A True and perfect Relation of the News sent from Amsterdam, the 21. of February, 1603. Concerning the fight of five Dutche ships in the East Indies, against the Portugal Fleet, consisting of eight great Galleons, and 22. Galleys both great and small: whereof was Admiral, Don Andreas Fartado Mendosa.  
Whereunto is added also, the Voyage and Navigation of the said five dutch ships and others, in the Isles of East Indies, and of their coming home.   printer's device of Thomas Creede, featuring the personification of Truth being scourged by a hand from the clouds (McKerrow 299) 
VIRESSIT WLNERE VERITAS  
T C  
Imprinted at London by T.C. for Thomas Archer, and are to be sold at the little shop joining to the Exchange. 1603.   

A TRUE AND particular relation of the News sent from Amsterdam, the 21. of February, Anno. 1603. Stilo novo, concerning the fight of five Dutche ships, in the East Indies, against the Portugal Fleet, consisting of eight great Galleons, and 22. Galleys, both great and small: whereof was Admiral Don Andreas Fartado Mendosa.  
SIr, I have hitherto signified unto you those News (which I had heard of sundry persons) brought by the Pinnace from the East Indies, but now, forasmuch as the Master of the Pinnace himself (called Cornelis Schontein) arrived here yesternight, certifying us of all by word of mouth, therefore I have written unto you more certainly and particularly thereof. To wit. That the five ships which sailed and departed hence, in the year 1601. on the 23. day of April (whereof was Admiral Wollfert herman's,) arrived in the straight of Sunda, on Christmas day, in the said year 1601. where they were advertised and warranted by a small Chinish Ship, that before Bantam lay a Portugal Armade or Navy, containing eight great Galleons, and 22. Galleys, great and small, which had lain before the Town a day or two.  
The said dutch Admiral caused his said five ships to cast Anchor, and took counsel together for their better resolution in their business. And because you may know what, and how many ships they had in company to attempt such, and so great an enterprise, I will rehearse and set down their names, and burden of the same.  

One ship of the burden of 520. tons, called Guelderland.  
One ship of the burden of 400. tons, called the Sealand.  
One ship of the burden of 240. tons, called Vtrecht.  
One ship of the burden of 120. tons, called the Watchter.  
One ship of the burden of 50. tons, called the Dove.   
Their resolution was, that they should assail and fight with the said Armade or Navy with their Ordinance: In handling whereof, our men apt, and far better practised then the Portugal's, determining so to chase them from their siege: whereupon they set sail, and the next day early in the morning, they began to fight with the Portugese's ships, and so with great force and resolution on both sides, they maintained this manner of fight with their Ordinance, not only the same whole day, but 6. or 7. days after, until the first day of january in the year 1602. and took the same time from the said Portugese's, two Galleys, and three Galleys which were wonderfully battered and briused with the shot of our five ships.  
After that they themselves had set them on fire, suffering them to drive down the River upon our ships, meaning thereby to hinder or rather to burn our ships, but God be praised they effected no hurt at all.  
Finally, the Portugal's seeing no good issue like to fall on their side, left their siege of Bantam, and departed to the I'll of Ambona, on the one side whereof, they have a Castle, which they strongly fortified, and have cut down all the Cloves Trees, and pulled them up by the roots, or at the leastwise destroyed as many of the trees as they could, committing likewise a most great, wicked, terrible, and cruel murder upon the poor inhabitants of the same I'll, the right nature and condition of Tyrants, which are accustomed to use cruelty upon poor disarmed men and naked creatures, when they dare not defend, nor revenge themselves upon their enemies. This is the great credit which this victorious Don Andreas Fartado Mendosa with his Armade or Navy hath gotten.  
Truly, it is only the Lord God which gave so great courage and magnanimity to the hearts of our people, with so small a power of weak men to assail and overthrow so great and mighty a Fleet in comparison of ours, to which merciful, loving, and omnipotent God, be all laud, praise and glory. Amen.  
Our ships remained nine days at Bantam, providing themselves of all necessaries, where they were welcome, and with great joy and gladness, received both great and small, the reason thereof was, because they thought that the Portugal's were determined to come upon them, or at least to build a Castle upon an I'll, hard by Bantam, but the Lord hath confounded their designs.  
Our said ships being appointed to make their voyage to Banda and Terrenata, for the remainder of the old account, furthered their voyage towards the same Isles, where they found and saw the cruel actions of the Portugal's, as committed by the said Portugal Fleet in the I'll of Aubona, and were departed thence to Intidor, where they also have a Castle. And howbeit the I'll of Aubona is situate between Terrenata and Banda, yet notwithstanding our ships separated themselves, the better to furnish their lading, whereof two directed their course for Banda, and three for Terreneta, where they found our Factor or Commissioner Francis Verdoes in good health, being in great favour with the King there, who showed him all courtesy and kindness, but he had not any great store of Cloves, by reason that the year had been very unseasonable and unfruitful, and yielded but small increase, as the like had not been seen in many years before. They laded such small store of cloves as they found there, and sailed with the three ships from thence towards Banda, to the other two, where they also found our Factor or Commissioner Adriaen Veen, in good health, where one of the two ships was already fully laden with Nutmegs and Maces, also they laded there the ship called Guelderland, (which had been in Terrenata) and the small Pinnace the Dove, with which three ships the Admiral Wollfert herman's is now coming home. The Pinnace (being a little on the other side of Capo de buona Speranza) strayed, having lost the company of the other two ships, the Guelderland and Zealand, which we also daily do expect: They sailed with these three ships from Bantam, on the 25. day of August. The other two ships, Vtrecht and the Wachster, under the command of the Vice-admiral Hans Bauwell, sailed from Bantam towards Terrenata, to the end to stay there for the new increase of cloves, meaning therewith to lad the said ships.  
jacob van Neck, with his two ships, to weet the Amsterdam, and Der Goude, who we thought should have had their lading of Cloves in Terrenata, and had been there long before the other ships, hath effected nothing, by reason of the great scarcity of commodities. And whereas right over against, or hard by the Castle Tydoro, there lay two Portugal's ships, and one Magelane ship called the Faith, which they had taken before, the said Van Neck purposed to drive the said two Portugal ships from thence (I think at the request and instance of the King of Terrenata,) but his enterprise succeeded not very well, for he lost 8. or 9 of his men, whereof Nicholas Cornelison Master of the ship Ter Goude, was one, and he himself lost three of his fingers of his right hand: he sailed from thence towards a place called Patana, situate after Cuda or Malava, where he procured half lading for one of his ships with Pepper, and was purposed to return to Terrenata, or at leastwise send thither the ship Ter Goude, to the end to lad her with the great increase of the new Cloves.  
The Admiral jacob Van Heemskercke, who likewise sailed out of these Countries on the 23. of April, 1601. is arrived at Bantam with six ships, and the seventh (being the Vice-admiral, losing the company of the other ships about the line) hath been in Achein, and hath laden there some small store of Pepper, wherewith he sailed towards Bantam, where he found his company of these seven ships, (five being fully laden) departed from Bantam homewards, the 11. of May, in the year 1602. which was long before these three came thence, they must be as we think in the I'll of S. Helena, because they would not willingly fall upon those coasts in the winter season: the Lord grant them a prosperous voyage and safe arrival.  
The Admiral jacob Van Heemskerke, is sailed further off with the two other ships towards the Isles, to the end to seek out Negotiation.  
Of the two ships which went towards China, there is no news, but only that at Bantam was a speech which is not good: to wit, That those of China should have hanged 15. or 16. of our people which went there a shore, but thereof is small certainty, we hope that the matter shall not be so bad.  
Of the ships of Zealand is no certainty, but only that there was a flying speech of two ships which were seen in the Isles, and therefore it is supposed that the two ships of Zealand were there.  
Of the English and French ships we have no news at all.  
The five ships which sailed and departed from Bantam towards these countries, on the 11. of May, 1602. are these following. Amsterdam, Horn, Enckhuysen, the black Lion, the green Lyon.  
FINIS.