East Indies: November 1622

Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Volume 4, 1622-1624. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1878.

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'East Indies: November 1622', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Volume 4, 1622-1624, (London, 1878) pp. 72-77. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/east-indies-china-japan/vol4/pp72-77 [accessed 24 March 2024]

Nov 1622

Nov. 5.
Theobalds.
170. Proclamation forbidding the sale of any spices, drugs, fruits, seeds, and other merchandise garbleable without being garbled and made clean, packed, marked, or made wholesome for man's use, or the good severed from the bad by the garblers duly appointed, upon severe penalties. [Printed. Proclamations, Jac. I., Vol. CLXXXVII., No. 105, Cal., p. 460.]
Nov. 5.
Aboard the Discovery.
171. Report of Thomas Reede and others upon the defects in the ship Discovery. [One page. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1085.]
Nov. 12 and Dec. 30.
Batavia.
172. The Fiscal's process against the English for taking the China junk. [Dutch, mutilated by damp. Thirty-seven pages. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1081.]
Nov. 12 and Dec. 30.
Batavia.
173. English translation of the preceding by Bartholomew Wayte. Johnson contradicted himself; he "did not well call to mind that a liar hath need of a good memory." The oaths of the English are not to be trusted, for "he that dareth to steal will both swear and lie, to the end he may keep both his credit and the booty." The whole of the Sumatra coast from the Straits of Sunda to Acheen is called by the Chinese Lampong; therefore it is true that the junk was taken off Lampong. The English are "so impudent in their shiftings" that the fiscal fears "they will presume to say the sun shineth not at high noon." Thinks, with Cato, that when a case can be made manifest neither by writings nor witnesses, credit should be given to the plaintiff. The English are sentenced to pay 8,1157/8 ryals to the Chinese for goods taken, and 10,500 to the Dutch Government for expenses and damages; the fiscal to have 200; no appeal to be allowed, and Robert Johnson not to be exempted from further proceedings. An invoice of the goods taken is annexed. [Twenty-eight pages. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1082.]
Nov. 14.
Firando.
174. Richard Cocks to the East India Company. Recommends the bearer, John Portis, a Scotchman, who when "a young youth" was sent into Spain to learn the language, thence to Mexico, afterwards to Manilla, from whence he came to Japan, where he has served the Company five or six years, but has never hitherto received any wages. [One page. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1086.]
Nov. 14.
Firando.
175. Richard Cocks to the East India Company. The Dutch ships sent with his last letter (see No. 146) returned on the 19th in great extremity, having been caught in a storm; others thought to be cast away. The Palsgrave and Peppercorn put to sea on 17th Oct., as also two Dutch ships. The Moon and Bull to sail for Jambi, the Bull having a cargo of money and merchandise. The Elizabeth will be despatched as soon as their debts come in. Edmond Sayer and Richard Hudson ready to go to Yedo with presents for the Emperor and Council. Joseph Cockram goes in the Bull to Jacatra, so Cocks and John Osterwick and Eaton must of necessity wait for the Elizabeth. The unruliness of mariners and sailors, and some not of the meanest sort, "who daily lie ashore at tippling howses." Sends 100l. to pay 200l. in England of Capt. William Adams' [Addames] moneys, to be paid to his widow, Mary Adams, and her daughter. A like amount was sent in the Royal James. [One page and a half. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1078.]
Nov. 16. 176. Marquis of Buckingham to Sir Edward Conway. For your coming down with the Dutchmen his Majesty is well pleased with it, so that you come either before or after them, and not in their company, lest notice should be taken of it. And when you come I pray you bring down your hawk with you, for I have told the King of her. [Extract from Dom. Jac. I., Vol. CXXXIV., No. 13, Cal., p. 461.]
Nov. 16. 177. Memoranda by Hugh More, purser of the Moon, of having received from Richard Cocks at Firanda, 100 ryals to be let out to the Moon's company at 10s. the ryal, to be paid in England to Mary Addames, widow of Captain William Addames. [One page. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1087.]
Nov. 19. 178. The Lords Commissioners for the Treaty to the King. Have, according to his Majesty's commandment at Theobalds, given divers meetings to the States Ambassadors, and followed the way his Majesty prescribed, the merchants also met together, the English never failing except once, when they were attending the Privy Council. The matter of Bantam was first discussed and referred to the merchants, who found their demands both unreasonable and exorbitant. In the three points of the discount of pepper brought into Holland, restitution of goods at Lantar, and exchange of ryals of eight, their Lordships could obtain no reasonable satisfaction, nevertheless to show their Lordships' earnest desire of accommodation they proceeded to the reglement of trade. Of the many particular demands of the English merchants, the Lords Commissioners insisted principally on three, which seemed of such necessity that the merchants, when earnestly pressed in private to yield to the uttermost, protested vehemently that without redress in those things they could not maintain that trade nor draw adventurers to contribute thereunto. One of these was the assignment of places for erecting forts, which, though their Lordships conceive they have liberty to do in the Moluccas, Amboyna, and Banda, the three years limited by the treaty having expired; yet the Ambassadors not only deny it in those places without their consent, but in all other places in the Indies. Secondly, their Lordships required that each Company should govern and tax their own nation, but "thereunto we could find them no ways inclining" for howsoever they avoided the name of sovereignty (which was ever earnestly protested against) yet they pressed the art and practice thereof. And lastly, that the number of 20 ships of defence (left certainly indefinite in the treaty) should be left to the judgment of the Council of Defence; for the English Company protest that neither can their trade maintain their proportion of 10 ships, nor has there been any necessity for maintaining that number for defence of it. The dispute on this question the Privy Council left to the decision of his Majesty and the States by the 30th article of the treaty, and for offence it is not warranted by the treaty. All these points of reglement having been long debated yesterday, at last the merchants left their Lordships to speak privately together, "we conceiving their purpose to have been to accommodate their business between ourselves, but contrary to their Lordships' expectations, the Ambassadors passing by all business, announced their resolution to begin their journey this morning towards Newmarket." Thought it strange they should never acquaint their Lordships with their intention till six o'clock yesternight, "our carriage we hope having deserved well at their hands, though we must confess to your Majesty that yesterday the language both of the Ambassadors and their merchants was in a higher strain of sovereignty in the Indies than we expected." Endorsed by Bradshaw, "Relating passages at the treaty, &c." [East Indies, Vol. II., No. 29.]
Nov. 19.
London.
179. Sir Francis Nethersole to (Carleton). The States Ambassadors are going to Newmarket to-morrow to try if they can there come to any end of their business with the King, being out of hope of it by way of treaty with the Lords. [Extract from Holland Corresp.]
Nov. 23.
Firando.
180. Richard Cocks to [the East India Company]. The Bull detained by contrary winds. The King of Firando's secretary has just paid in 2,000 taies in plate of bars in part payment of 3,000 lent him last year. Sends inventory of the merchandise taken by the fleet of defence the first voyage. [Half a page. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1088.]
Nov. 24. 181. Locke to Carleton. He will see by the enclosed letter [wanting] the progress the States [Ambassadors] are like to make in their business with the [English] merchants. Does not hear that they [the Ambassadors] are yet gone to Newmarket; "they play fast and loose strangely." [Extract from Domestic Corresp., Jac. I., Vol. CXXXIV., No. 26, Cal., p. 463.]
Nov. 24.
[Jacatra.]
182. Edward Grant, purser of the Diamond, to the East India Company. Has sent home by Robert Smith, purser in the Jonas, the accounts of those men who have died since Oct. 8, and nine wills. Their long and tedious voyage since 8 Oct. 1621. Fought with three carracks and a galleon of Portugal, and sunk and spoiled the carracks, but not the galleon. Makes no doubt Capt. Greene has informed them of particulars of the voyage, and the debts of the deceased commanders, "as Captain Harbortt (?) and the rest." Capture of other vessels, including a junk with "som stoor of negers, which was devided by twick the Duch and the English." In the capture of the carracks 300 Portugals were killed, 150 drowned, and 100 taken prisoners, with two women. Reached Swally 25th of Oct., where they have been taking in water and provisions. The four Dutch ships, with the Exchange and Anne, have just sailed for Goa, and the Diamond will follow in four or five days. [One page. O.C., Vol. IX., No. 1089.]
Nov. ? 183. [Sir Edward Conway] to his Excellency [the Marquis of Buckingham.] Shortly upon the receipt of his letter, one of the States Ambassadors [M. Stavines] came to Conway to let him know how, after a sharp debate with the Lords [of the Privy Council], they had acquainted their Lordships that they had spent much time with no fruit, and that they would go to his Majesty and depend upon his wisdom, justice, and favour for some happy issue of their work. Conway found that to the former question of restitution the English merchants had brought in propositions for the regulating of trade, and that the question whereon they came to a stand was concerning forts, being the last article. His reasons for apprehending that this was not the proper time to dispute the forts. Discussion with M. Stavines, that the States Ambassadors would apply themselves in all points that might concern his Majesty's honour, the equity of trade, reputation of the nation, equality of justice, or freedom of use or conversation. Upon the points of resti tution they took a fair and clear way in the balancing of the interchangeable charges; and propounded what would be reason and justice with a little polishing; "I saw a fruit of misunderstanding, but could not see the root; I saw how rawly and distastefully they proposed to go trouble his Majesty." Therefore he told Mons. Stavines how utterly he misliked that deliberation of theirs, and how with the Ambassadors' consent he had proposed to Buckingham and then to the Lord Treasurer a conclusion of the point of restitution by consenting upon a competent sum in gross; that he (Conway) saw no irreconcileable differences in the rules of trade; that the Ambassadors if they abruptly parted with the Council must not look to have better acceptance with his Majesty, to whose decision such points only should be left as needed a supreme judgment and authority. Then propounded he would resume the overture to the Lord Treasurer of ending the point of restitution by a gross sum, which if the Ambassadors concluded well with our merchants would procure the former a gracious address to his Majesty from the Lords, "which I did advise them by all means to esteem. Here the conference brake." Early the next morning Mons. Stavines entreated Conway to make an overture and procure an interview between the Lord Treasurer and the States Ambassadors. Account of Conway's interview with the Lord Treasurer; arguments as whether this time were proper to dispute the forts, and whether it were not more "councellable" to win a competent sum of restitution for the merchants and to establish to them a trade, with which they might have time to discover where and prepare how to make and maintain forts; that the time of building forts was three years after the publication of the treaty in the Indies. Interview at Chelsea between the Lord Treasurer and the States Ambassadors, at which Conway was present, where was a civil, temperate, and effectual debatement of several points too long to trouble his Excellency with. The conclusion was their suit to the Lord Treasurer both to procure an [interview] with their Lordships (of the Privy Council) and accommodation of the things treated with equity and favour, which the Lord Treasurer promised to endeavour. [Four pages. East Indies, Vol. II., No. 30.]
[When Conway was sworn Secretary of State on 16 Jan. 1622–3, Chamberlain, in a letter to Carleton of 25 Jan., wrote that the King commended Conway's birth, &c., &c., "others add his courtiership in trying to fasten the title of Excellency on Buckingham."]
Nov. 25.
Newmarket.
184. Marquis of Buckingham to Sir Edward Conway. Thanks him for his good offices between the States Ambassadors and our merchants, for which his Majesty also gives him many thanks, and desires him to go on in the same course. The King takes well the Lord Treasurer's civil usage of the Ambassadors, seeing they complained before of his hardness, and desires them both to endeavour by all means to bring matters as near an end as may be before the business be brought to his Majesty again. As for the point of the forts, his Majesty finds Conway is somewhat mistaken, for although the merchants would be contented with that course, the King will never suffer them to trade in that fashion at the others' courtesy; but for that point his Majesty would have it left to the last. [East Indies, Vol. II., No. 31.]
Nov. 25.
Newmarket.
185. Modern copy of the above. [Domestic Corresp., Jac. I., Vol. CXXXIV., No. 29, Cal., p. 463.]
Nov. 30. 186. Locke to Carleton. The States [Commissioners] have agreed upon nothing but that three disinterested merchants be chosen on each side to make an end of the difference concerning the pepper that was brought into Holland, and if they cannot accord, a seventh man is to be chosen "to cast the voices." [Extract from Domestic Corresp., Jac. I., Vol. CXXXIV., No. 39, Cal., p. 465.]