Triumph of Ternates

About this Time some Ternate Troops return’d Home victorious, having plunder’d and destroy’d a Town in the Island of Tydore.

They march’d into the City on the 20th of July, the King being present, with their Campilanes, or Cymiters drawn, and bloody, with half Heads, Ears, and Hair of those they had conquer’d, or slain, sticking to them.

They show’d the Shields and Weapons they had taken from them, their Cloaths and Feathers, and 43 Prisoners, who follow’d dragging Chains, some about their Necks, and some at their Heels. Among them was a brave Youth, 21 Years of Age, who was a Sangiack of Note, and Kinsman to the King of Tydore; as also a very beautiful Portuguese Lady, Wife to a Captain in that Fort.

They walk’d about the City, with all this State and Plunder, till they came to Prisoners sacrific’d. the King’s Palace; there the Captives were sacrific’d, and the Portuguese Lady sold for a Slave, a rare Piece of Mercy, and purchas’d by her Tears.

The King of Ternate honour’d the Chief of the Tydores, smiling and lovingly encouraging him, as Kinsman to a King. The Youth excusing himself, and pleading Innocence, to gain the Victor’s Favour, he return’d a favourable Answer, and bid him wash himself. Sweet Water was brought to wash their Hands, and it was poured over the King’s Hands and his, at the same Time, out of one Ewer.

Then the Captive thus assur’d, letting fall his Hands with the Water, which, perhaps, is a Ceremony to denote Peace, and bowing his Head by way of civility, a Soldier struck him on Barbarous Perfidiousness. the Neck with a sharp Campilane, or Cymiter, so furiously, that the Head dropt at some Distance from the Body half alive; then they cut both the Head and Body into small Pieces, all which, to exercise their utmost Rage, they put into a Prau, which is a little Boat, and then sunk all together in the Sea.

Four Days after another Parcel of Ternates came with several Tydore More of their Cruelty. Prisoners, whose Heads they cut off in the Port, as they did that of a Stranger, who came peaceably to the Island with Merchandize. All these Spectacles the Dutch beheld. Such good Use do those Barbarians make of Victory. Friendship being now establish’d with the Dutch, and the King The King aboard the Dutch Ships. well assur’d of it, he resolv’d to go aboard their Ships.

He went aboard the Admiral on the 25th of July, with all his Guard, where nothing escap’d being narrowly view’d and observ’d by him, with a seeming willingness to buy it. He desired the Admiral to leave some of his Men at Ternate, which was refus’d at that Time. He view’d the Ship over again, and going into the Cook-Room, very much admir’d a Pair of Bellows, wherewith they kindled the Fire in his Presence, and seeing the Use they were put to, took them into his own Hands, and was a considerable Time opening and shutting of them; then biting and pressing the Nozle with his Lips, Foolish Behaviour of his. he began to swallow the Wind it blow’d out, swelling himself up, not without much Laughter and Astonishment of the Dutch, who write, they Thought the King was either running Mad, or had no Sense before.

He begg’d those Bellows, and being presented with them, was highly pleas’d. He return’d several Times after to the Ships, with a greater Design in his Head, which was to try whether he could by any Means contrive to seize them. He was pleas’d to see how affectionately his Subjects [173]traded and trusted them with their Spice. At length they prevail’d upon the Admiral to leave some of his Men, with a good Sum of Money, to Dutch Factory at Ternate. buy up Cloves the next gathering. The first Dutch Factors left at Ternate, were Francis Verdoes, Father to William; Diricht Floris, Jacob Lamberts, John Jans, of Grol; Cornelius Adrians, and a Boy of Amsterdam, whose Name was Henry Jans. These laid the Ground for the second Enmity, with the first Rebells of that Nation, who conspir’d with the Ternates, and were afterwards the Occasion of other Fleets and Succours coming into those Parts, against their Natural Sovereign.

These Men being left at Ternate, and having receiv’d Intelligence that Dutch depart Ternate. the Brigantines were returning from the Island of Banda, the Ships sail’d from Ternate, on the 19th of August, passing by the Island Maca, among the other Moluccos, and that of Oba, to the Northward. Then in two Degrees and a half Latitude, they discover’d so many Islands, that they could not count them; others they saw, not set down in the Maps, and learnt their Names from some Sailors.

Among them was that of Banquore, and its Neighbour Sabobe, whose King resides in that of Mitara, and has 30 more within a very small Compass. He furnish’d them with Provisions, and gave Notice of Dangerous Ridges of Rocks; to avoid which, they return’d the same Way they came, in Sight of Amboyna and Celebes. On the 13th of November, they were inform’d at Jaquetra, that the Vice-Admiral was already gone from Banda; and had there a great Quantity of Rice, brought but just before by Chinese Vessels.

Come to Banda. On the 17th they came to Banda, where at Montelongo, and Soleparvo, they found the two Zealand Ships, which having traded about eight Months with little Profit, design’d to return. On the 15th of January 1600, the Admiral made the Governour of Banda some European Presents, and among them a small Boat, all cover’d with fine Scarlet. All the Merchants met and set sail for Holland, on the 21th of the same Month, and sail’d all February, with stormy Winds, and loss of some of their Men, till the Weather mended on the third of March. On the 13th of April, in the Latitude of 34 Degrees and a half, they found themselves somewhat At the Cape of Good Hope.above 20 Leagues from the Cape of Good Hope.

On May 16, they reach’d the Island of St. Helena, where, at some Distance, they discover’d other Ships. Some Men landed, and admir’d its strange Fertility among those Mountains. They saw another Island, whose bare Rocks, S. Helena. without Trees or Grass, look as if they were made of Coals; and among them are Abundance of monstrous wild Boars, yet nothing could be seen to grow, or any living Creatures they could feed upon; There were also Desart Island. large Tortoises, some of them weighing 400 Weight.

On May 31, they made for the Texel, and thence to Amsterdam, where they were receiv’d with publick Rejoycing; and they again prepar’d to return to India, and continuing their Trade with those barbarous Kings, who are Masters of the Spice, Metals, precious Stones, Pearls, and other foreign Wealth, have at length converted the Friendship they kindly offer’d at first, into Slavery, and Subjection to the Tyranny of Holland and Zealand. And in the Year 1600, with more Expedition, they sail’d into Guinea, and to S. George de la Mina, with only two Ships, the first Time, and ran through the same Ports and Islands, throughout our Seas in Safety. They [174]took particular Accounts of all Things, whether Natural, or Political, relating to that vast extended Country of Asia, which is almost opposite to Europe, and under other Stars, and another Pole. The same Year, being in search of the North-Passage, in 80 Degrees of Latitude, they discover’d Nova Zembla. Nova Zembla, where they found nothing but monstrous white and grey Bears, which did not run, but rather took little Notice of the Noise of Cannon, and devour’d Men; there were also white Crows, no less undaunted; and in short, most of that Part of the World was desart, and they found not the Passage they expected into the South-Sea. Yet they now sail’d all those Southern Parts, at all Seasons, making a Jest of the Monsons, the Portugueses so mightily observe, as if they had them shut up in Skins, like the Fable in Ulysses. Perhaps they buy fair and stormy Winds, as is said to be done in Lapland, at settled Rates, of Witches that deal in them.

Vanity of the King of Ternate. The King of Ternate was so puff’d up with the Friendship, and Support of the Northern Nations, that he durst boldly flatter himself with the Hope of becoming absolute Master of Tydore. Accordingly he streightned that King, and the Portuguese Garrison, without allowing them the least Respite. Other Dutch Ships had come since the former to that Island, on Account of Trade, by the Way of India, with Arms and several Commodities. The Ternate Embassadors were treating in England and Holland, for settling of perpetual Peace and Commerce. The King had already received Answers to these Embassies, and very speedily expected an English Fleet, and many Dutch Ships, with whose Assistance he promis’d himself to destroy Tydore, and thence to stretch out to the Philippines. In the mean while, some Dutch and English remain’d at his Court, like Hostages, with a Factor, whose Business was to attend the Bartering, or buying up of Spice; to purchase which they brought him Abundance of curious Arms. This being known to the King of Tydore, and Ruy Gonzalez de Sequeyra, Commander of the Fort, who every Year writ to the Embassy from Tydore to the Philippines. Governour of the Philippines about it; they now sent a particular Embassy to Don Francisco Tello, giving him an Account of the Condition of those Places; of the Fort; of the Succours, and how vain it was to expect them from India. That an Affair of such Consequence might sort the desired The King’s Brother Embassador. Event, they appointed Cachil Cota, the King of Tydore’s Brother, a notable Soldier, and most renowned Commander of the Moluccos, to go Embassador. He came to Manila, well attended, with Letters from the King, and the Commander in Chief. Those, and he, in a set Speech, (for the People of the Moluccos do not want Rhetorick to perswade) return’d the Governour Thanks for the Supplies he had at several Times sent them of Provisions, and Ammunition. But what we come to desire, said Cachil Cota, is that this Work be now effectually taken in Hand, before the English and Dutch with their Fleets strengthen Ternate, and render it impregnable. We cannot but admire, that whereas the Portuguese Arms obtain such signal Victories, as are those of Calicut; over the Turks, at Diu; over the Egyptians; over the People of Cananor, of Ceylon, the Javas, Sumatra, and other Nations on that Side; and the Spaniards on this, against those of Camboxa, Mindanao, Japan, Cochinchina, and China, yet only we of the Moluccos, who lie amidst the Dominions of one only Monarch, should be left [175]expos’d to the utmost Fury of a Parcel of Rebellious Islands. If the King of Spain allows, or rather commands, we should be reliev’d by the Way of the Philippine Islands, Why is he not obey’d? What does it avail to carry on a cool War, against a hot and watchful Enemy? The Governour answer’d to every Point, and having entertain’d him, and given Hopes of greater Supplies, when he could be secure against the mighty Preparations then making at Japan, he dismiss’d him, with a considerable Recruit of Artillery and Ammunition, and some experienced Soldiers. However these Succours being so much inferior to the Power of the Enemy, and their own Fear, which made them expect much greater, they could not put them out of Care. This made them send Captain Marcos Dias de Febra, Another Embassy. their last Embassador to the Philippines, during the Government of Don Francis Tello. He carry’d Letters from the King and Ruy Gonzalez, to the Governour and Council, which being almost all of them much of the same Purport, we will here insert one of them, directed to Doctor Antony Morga, one of that Council, writ with the King’s own Hand, and in the Portuguese Language.

The King of Tydores Letter. I was wonderfully pleas’d with your Letter of the 8th of November last, because by it I understood how very sincere you were in remembring of me; God reward you for it with much Prosperity in this Life, that you may do Service to the King, my Sovereign, for I understand you are by his Order in those Islands, and desirous to improve them; which I am not ignorant will be no less Advantageous to this Fort and Island of Tydore. I write to the Governour, and to that Council, concerning the Succours I desire, and have ask’d so often, the Necessity of it being great, to prevent those Mischiefs which may afterwards put my Sovereign, the King, to much Trouble and Charge. God grant you long Life. From this Island of Tydore, March the 8th 1601. The King of Tydore, in Arabick Characters; and then what follows in Portuguese. The Bearer is Marcos Diaz, he will deliver you a Powder Flask, with a Charger of fine Moorish Brass. I send it you, that you may remember this Friend.

Embassador returns well satisfy’d. The Embassador return’d to Tydore with the first Monson, at the Beginning of the Year 1602, well pleas’d with the Answer he brought, the Supplies of Provisions and Ammunition he had demanded, and some Soldiers; but much better satisfy’d with the Hopes given him, that as soon as an Opportunity offer’d, that Expedition should be undertaken from Manila for Ternate, with the necessary Preparations, and Force to secure the Success.

K. James of England Writes to the King of Ternate.

At this Time King James of England, writ to Sultan Zayde, of Ternate, desiring him to continue his former Friendship, and that the English might build Colonies and Factories in the Molucco Islands. The Sultan would not grant it, and complain’d in harsh Terms, that England had never assisted him against Portugal; and that so little Account should be there made of the first Alliance concluded by Means of Sir Francis Drake, when King Babu sent the Queen of England a Ring in Token of Confederacy, His Answer. by the said Drake. He said, he could not admit the English, contrary to the solemn Engagement he had made to Prince Maurice and the [176]Dutch Nation, to whom he had made a Promise, that none but they should buy up and lade the Product of his Country. All this appears by the Copy of a Letter in the Portuguese Tongue, found among the King of Ternate’s Papers, when our Men possess’d themselves of his Palace. Where we may observe the perfect Hatred he shows for the Portuguese Government, since he never Names those People without adding the Epithet of Mortal Enemies; and in speaking of the Dutch, My Friends and Deliverers; adding, That he expects their Fleets with great Satisfaction. This Answer he sent King James by Henry Middleton, then Admiral of the English Fleet, on the eighteenth of July, 1605. The Truth of the Fact is, that this King admitted, and invited to his Dominions, and the Product of them, all other Nations, to arm against the Spaniards, and oppose Christianity; and tho’ he then boasted of the Succours he receiv’d, and expected from the Dutch, had he seen the Power of their Fleets and Arms decline, he would have excluded them the Trade. All his Religion and Hopes were subservient to the present Circumstances of Times, and his Faith depended on the Advantages he could make.

The End of the Seventh Book.