if a person owe _ten_ cattees of mace, and pay 100 cattees of nutmegs, the creditor cannot refuse payment in that manner.

Captain Keeling having taken in the rest of his loading at Bantam, consisting of 4900 bags and 3 cattees of pepper, set sail in the Hector for England on the 4th October, 1609; on which occasion I embarked in that s.h.i.+p to return home, having been four years, nine months, and eleven days in the country.

-- 8. _Rules for the Choice of sundry Drugs, with an Account of the Places whence they are procured._[136]

_Lignum aloes_, a wood so called by us, is called _garroo_ by the Mallays. The best comes from Malacca, Siam, and Cambodia,[137] being in large round sticks and very ma.s.sy, of a black colour interspersed with ash-coloured veins. Its taste is somewhat bitter, and odoriferous; and when a splinter is laid upon a burning coal it melts into bubbles like pitch, continuing to fry till the whole is consumed, diffusing a most delightful odour.

[Footnote 136: Purch. Pilgr. I. 389, being a continuation of the Observations by Mr Saris.--E.]

[Footnote 137: In the Pilgrims this last place is called Cambaya, but which we suspect of being an error of the press.--E.]

_Benjamin_, or _Benzoin_, is a gum called _Minnian_ by the Mallays. The best kind comes from Siam, being very pure, clear, and white, with little streaks of amber colour. Another sort, not altogether so white, yet also very good, comes from Sumatra. A third sort comes from Priaman and _Barrowse_, which is very coa.r.s.e, and not vendible in England.[138]

[Footnote 138: On this subject Purchas has the following marginal note.

"Burrowse yieldeth _Tincal_, called _buris_ in England; worth at Bantam a dollar the _cattee_, and here in England ten s.h.i.+llings the pound. It is kept in grease."--Purch.

The substance of this note has not the smallest reference to benjamin or benzoin, and evidently means borax, called _burris_ or _burrowse_, which used likewise to be called _tincal_, a peculiar salt much used in soldering, and which is now brought from Thibet by way of Bengal.--E.]

The best _civet_ is of a deep yellow colour, somewhat inclining to golden yellow, and not whitish, as that kind is usually sophisticated with grease. Yet when civet is newly taken from the animal, it is whitish, and acquires a yellowish colour by keeping.

There are three sorts of _musk_, black, brown, and yellow; of which the first is good for nothing, the second is good, and the last best. It ought to be of the colour of spikenard, or of a deep amber yellow, inclosed only in a single skin, and not one within another as it often is. It should not be too moist, which adds to its weight, but of a medium moisture, having a few hairs like bristles, but not many, and quite free from stones, lead, or other mixed trash, and having a very strong fragrant smell, which to many is very offensive. When chewed it pierces the very brain with its scent; and should not dissolve too soon in the mouth, neither yet to remain very long undissolved. Musk must not be kept near any sweet spices, lest it lose its scent.

_Bezoar_, of which there are two kinds, one of which comes from the West Indies, called _occidental_, and the other from the East Indies, called _oriental_; which latter is worth double the price of the other. Both are of divers forms; some round, others oblong like the stones of dates, some like pigeons eggs; and others like the kidneys of a kid, and others again like chesnuts; but most are blunt at both ends, and not sharp.

There is no less variety in the colours; some being light-red, others like the colour of honey, many of a dark ash-colour, but most of a waterish green. The East India or oriental bezoar consists of many coats, artificially compacted together like the coats of an onion, each inclosing the other, and all bright and s.h.i.+ning, as if polished by art; when one coat is broken off that immediately below being still brighter than the former. These several coats are of different thicknesses, in proportion to the size of the bezoars; and the larger is the stone so much the more is it in request. There is one sure way to make trial of bezoars: Take the exact weight of the stone, and then put it in water for four hours; then see that it is not cracked, and wipe it quite dry; and if it now weigh in the smallest degree heavier than before, you may be a.s.sured that it is not good. I have ascertained this many times at Bantam, having found many of them to turn out mere chalk, with a bit of stick in the middle, that weighed a Javan _taile_, or two English ounces. Most of the counterfeit bezoars come from Succadanea in Borneo.

The true oriental bezoars come from Patane, Banjarma.s.sen, Succadanea, Maca.s.ser, and the Isola das Vaccas at the entrance to Cambodia.[139]

[Footnote 139: In old times, oriental bezoar was prized at a high rate in medicine, having many fancied valuable qualities, now found by experience to be altogether imaginary; so that it is now confined to cabinets of curiosities. It is merely an accidental concretion, which takes place in the stomachs of various animals, somewhat similar to a gall-stone.--E.]

Of Amber,[140] in regard to colour, there are many different kinds, as black, white, brown, and grey; of all which the black is usually the worst, and the grey the best. That which is freest from filth or dross of any kind, and purest in itself, ought to be chosen; of a colour inclining to white, or ash-coloured, or intermixed with ash-coloured veins, and other white veins. When put into water it ought to swim; and though some that is sophisticated will likewise float, it is certain that none which is pure will sink. The greatest quant.i.ty of this commodity comes from Mozambique and Sofala.

[Footnote 140: Ambergris is a.s.suredly meant in the text.--E.]

-- 9. _Of the princ.i.p.al Places of Trade in India, and the Commodities they afford._[141]

Bantam, a town of Java Major, stands in lat.i.tude 6 S. and the variation here is 3 W.[142] It is a place of great resort by various nations, and where many different commodities are to be bought and sold, though of itself it produce few things, besides provisions, cotton-wool, and pepper. The quant.i.ty of this last at the yearly harvest, which is in October, may be about 32,000 sacks, each containing 49-1/2 Chinese cattees, and each cattee 21-1/2 rials English.[143] A sack is called a _timbang_, two of which are one _pekul_, three pekuls a _small bahar_, and 4-1/4 pekuls a _great bahar_, or 445-1/2 _cattees_. As the Javanese are not very expert in using the beam, they mostly deal by means of a weight called _coolack_, containing 7-1/4 cattees. Seven _coolacks_ are one _timbang_, water-measure, being 1-1/4 cattees more than the beam weight, although there ought to be no difference; but the weigher, who is always a Chinese, gives advantages to his countrymen, whom he favours, as he can fit them with greater or smaller weights at his pleasure.

[Footnote 141: This subdivision is likewise a continuation of the Observations of Saris, while factor at Bantam, and is to be found in the Pilgrims, vol. I. p. 390.]

[Footnote 142: The lat.i.tude of Bantam is 6 S. as in the text, and its longitude is 106 10' W. from Greenwich.--E.]

[Footnote 143: This seems a mistake for English ounces. If so, the sack weighs 1065-1/2 ounces, or 66 libs. 6-1/2 ounces.--E.]

In the months of December and January, there always come many junks and proas to Bantam laden with pepper, from _Cherringin_ and _Jauby_,[144]

so that there is always enough of pepper to be had at the end of January to load three large s.h.i.+ps. There is no money coined here, all the current coin being from China, called _cashes_, which are made from very impure bra.s.s, in round thin pieces, having holes on which to string them: 1000 cashes on a string is called a _pecoo_, which is of different values, according as cashes rise or fall in demand. Their accounts are kept in the following manner: 10 _pecoos_ are a _laxsau_, 10 _laxsaus_ a _cattee_, 10 _cattees_ an _uta_, and 10 _utas_ a _bahar_. There are two ways of stringing the _cashes_, one called China_ chuchuck_, and the other Java_ chuchuck_, of which the Java is the best, as there ought to be 200 _cashes_ upon a _tack_, but in the Chinese _tacks_ you will only find 160 to 175; and as 5 tacks make a _pecoo_, you may lose 200 _cashes_, or 150, on each _pecoo_; which in extensive dealings will rise to a considerable matter. By the law of the country there ought to be just 1000 cashes upon a string or _pecoo_, or they must give _ba.s.se_, which is allowance for the deficiency. On the departure of the junks, you may buy 34 or 35 _pecoos_ for a dollar; which, before next year, you may sell at 22 or even 20 pecoos for a dollar; so that there is great profit to be made on this traffic; but the danger of loss by fire is great.

[Footnote 144: Cherringin, is probably that now called Cheribon on the south side of Java; but Jauby is not to be recognised in our modern maps.--E.]

The weight used in the purchase and sale of bezoars is called a _taile_ which is 2-1/4 dollars, or 2 English ounces. A Mallay _taile_ is only equal to 1-1/2 dollar, or 1-1/3 English ounces. A China _taile_ is 1-7/20 dollars, or 1-1/5 English ounces; so that 10 China _tailes_ are exactly equal to 6 Javan _tailes_.

The English commodities vendible here are as follow: English iron in long thin bars, sells for six dollars the _pekul_. Lead in small pigs, 5-1/2 dollars the pekul. The barrel of fine corned powder 25 dollars.

Square pieces _sanguined_ 10 dollars each. Square pieces _damasked_ all over, 6-1/2 feet long, 15 dollars each.[145] Broad-cloth, of ten pounds the cloth, of Venice red colour, sells for 3 dollars the _ga.s.se_, which is 3/4 of a yard. Opium _misseree_,[146] which is the best, 8 dollars the _cattee_. Amber, in large beads, one _w.a.n.g_ and half a _taile_ mallay, for 6 dollars. Coral in large branches, 5 or 6 dollars the _taile_ mallay. Dollars are the most profitable commodity that can be carried to Bantam.