THE Hollanders Declaration of the affairs of the East INDIES.  
OR A TRUE RELATION OF THAT WHICH PASSED IN THE Lands of Banda, in the East Indies: In the year of our Lord God, 1621. and before.  
Faithfully Translated according to the Dutch Copy.  
Printed at Amsterdam.  
1622.   

A TRUE RELATION OF THAT WHICH PASSED IN THE LANDS OF BANDA, IN the East Indies: In the year of our Lord God 1621. and before.  
ALL the Lands of Banda, from the tenth of August 1609. were by a special treaty & agreement made with the Orang-cayas, or Magistrates of the foresaid Lands, were put under the protection of the high and mighty, the States general of the united Provinces, on condition to defend them from the Portugal, and other their Enemies, provided that they of the said Lands are bound to deliver unto the Fort called Nassau, or unto the Commits of the said Company, all their fruits or spices at a certain price, and so forth, as by the said treaty of agreement more at large appeareth. These articles of agreement, being for a time by them performed, were afterward broken and violated as well in keeping back, and withholding the said fruits and spices, which they were tied to to the Netherlands Company; as also enforcing and robbing their Warehouses, and contrary to solemn treaty and promise, murdering at sundry times and places, diverse of the principal Officers, Committees, and Servants of the said Netherlands Company, in taking away diverse small Ship provision, their open invading of the places and Countries, withstood also lately under the subjection of the high and mighty, the States general and in conquering the inhabitants thereof, whom with a strong hand they forced from being Christians to become Mores again, or those which withstood or gainsaid them, they sold as Slaves, and in committing all kind of perverse wickedness and treachery: during which passages & doings, there was again certain contracts on the aforesaid conditions agreed upon, with the said Bandaneseis, as in May in the year 1616. by one of the Netherlands Commanders called Lam, and by their Governor General Lawrance Reaell, in the year 1617. which indeed were shortly after broken and violated by the Bandaneseis, and that through the animating by the English, who did openly aid and assist the foresaid Lands, and maintained them in warrage, the Netherlands Company with victuals, and Munition, great Ordnance, Men, and Ships, thereby to withhold from us the fruits and spices, which the Bandaneseis were tied to deliver. In this wilfulness the Bandaneseis continued, till in june 1620. Till that at laccatra was published both amongst the English and the Netherlands Fleet, then riding there in the Road: the treaty concluded and agreed upon, between his most excellent Majesty, the King of great Britain, and the high and mighty Lords the State's general, for to reconcile upon certain conditions, the English and Netherlands East India Companies.  
The which Treaty, and by conference of handling concerning the Molluccoes', Amboyna, and Banda, all disputes and differences between the English and the Netherlands Company concerning the same, were to that time abolished, and a general force of Ships of War was ordained between them, for the defence of both Companies in their rights, and the commerce which they had obtained in the Indies.  
The Reduction of the wilful Bandaneseis unto the Netherlands Camp, was hindered a year or two, through the actual proceedings which the English in Banda itself, since the year 1616. and afterwards in the year 1618. About the coast of java, and whole India through, by open hostility did attempt: whereby the aforesaid Bandaneseis being encouraged, and made bolder, did withdraw themselves wholly from under the subjection of the Castle of Nassaw, doing unto us and ours all wrong and hostility, and withholding from us their fruits (to say) Nutmegs and Maces, which they did not only sell unto the English, and to the Indians, but also to the portugals, who are both their and our Enemies, with whom they seek to make nearer alliance of friendship, as already in the great Island named Banda, were come fifty or three score portugals, who by some more assistance, considering the natural force of the said Island, would have been sufficient to have deprived both the English and the Netherlands Company of the rights therein, and the fruits thereof, without hope hereafter to have any redress.  
In regard of those inconveniences, after the publication of the contract that was made, the General of the netherlands company, in the common Counsel for defence, (consisting of Englishmen and Netherlanders) propounded the necessity of the taking of Banda, as also of the redressing and assuring of those Quarters, and of the trade in Amboyna and Moluccas, to the which end, both the Companies according to the contract were bound together, to use all the force and power that he could, for the preservation of the places, as much as concerned the trade, for both the Companies. And it appeareth by the Act made by those of the said Counsel for defence, bearing date the first of january 1621. stilo ●oua, that the English Committees there declared, that the necessities of the business was well known unto them; as also that they were very willing together with us, to do some common exploit: but for that as then, they wanted both power and means of men and ships, that they could not for that time furnish any thing towards the same: Whereupon, the Netherlands Governor General declared, that with the particular power of the netherlands Company, he would take the same in hand, and effect it in such manner, as God should be pleased to prosper his proceedings.  
And to that end, upon the 13. of january, the Governor General went from jacotra to Amboyna, where he arrived upon the 14. of February, and from thence went to Banda, to the Castle of Nassaw, lying in the Island Nera, upon the 27. of February 1621. In the mean time, one of the English Counsel for defence, that had been at jacotra upon the first of january 1621. and was privy to the contract made, lying then in Amboyna, when the Governor General went from thence to Banda; sent Letters in our own Ships to the Englishmen, lying in the small Island Puleron, and made known and discovered unto those of Banda, in what manner the General of the netherlands Company, intended to assail the great Island of Banda: and when the said Governor General was come to the Fort of Nassaw in Banda, he understood that the Englishmen in Puleron, had aided them of the Town of Lontor, in the great Island of Banda, with 4. Pieces of great Ordnance; and that if they had had longer time, that the entrance of the General of the Netherlands Army into Lantor Haven, should have been let and withstood by a great battery. As also that some Englishmen in Lantor, assisted these of Banda, ours and (according to the contract) their enemies, both with counsel and force, encouraging them with their presence, and notwithstanding that the said General required the said Englishmen of Lontor to leave the Town, for the causes and reasons aforesaid as also for that they themselves, according to the contract and Order made by the Counsel of Defence, before that time might not buy any Fruit in Molucques, Amboina, and Banda, as after the publication of the Contract they might do, and that only together, and in common places with the Netherlanders, yet some few of them stayed still with them of Banda our common enemies. Notwithstanding also that the Governor General protested, that he was not therein to be blamed, if by that means any hurt were done unto them, being among & with our common enemies, from whom they should & ought to have separated themselves.  
First, though Governor's General, determined to assail the great Island of Banda on the South side, (by some called Lontor, because the principal Town is so called) by land in a place called Luchny, and to that end caused the Ship called the heart to Anchor thereabouts, which lay not long there, but it was shot at by an English piece of Ordinance, whereby our men were forced to tow the said Ship with a Galley from the shore, and to leave two Anckors and two Cables behind them, or else it had been in great danger of sinking or burning, out men assuring us, that an English Gunner had shot at them, and that they perfectly descried and saw him, although the Englishmen seem to deny it.  
Whereby altering of their first purpose, the General of the Netherlanders resolved to land upon the inward part of the Island of Banda, there to encamp themselves, and then to go up upon the Hills, and there to plant there Ordinance, and to that end upon the 8. of March, 1621. landing with 17. Companies between Comber and Ortatten, they marched along the shoreside, within the reach of three Pieces of great Ordinance lent then by the Englishmen, and not long before planted there, whereby if they had marched forward many of our men had been slain, and so we should have found no place there to encamp ourselves, but the Enemy from the Hills would have domineered over us, no man knowing what counsel to give, whereby we might get up upon the hills. The way where on above Three years before we had been, being all entrenched, whereupon the General determined to enter again into his Ship with the whole Army, to take another course. They of Banda not once pursuing after us, but with flouting and mocking let us go, and so thinking thereby that they had gotten the upper hand of us, most part of them brought their Wives and Children again into Lontor. After these two erterprises, partly hindered by the English Ordinance, were in that manner crossed The General for a third resolution, determined to assail the great Island of Banda, on both sides, that is on the inner side of the Land with 6. Companies, and on the South side with 10. Companies. That they on the Inner side should land an hour before the others should land, by that means to draw the enemy forth, and so to make place on the other side, while a Company of chosen men should land on the North side, to climb up upon the Hills, and others in other places of the land should also be in a readiness, being 330. persons, whereof 150. were Musketeers, appointed for the manning and ashuring of 30. Boats which the said Company would bring on the South side of the Island.  
This was effected upon the 11. of March, and accordingly 6. Companies by break of day, went on Land between Comber and Ortatten. Captain Vogheel with certain chosen Soldiers marching forward, who climbing up upon the hills, found such resistance, that all their powder being spent, they were in great danger to be spoilt, but being well followed and seconded by the rest, the enemy was forced to retire, and while this skirmish continued, the other 10. Companies landing out of the said 30. Boats, went on shore upon the South side of Banda, in a small Bay, some with Laders and others without climbing up upon the Cliffs, and being gotten up, they marched to the backside of Lontor without any resistance, but only those that set upon the first troops, being some 10. or 20. Musketeers, by whom one of our men was slain, and 4. or 5. hurt, whereby Lontor was taken on the South side by the said 10. Companies, while the other 5. Companies skirmished with those of Banda upon the Hills, and as soon as Lontor was taken, those of Madiangi, Luchny, Or●atten, and Sammer, presently forsook their Towns in the said Island. When they of Banda saw the aforesaid 30. Boats, they thought we would have sailed round about the Land, as we had done three times before, whereupon making no reckoning of our landing, they were suddenly surprised by break of day.  
Assoon as Lontor with the rest of the places aforesaid were won, the rest of them of Banda, namely Slamma, Comber, Owendender, Wayer, and those of the Islands of Rossing●, and Puloron, made composition with us, which we granted upon condition, that they should break down their Forts and walls, and give unto us their Shot, Pieces and Muskets, etc. Which by them being done, all of them together, according to their Contract and promises, yielded to hold their Countries and Lands, of the Lords the general States of the united netherlands Provinces, promising to do whatsoever they should be commanded, and acknowledge the said Lords the general States for their Sovereigns, not withstanding their former Oaths taken unto any others.  
Those of Lontor and others being first overcome and vanquished, and that saved themselves among others of Banda, also asked pardon and sought fo● Peace, which was granted unto them upon the condition aforesaid, though they hardly held the same, and secretly sought to begin a new rebellion, and were commanded by the General to show themselves all together upon the Strand, that they might be appointed in some other convenient place to live as fellow Citizens freely together, without the loss of their goods which they then had. Whereunto some of them obeyed, but the greatest part fled upon the high Mountains in the great Island of Banda, to whom also many other Towns resorted, and slew a netherlands Merchant, one other, and a Boy, where they were enclosed and hindered from victuals by our men. By this means all the Towns and Places in Banda were won, and made sure, only Puleron, which was not meddled withal, because they of Banda therein behaved themselves peaceably, for the aid, or rather the service of those of Puleron. The Englishmen planted nine Pieces of Ordnance upon a small Island in Puleron, having entrenched the same: and when those of Puleron, according to the composition, were to yield up their Arms, and disarm themselves, as they willingly did; yet our General did not once speak of those nine pieces of Ordnance standing in the said small Island, because the Englishmen should have no cause to make any question, that our men had done any thing against their Fort or men.  
The English Commander, Humphrey Fitz Herbert, with his Ship called the Exchange, lying before ●he Castle of Amboina, and having intelligence of the General of the Netherlands victory in Banda, shot off Fourteen pieces of Ordinance for joy thereof.  
This that is formerly declared, is the true state and proceedings of that, which hath been done now lately, and before in the Island of Banda, wherein nothing hath been done, but that which (according to the Law of Nations, & the aforesaid Contract, made, and promised to be holden, and without any wrong done to the Liberties of the English Company, agreed upon with the Company of the netherlands) might and ought to have been done.  
FINIS.