An Answer to the Hollanders Declaration, concerning the Occurrents of the East-India.  
The first Part.  
Written by certain Mariners, lately returned from thence into England.  
Printed 1622.   

AN ANSWER TO THE HOLLANders Declaration concerning the Occurrents of the East-India.  
THere was of late two Currants published, bearing date, the one, the 8. of February, the other, the 28. In these two Currants sundry, both incredible and intolerable wrongs and grievances were made known, which the Hollanders of the East-Indies had inflicted and enforced upon the English company of the East-Indies. Since the printing of these two Currants, the Hollanders have published a Pamphlet entitled, A declaration of the affairs of the East-Indies. This declaration was published (as by the discourse may appear) in answer of the two Currants above mentioned, for the whole scope of the declaration tendeth to no other end, but to justify their own right in the East-Indies, and thereupon to charge the English with wrongs done to them, that thereby the world might be made believe that whatsoever extremities or hard measures they offered to the English, they were urged and provoked thereunto by the unjust dealing of the English, and the wrongs first offered by them: How soever the English provoked the Hollanders in India, the Hollanders by this declaration do urge and provoke the English to defend themselves against so false and fabulous slanders imposed upon them. Is it not too much that the Hollanders most unjustly oppressed us in India, but that they must proceed further to slander us in England. They spoiled us of our goods in foreign parts, and now they practise to deprive us from all hope of relief in our own Country? What relief & remedy can we expect, if by our own desert and provocation we drew and urged the Hollanders to practise what they did upon us. Where punishment is deserved the offenders are condemned and their complaints contemned: It is an old Proverb, Give losers leave to speak; Our losses are without compare, to lose our lives and liberty, to lose our goods, to lose our trade and traffic, and now lastly in our own Country to lose the honest reputation of men, of Englishmen, of English Merchants, of the English company of East-India. This is a loss irrecoverable, as an Heathen Historian writeth; Maiora sunt fame & fidei damna, quam que sarciri possunt: The loss of a good name, the loss of trust and credit are losses irrecoverable. But thanks be to Almighty God who doth always protect the innocent: This Declaration of the Hollanders intended and published for our utter un doing and disgrace, offereth unto us in two respects both hope and help, so that we may say to the Hollanders as the primative Christians said of julian the Apostata; Voluntatem nocendi habes, potestatem auiem non habes juliani: We understand your intents O Hollanders, to overthrow us, but you want power, we do not mean your Sea power (which is too potent) but we mean of your malice, which is by the judgement of God utterly confounded: if in this Declaration of yours, your will and malice had joined in equal power, we the oppressed English might have for borne to have complained of our wrongs, with shame & confusion; of whom or what should we complain, if ourselves urged, provoked and deserved our own misfortunes. But as we have said, thanks be to Almighty God, who hath converted Hamon his Gallows intended against Mordocheus, to his own confusion, like as he hath suffered you to publish a Declaration to cut your own throats: what could you devose to write and publish more opposite to what you intended, more to disgrace yourselves in convincing you of falsehood, more to honour, acquit and clear the English then this Declaration? All which shall manifestly appear in the examination of your declaration, which followeth.  
To begin with the very first lines and page, you affirm, that all the Lands of Banda from the tenth of August 1609. were by a special Treaty and agreement made with the Orange Cayus the Magistrates of the Lands, put under the protection of the States of Netherlands: how untrue this is, let all men judge, when as you confess in the latter end of the first page, and in the beginning of the second, were afterward broken and violated; And that the Islanders withheld their fruits and spices, that they enforced & robbed their Warehouses, murdered at sundry times and places diverse of the principal Officers, committees, and servants of the Netherlands company, taking away their ships & provision, what could the Hollanders say less then to pretend an agreement? and what or how could allege & prove more directly to convince themselves of untruth then so plainly & largely confess the recited hostilities, practised by the Bandinese against them: what an agreement could this be where there was so great an aversion of the Islanders minds, declared by the hostile deeds which they practised against the Hollanders, they might perhaps say, there was a Treaty; but such hostile practices manifestly prove there could be no agreement.  
The Hollanders proceed further, from the year 1609. to the year 1616. where they speak of another agreement concluded in May, by one of the Netherlanders Commanders called Lam. And another agreement made by their Governor General called Real, in the year 1617. which they confess were both shortly after broken by the Bandinese, but how? Here cometh in the main matter, the Bandinese rebelled through the animating of the English, who did openly aid and assist them with victuals, munition, great Ordinance, men, and ships.  
In this second Page here are strange wrongs offered to the Hollanders by the Bandinese and the English, nay, to God himself, of which we must first speak.  
The Bandinese enforced Christians to turn Moores again. First, let us ask you who converted these turncoat Christians, did you? Admit you did. Next let us ask you to what kind of Christianity did you convert them, if to that kind of Christianity to which one Chircke, the Master of a Ship called the Samson, which you wrongfully took from the English, the offence of the Bandinese was the less, if they compelled the inhabitants to forsake such Christianity, for your own Country men in the East-Indies do and did openly & jestingly confess that Chircke was a Cuckold before he was a Christian, for being married in Holland, he left his wife with his familiar friends, who did out of their familiar love increase the family in the Husband's absence; It was two or three years after that Chircke was christened. Such Christians may quickly turn Moores who delay Baptising till thirty five. But to return to the heavy burden with which the English are charged; namely, to animate, to aid and assist the Bandinese, it were necessary that the Hollanders should set down the causes which moved the English to join so far with the Bandinese, for the causes do either lesson or aggravate the charge imposed upon the English: they must either say the English aided the Bandinese directly against the Hollanders without further respect, which they cannot prove, or they must allege, which themselves in their Declaration, do prove that the English did endeavour to defend them with whom they had free trade and traffic, who lovingly and with free consent sold to the English their spices, etc. who put themselves under the protection of the English, who yielded the Lands of Polawaye, Polerone and Lantore, under the obeisance of the King of England, which if they would they cannot deny, for they confess that the English had mounted ordinance upon all these Lands: why should the English plant their ordinance upon these Lands but to defend their right. How could the English plant their Ordinance upon the Lands but with free consent of the Bandinesses, at what time did the English plant their Ordinance in these Lands of Banda? The Hollanders confess before they came to the Lands; for they found them in the Lands: now where is the wrong that the English have done the Hollanders? and in what because the English did hinder the agreements so often made betwixt the Hollanders and the Bandinesses, why for eleven years the Hollanders confess there was never any, as in the third page they say: In this wilfulness did the Bandinesses continue till in june 1620. Thus hitherto it is plainly acknowledged the Hollanders never had any landing, any Castle or Fort, any trading in the Lands of Banda, but what was gotten by force and absolute constraint: If the Hollanders could prove so much for themselves as they do for the English; the English then might have blushed for shame. In all this time that the Hollanders maintained hostility with the Bandinesses there is no mention made that the Bandinesses ever offered any opposition against the English, or once denied them their Spices, but that they had trade and traffic with them freely and friendly, now if consent and prescription of time be the best claim the Hollanders would have for the Lands of Banda, why the Englishmen go far beyond them, the Bandinesses did never violate any agreement made with the English, they never kept any pretended agreement made with the Hollanders, the Englishmen in eleven years were never expelled, the Hollanders in all that time were never entertained, but in all hostile manner: The English men had offer at all times of Nutmegs and Mace, so had the Hollanders never at any time, but what they got by violence and compulsion; all which is acknowledged in the third Page, and the beginning of the fourth. We pass over many acknowledgements and confessions of the Hollanders, because they all tend but to two ends, to justify themselves, and condemn the English; and because there is sufficient observation given, that in justifying themselves, they disgrace themselves, and in practising to disgrace the English, they do them great honour. But to deal plainly and truly, not to abuse the world with untruths, nor to wrong the Hollanders without cause, we do confess; The Bandinese made one famous agreement with the Hollanders, which we well remember, even in that year in which they report they had made agreement with the Bandinese. In june 1609. after they had by force taken from them a Town called Noara, and making them fly to the backside of the coast, to a place which they called Nassaw. Van Hoof the general made show of love & friendship with the Bandinese, which they perceiving and desirous to revenge the wrongs and cruelties offered unto them by the Hollanders, did dissemble their intents, entertaining Van Hoof with vain hopes, promising him to come to some agreement, by which means they drew Van Hoof with three score or more of his Commanders and Soldiers unto a place in which the Bandinese had advantage. Now instead of agreement, in warlike manner they set upon Van Hoof and slew him and almost his company. This is the best agreement that we ever knew or heard the Bandinese ever made with the Hollanders during a leaven or twelve years. Presently after this, in july after, Captain Bitter who among all the Commanders escaped, when Van Hoof was slain, attempted to surprise another Town called Slamma; he was sought withal by the Bandinese, and wounded in the thigh, of which wound he shortly died.  
Now it appeareth manifestly without denial upon this former examination of the Hollanders declaration that the right to the Hands of Banda was principally yielded by free consent of the Islanders, confirmed by many years' trade and traffic without any opposition in any hostile manner, but with mutual enter course of all love and amity.  
This the Hollanders do confess, and what proof can be more pregnant than the testimony of an adversary: Where is now any wrong which the English hath done the Hollanders, except it be a wrong to maintain them, who with free and general consent put themselves under the protection of the King of England? or a wrong to defend them who willingly traffic and trade with the English, or a wrong to maintain that right which the Hollanders acknowledge the English had in the Island of Banda: These be all the wrongs which the Hollanders do or can charge the English withal.  
But now on the other side, what extreme wrongs do the English charge upon the Hollanders? In two Currants printed the eight of February, and the twenty eight 1629. the Hollanders are charged with most barbarous and inhuman wrongs done to the English, all which they pass over in their Declaration without any answer at all, whereby in silence they cannot but plead guilty: to confess them they are a shamed, and to deny them they cannot, but in their accustomed policy they seek to avoid them by way of insinuation, that the English deserved them in aiding and assisting the Bandinese against them.  
There were two Orators of Athens very great and inward friends, before the judges the one did accuse, the other defend a Magistrate of Athens, whereupon the one Orator did challenge the other that he had dealt very unkindly with him to defend his mortal enemy, and thou as unkindly with me, quoth the other, to accuse my dearest friend.  
This is just the like challenge betwixt the Hollanders and the English: Why do you say the Hollanders defend our greatest enemies? And why do you say the English oppose against our dearest friends? Yet in this challenge there is a difference, for the English have more cause to defend their friends, than the Hollanders have cause to oppose against their enemies, English men have a right by consent, Hollanders have nothing but by constraint.  
Just defence is more honest and honourable then unjust opposition is, either by Laws of God or man warrantable.  
To proceed on with the cruel, and inhuman wrongs done by the Hollanders, to the English, by so much more barbarous and inhuman, by how much the English of all Nations in the world, did least deserve it. What? deserve any hard measures from the Hollanders? To what Nation under the Cope of Heaven, are they so much bound as to the English, who hath fostered and nursed them up to this greatness, but the English? what Nation hath shed so much blood, lost the the lives of so many gallant Captains, Commanders, and Soldiers, to aid and defend them as the English?  
What Nation hath lent them, and spent upon them so much money and treasure, as the English have done, when they were in their extreemest weakness, and poverty? when and where did the English ever fail them. If for these causes, the English have deserved at the Hollanders, hands, to have their ships taken, and made prize, their goods confiscate, and converted to their own uses, their Captains, Soldiers, Factors, & Mariners, taken prisoners, held in miserable servitude, clogged with yarns, kept in stocks, bound hand and foot, tied to stakes, haling, and pulling them with ropes about their necks, spurning them like dogs, throwing them headlong down rocks and cliffs, killing, murdering, starving, and pining them to death, enforcing them to carry lime, and stone for their buildings. Landing them amongst the Pagan people, without all provision whatsoever, exposing them to the mercy of miscreants of whom notwithstanding they sound better usage then of the Hollanders. When as the Hollanders robbed, and spoilt other Nations under the English colors, pretending to disgrace the English, that they were English men, counterfeiting the coin of other nations, charging the English with the same. Laying the English, whom they held as prisoners above hatches, where the Sun scorched them in the day, and where their ordures and pisle fell upon them in the night, till they grew more loathsome and filthy than Lepers, barring the English, as much as in them lay, from all commerce and trade in the Indies. As all these particulars are directly to be proved by men yet living, who either endured, or their eyes saw, what is hear reported, and will be ready upon all occasions either with their lives or oaths to justify for truth, what they have endured, and what they have seen with their eyes.  
Let all the world judge whether English men have deserved these usages, at the Hollanders hands: Where as some people either affected to the Hollanders, or thinking it to strange, and monstrous, that Christians should domineer over Christians, with such inhuman and barbarous cruelty, rather tyranoy, except the English had provoked them heavily thereunto.  
Let all such who harbour any such conceits, read and consider what is before answered to such objections: the Hollanders in their declaration being charged in the two first Currants, with may of these extreme wrongs inflicted upon the English, they make no denial of them: make a challenge that the English did aid and assist the Bandinese against them; it hath formerly been alleged, and sufficiently proved, by their own confession, that the English did not maintain the Ileanders', by way of opposing against the Hollanders, but they did as much as in them lay, to defend the right of the King of England, they did defend that right which they had by consent, they did defend that people, who did so freely, and friendly trade and traffic with them, other causes then their so honest, so just agreeing with the Laws of God, of nature, and Nations, they neither do or can allege any: some other inconsiderate people, who envy the prosperity of the East-Indian Merchants will further say, to close with the Hollanders, that these extremities were offered in India, only and no where else to the English, for proof of the contrary, we of the East-Indian Company do challenge all the Merchants which travail or traffic East, West, North, or South, to deliver their knowledge what indignities they have endured from the Hollanders in Turkey, in the straits, in Moscony, in Groynland, at Neusoundland; and where not so that not only the East-Indian Company hath only cause to complain: yea, they wrong Englishmen in their own seas, at home, as is generally known: Now because Hollanders may say, that they are charged with generalities, without particular instances. General speeches being a common cause to aggravate causes, and be avoided except the General be proved by particulars, because they shall find that we cannot want of particulars our of infinite, there shallbe hear following delivered some by men yet living, who have both seen them, and endured them.  
In the Road of Patanye in the East-Indies the 17. of july 1619. the two ships called the Samson and the Hound, riding there at Anchor, three ships of the Netherlands set upon them with might and main, after five hour's fight, eleven of the men in the Samson were slain outright, and five and thirty men of the same ship were wounded, maimed and dismembered, at this time Captain Iorden was Captain of the Samson, and did hang up a flag of Truce, and withal sent Thomas Hackwell, Master of the Samson, to the Netherlanders to parley about a peacc.  

The Examination of Thomas Hackwell the 25. of january. 1621.  
Thomas Hackwell being sworn and examined upon certain Articles ministered on the behalf of the right worshipful, the English company of Merchants trading to the East India aforesaid, saith and deposeth thereto as followeth.  
TO the first of the said Articles he saith, & deposeth by charge of his oath, that in the Road of Pattany in the East India, upon the 17. day of july. 1619. last past, the Samson whereof this examinant was Master, and the Hound belonging to the English Company, were forceably assaulted by three ships of the Hollanders, (viz.) The Angel, the Morning Star, and the Burgarboate, whereof Hendricke johnson was commander, and after five glasses fight two hours and a half, eleven of the said ship the Samson, her men being slain outright, five dismembered, and about thirty otherwise wounded, Captain jourdaine being then in the said ship the Samson and Commander of her, caused a flag of truce to be hung out, and sent this examinant in the Sampsons' boat, aboard the Flemings, to treat with them for a peace, and at the hanging out of the said flag of truce, and when this examinant left the said Captain jourdaine to go aboard the Flemings, he was well; But above half an hour after the said flag of truce was so hung out, and this examinant was in parley with the Flemings about the said peace, Captain jourdaine not expecting any violence from the Flemings during the said Parley, showed himself aboard the Samson before the main Mast upon the gratings, where the Flemings espying him, most treacherously and cruelly shot at him with a Musket, and shot him into the body near the heart; of which wound he died within half an hour after. And this he saith by charge of his oath.  
To the second he saith, That after the said Ships, the Samson and the Hound were surprised by the Hollanders in the said fight at Patany, as aforesaid, the greatest part of their men, by the command of the Dutch, were brought aboard the Angel, their Admiral: And there notwithstanding, divers of them in the said fight were much burnt with Gun-pounder, and wounded with splinters, and thereby suffered miserable torment, yet they the said Dutch most unchristianly and inhumanly caused and forced them to put their legs down through the gratings, and so seized them, and tied them to the Capsten Bars, insomuch that still as any man had occasion to go and ease himself, his legs were so swelled by reason of the extraordinary hard tying of them, that the Carpenter was always fetched to make bigger the holes, at which they were put down to get out their legs again. And this he saith by charge of his oath is most true.  
To the third he saith, That he knoweth that the Dutch at jackatra, do cause all China men, residing and bartering there, to pay monthly 6. shillings upon a head, or else you shall not sell any commodity there to the English, and this he hath seen diverse of China men pay at jackatra.  
To the fourth he saith, That upon the third day of March last was twelve month, aboard the new Zealand then riding in Bantam road, this examinant, with three or four oaths, did hear one Clause Derickson, then upper steersman of the Dutch ship called the Southern-Indraught, said that the States in Holland had been plotting that war between the English and the Dutch in the Indie seven years before.  
To this last Article is witness, 

Thomas Hackwell.  
William Shaples.  
Henry Backtasel.  
Bartholomew Churchman.  
Antony Piccot.     

The deposition of Bartholomew Churchman.  
I do affirm, that they have many times termed us slaves to the king of Holland, & that we should all be sent to the Moluccaes to row in their Galleys, and so be kept bondslaves under them during our lives.  
More I affirm, that they have kept 12. of us in a dungeon at Poloway, and 24. at Aomboyna, by the command of Laurence rial then General, but now returned into Holland, where they pissed and () upon our heads, and in this manner we lay, until such time as we were broken out from top to toe, like lepers, having nothing to eat but dirty Rice, and stinking rainwater, insomuch as if it had not been for a Dutch woman, named mistress Cane, & some poor Blacks that brought us a little fruit, we had all starved in that place, as many of our company did, besides the extremity which they used to manyothers, which they had in prison at other Lands where they perished, leaving their wives and children here in England ready to starve for want of maintenance.  
The names of the 10. other men which lay in Poloway are these: 

Bartholomew Churchman.  
jacob Lane.  
Kellam Throgmorton.  
Matthew Willis.  
William Burris.  
Cassarion David.  
George jaokson.  
George Pettice.  
Walter Stacy.  
Rhichard Phillips.    
At Amboyna, Richard Swanley, William Brookes, and 12. more, whose names I well know not, nor cannot remember, put into a dungeon, with forty Indians all in a hole, having no place to ease themselves.  
Bartholomew Churchman.   

The last of October, 1617. john Tucker affirmeth.  
That the Dutch men took the Dragon, the Expedition, the Bear, and the Rose, and delivered only the Rose, and that there being in the Dragon a present from the King of Achai for the King of England, called by them a Creese (that is to say) a Dagger, which they do detain to this hour.  
This is true, I under written do affirm, and testify that it was not done by base Rognes' (as they term it) but some of the principal Commanders.  
john Tucker.   
After the taking of these ships, there were above three hundred and fifty men set out of the four ships which were on shore, exposed unto the mercy of the Indians, where they found more courtesy then of the Hollanders, otherwise they had all perished.  
That all these abuses, and many more which we have formerly received by them, are true, we will maintain upon our oaths, and with our lives against any of their Nation, or others that shall gainsay this truth. Yet notwithstanding all this being (by the goodness of almighty God) returned into our own Country, we have no satisfaction for these intolerable injuries, nor any consideration for two thirds of our wages most barbarously kept from us.  

Articles of abuses done by the Hollanders at the Island of Moloccas, and other places of the East Indies, aswell against our Sovereign Lord the King's Majesty; as also against us, and other Englishmen, since the year of our Lord, one thousand fix hundred and sixteen; not only before the Peace, but also since, until the month of March, one thousand six hundred and twenty, that we came out of the Indies, in the good Ship called the james.  
The second day of the month of February, in the year of our Lord 1616. the Swan was surprised and taken by the Hollanders, at the Lands of Banda, and her men kept prisoners till the eight and twenty of April following. At which time the Hollanders carried five and twenty of the English to the Moloccaes, where they were very hardly and inhumanely used, being fettered and shackled in the day time, and close locked up a nights. And from the month of May, until the end of September, they were compelled to carry stone and lime for the building of Forts there; which if any refused to do, they were kept in Stocks and Irons till they would work; and were notwithstanding also very hardly used, for their victuals, insomuch that the one half of them died through their hard usage.  
When we were first taken, we were possessed of divers goods, provisions and means wherewith to relieve ourselves, which they presently took from us, and left us not so much as wherewith to cover our bodies.  
Whereof when we complained to john Ellias who was Lieutenant to one Garret Derickson in the Trow. hoping that he would have had some commiseration of our miseries, and long lying in Irons, bad usage for want of meat, drink, lodging, and other things: The said Ellias and the rest of his company did thereupon, and many other times say unto us, That he cared not for us, nor for any of our Countrymen; and that if they should take us and hang us up, we had our deserts: Yea, they used other gross and base speeches, not fit to be spoken of.  
We affirm, that the said john Ellias and his company said, that they had little need of Englishmen; for they in Holland were able of a sudden to make and furnish 24000. of flat-bottomd boats, such as Parma would have landed upon the English shore in 88 And also said, that they had of their own Nation and Countrymen at the least 40000. strong in England, that presently, upon the least occasion, would rise in Arms, and bend their forces speedily against us in our own Country.  
We affirm, that Laurence Ryall, who was their General, caused Grates and Cages to be made in their Ship, and did put us therein, and carried us in them bound in Irons from Port to Port amongst the Indians, and thus in scornful and deriding manner and sort spoke unto the Indians as followeth: Behold and see, here is the people of that Nation, whose King you care so much for. But now you may hereby plainly behold how kindly we use his Subjects; making them believe, that Englishmen were their Vassals and Slaves.  
Besides all this, they kept many of us fast bound and fettered in Irons, in most loathsome and dark stinking dungeons, and gave us no sustenance, but a little dirty Rice to eat, and a little stinking rainwater to drink. So that many of our English fainting in their sights, for want of competent sustenance or other lodging at their hands: for want whereof many died, who were fetched out of the Dungeons, and so basely buried, more like Dogs than Christians.  
About the fifth of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and nineteen, we having overpassed many hungry days, and cold night's Lodging, in cold Irons and dark Dungeons, and thinking it not possibly able for us to endure those miseries any longer, made means that some of us came to john Peter Socoma, their General that now is, and desired his Lordship (which Title he duly looks for in the East Indies) that he would consider of our extreme wants, and miseries, and help us to some better sustenance. And further we desired him, that he would be so much our friend, as to ease us of our Irons but for the day time: Whereupon the said General most wickedly replied with base speeches, and bade us be gone, and trouble him no more; for if we did, he would cause us all to be hanged speedily. So that we were forced to return from whence we came with heavy hearts, having no hope but in the Almighty, to whom we prayed to turn their hearts, and to release us of our miseries.  
Upon the thirteenth of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and nineteen, 
1619.  the Dutch went ashore at japarre; 
japarre, the cruelty there.  and there they wickedly and maliciously burnt down the Town, and the English House there, and from thence forcibly taken away the English Flag, and in great disdain of our Country trailed our Flag after them in the dirt through the Town, and towed it aboard their ship at their boats stern; but what they did with it afterwards, we know not.  
Upon the eighteenth day of the month of November, and in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and nineteen, 
1619.  they took one Bartholomew Churchman, and clapped him up in Irons, and set him where he sat in the rain and cold storms of the night, and in the day time, where the hot Sun shone upon him, and scorched him, without any shelter at all: and this they did to him, only because he struck a base fellow that spoke such words against our late Queen Anne's Majesty, as are not fit to be repeated: which words, as also diverse other which they spoke against our dread Sovereign, we dare not relate, as being too odious to be used in a subject's mouth touching his Prince: Howbeit, might licence and freedom of speech be granted us, to make known the base slanderous and detracting speeches of that Nation against our King and Country, that we might not incur any danger of his Majesty's displeasure by the repeating them, it would sufficiently make known the pride and cruelty of that people, who did not then let to say that they made no account of our King, nor any of his subjects.  
The seaventeenth day of the month of March, and in the year of our Lord God everlasting, one thousand six hundred and nineteenth, their Governor of the Moloccas gave order for the release of the English there, and apppointed thirty of them to be carried to Aombonias', 
Aombonias' cruelty.  from thence to be sent into England or Holland. But the governor of Aombonias', perceiving them to be arrived, he utterly refused to discharge them, and forced them to serve in their 3. ships, that went to the Manelees as men of waire, which if any refused to do, they were to row in their Galleys chained like unto slaves; in which voyage to the Manelees, fourteen of our men went in the Saint Michael, which were lost, and never since heard on, whose names do follow: George Trigges, john Edwards, james Welch, john Crocket, William Nichols, Robert Gilbert, Matthew Gilbert, Giles Lipscombe, Arthur ●ap, Edward Parker, William Vese, john King, john Over, and William Smith Chirurgeon.  
We affirm, that they having Arrian Ellis, Edward Read, and William Ponell, 3. Englishmen prisoners, in their ship called the Bantam, they chained them in Irons, and laid them in the Beakhead, straight prohibiting all others to come near them, to give them any other food than their allowance, which was so small that mere hunger compelled those three prisoners to throw the dice who should cut each others throat; and so they did throw the dice to that end, but were disclosed before any of them were slain, so that they were thereupon sundered, and sent into other ships.  
They have taken our men, and without any cause have stripped and whipped them openly in the market place; they have also beaten up their Drum, and called the Blacks together to see it done.  
They will not suffer us to wear, or spread in our English houses in those parts where they have any command, any colours that are our King's colours.   

The Copy of a Letter sent unto the Dutch in the East Indies, from their English Captives at the Island of Monoboca, the nineteenth day of March one thousand six hundred and eighteen, and delivered unto Captain William johnson, Commander of the Angel.  
COnsideration in things of difficulty is requisite: and therefore much requisite in these our unchristianlike miseries. But because this hath been but slightly respected, we are now resolved to tell you of all your perfidiousness. First, Grippe got advantage to surprise our ships, and made a vow, not to touch life, nor goods in any sort. But since the contrary hath been so much proved, that Grippe and his confederates are now seen to be forsworn, as shortly after their actions did show, in taking away even those things, which with their consent we did save, and bring aboard your ship called the Trowe.  
At that time we being endungeoned at Pollaway, (besides all the Paganlike usage of that cruel man, Laurence Ryall) we were by Vanhoose kept in such extreme misery, with stinking water, and Rice half full of stones and dirt (scarce able to keep life and soul together) that had not Derrickson Van lame granted the English at Pollo-Roone, free access to Pollaway to bring us relief, we had been all ere this time starved for want. But we passed away that time in expectation of better fortunes, which you have all from time to time promised; yet now again our miseries are thrice redoubled: for since we came to this place, you have not only used us most basely in other things, but also have taken away from us even that poor sustenance, which we bought with our own moneys; and this hath been done by that envious man the Master, whom your Commanders do suffer to be their Commander, rather than their inferior. If you consider all his actions, the refreshing which we have bought, hath been but small, that is to say, four small hens and cocks, and even them hath the Master taken away, and eaten them in the great cabin, which dealing of his, if it be Christianlike, we refer it to your own discretion: and now at last, for a small cause, or nothing at all, to be thus handled, is a ten times worse affliction, than ever was inflicted upon us, for to chain us up like so many dogs, and to let us lie in the rain and storms of the night, without any shelter, which is also brought to pass by the Master: For (Commander) 
* A sop for Cerberus.  we considering your gentleness, so that you can dispense with rigour: Therefore that misery that we endure is not by your means, but by the masters and theirs that be of his mind; and this is of a truth, that even your hogs after their kind lie a nights drier, than we after our kind being Christians: and our grief is the more, because your men of the black Lion, being taken by our English, were used like men, and we like abjects of the world, to be thus used like dogs, being subjects to the King's Majesty of England, and in good respect with our employers. But God that is above all, knows all, and in his good time will remedy all. Thus much we have thought good to certify unto you, not in the way of entreaty, for that we see is vain, but only that you may know, we now never look to come alive out of your hands: for by all manifest appearance, you seek to take even our lives from us: and this shall be a true argument of our grieved hearts, witnessing to all men, how unchristianlike we have been, and are used by you, for in all this we have not expressed the tenth part of your cruelty, yet we hope, that for this time it shall be a sufficient light unto you for that which hath been from time to time, practised by you against the English. Given at the Island of Monaboca. the 19 of March. 1618.  
Subscribed by 

Cassarian David.  
Bartholomew Churchman.  
George Pettys.     
Upon the receipt of this letter, we three aforenamed were laid in Irons for eighteen months following, with such barbarous usage as is not to be imagined to be used amongst Christians.  
Upon the news of the taking of our two ships called the Samson and the Hound in Patania Roade, Hendericke johnson the Commander of three ships. viz. the Angel, the Morning Star, and the Burger-Boate, sent a letter by the upper Steersman of the Star, (who had but one arm) to their General john Peter Sacone then at jacotra of the taking of our two ships, He, the said Sacone then said, you have now, Henrick johnson, given me good satisfaction, in that Captain jordan is dead, & at his return thither gratified him with 1400. Gilders, in a chain of gold, putting it himself about his neck, not leaving any one unrewarded, that had been at the taking of our two ships, and a 100 pieces of eight to him that shot him, notwithstanding our flag of truce was hung out. We affirm also that the said General john Peter Sacone upon the news brought him by a ship called the heart from the coast of Carmandele of the death of Sir Thomas Dale, then said; Dale is dead, and Iordans blood I have, if I had George Cockins life too I were then satisfied.  

An answer to objections made by the Hollanders that the English were the cause of the first breach in the East Indies.  
Whereas the Hollanders affirm that Sir Thomas Dale and Captain jordane were the prime cause of all the differences betwixt the two Companies. 
1616. Feb. 2.  This we affirm and can prove, that both Sir Thomas Dale and Captain jordane were both in England when the Defence and the Swan were taken, and also that very inhumanely they took the Defence when for relief being put from their Anchor at Polorone in a storm, they came into one of their harbours for succour. They took the ship, 
1617.  and detemed her men prisoners, likewise in rescue, we following they took a Pinnace of ours called the Speedwell, going to jacatra, one of our men they slew, and the rest they laid in Irons as prisoners, amongst which one Richard Tayler Carpenter of the said Pinnace, who at that time had the bloody flux, who dying in their hands in Irons, they took the dead carcase of the said deceased, and put him into a bush, with his head downward, and his heels upward, and said in most barbarous manner, that there was a start man, that is a man with a tail with his heels upward, and there his carcase rotten in the bush.  

〈…〉  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is to be proved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then coming out of England, hardly clear of the Coast, when they took both these ships, upon fair terms of Composition: namely with promise to give us our lives, goods, and liberty. They rob us of all our goods, and kept us in lamentable manner in Irons; some of us three years, some more, some less: in which woeful misery many of our Company 〈◊〉 their days lamentably; for in truth they never kept any faith, oath, or promise with us at all, but most proudly, disdainfully, and cruelly demeaned themselves towards us.  
Bartholomew Churchman.