Chap. II. between the Inhabitants 
Reficience in Amboyna , he took the poor Remnant of the 
Englijh along with him in the faid hired Pinnace for Jac- 
catra f whither the Governor had fent John Beamont , and 
Edward Collins before, as Men condemned, and left to the 
Mercy of the Governor. When this heavy News of Am- 
boyna came to Jaccatra , and the Englijh there, the Prefi- 
dent fent forthwith to the General of the Hutch , to 
know by what Authority the Governor of Amboyna had 
thus proceeded againft the Englijh , and how he and the 
reft of the Dutch there at Jaccatra did approve thefe Pro- 
ceedings, The Governor returned for Anfwer, that the 
Governor of Amboyna’s Authority was derived from the 
Lords States-General of the United Netherlands , under 
whom he had lawful Jurifditftion both in criminal and civil 
Caufes, within the Diftribt of Amboyna *, further, that fuch 
Proceeding was neceffary againft Traitors, fuch as the En- 
glijh executed at Amboyna might appear to be by their 
own Confeffions, a Copy whereof he therewith fent to the 
EngliJJo Prefident, who fent the fame back to be authenticldy 
certified, but received it not again. Hitherto hath been 
recited the bare and naked Narration of the Progrefs and 
Paffage of this Aftion, as it is taken out of the Depofiti- 
ons of fix feveral Englijh Fadtors, whereof four were 
condemned, and the other two acquitted, in this Procefs 
of Amboyna . All fince their Return into E?tgland> exa- 
mined upon their Oaths in the Admiralty-Court. The 
Particulars of Captain Towerfon’s , as alfo of Emanuel Thom- 
fon’s Examinations and Anfwers, are not yet come to 
Light, by reafon that thefe two were kept a-part from all 
the reft, and each alone by himlelf, nor any other of the 
Englijh buffered to fpeak with them, except only that fhort 
Farewel which John Beamont took of Thomfon , the Morning 
before the Execution before mentioned. The like Obfcu- 
rity is yet touching the Examinations and Anfwers of di- 
verfe of the reft that are executed, being, during their 
Imprifonment, fo ftriddy looked to, and watched by the 
Dutch , that they might not talk together, nor mutually 
relate their Miferies •, but becaufe the Dutch defend their 
own Proceedings by the Confeffions of the Parties exe- 
cuted, acknowledging feverally under their Hands, that 
they were guilty of the pretended Crime. 
It will not be amifs to recoiled: and recall unto this 
Place, as it were unto one Sum and Total, certain Cir- 
cumftances difperfed in feveral Parts of this Narration, 
whereby as well the Innocence of the Englijh , as the un- 
lawful Proceeding againft them may be manifefted. 
Firft, therefore, it is to be remembred, that the Japonefe 
were apprehended, examined and tortured three or four Days 
before the Englijh were attacked, and the fame as well of 
their Apprehenfion as Torture was rief and notorious in the 
Town of Amboyna , and the Parts adjoining. Thomfon in 
this Interim, and the very firft Day of the Examination 
of the Japonefe , went to the Caftle, to afk Leave of the 
Governor to land fome Rice, and brought back the News 
with him to th q Englijh Houfe, of the cruel handling of 
thefe poor Japonefe. This had been Item enough to the 
Englijh , if they had been guilty, to fhift for themfelves, 
whereto alfo they had ready Means by the Curricurries, or 
fmall Boats of the Amboyners , which lie along the Strand, 
in that Number wherewith they might eafily have tran- 
fported themfelves to Seran, to Bottoun or Macajfar , out 
of the Reach and Jurifdidion of the Dutch % but in that 
they fled not, in this Cafe, it is a very ftrong Prefumption, 
that they were as little privy to any Treafon of their own, 
as fufpicious of any treacherous Train laid for their Bloods. 
In the next Place, let it be confidered, how impoffible 
it was for the Englijh to atchieve this pretended Enterprife. 
The Caftle of Amboyna is of a very great Strength, the 
Garrifon therein two or three hundred Men, befides as 
many more of their free Burghers in the Town. What 
their Care and Circumfpedtion in all their Forts is, may 
appear, not only from the quick Alarm they took at the 
foolifli Jefting of the poor Japonefe , made to the Centinel 
above recited, but alfo by that which a little before had 
happened at Jaccatra , where one of their Soldiers was 
fhot to Death for fleeping on the Watch. Durft ten En- 
glijhmen , whereof not one Soldier, attempt any thing up- 
on fuch a Strength and Vigilance ? As for the Affiftance 
of the Japonefe \ they were but ten neither, and all unarm” 
of Great-Brltain, Qfc. 88 3 
ed, as well as the Englijh : For, as at the Seizure at the En* 
glijh Houfe, all the Provifion there found, was but three 
Swords, two Mufkets, and half a Pound of Powder 5 fo 
the japonefe , except when they are in Service of the Caf- 
tle, and there armed by the Dutch , are allowed to have 
no Arms, but only a Catan, a kind of fliort Sword | and 
it is forbidden to all the Dutch , upon great Penalty, to fell 
any Hand-gun, Powder or Bullets to that Japonefe or Amboy* 
ners. 
But let it be imagined thefe twenty Perfons, Englifh and 
Japonefe , were fo defperate as to adventure the Exploit^ 
how fhould they be able to mafter the Dutch in the Caftle^ 
or to keep Poffeflion when they had gotten it ? What Se- 
cond had they ? There was neither Ship nor Pinnace of 
th t Englijh in Harbour. All the reft of the JaponeJe in 
the Ifland were not twenty Perfons, and not one Englijh 
more. The neareft of the reft of the Englijh were at 
Banda , forty Leagues from Amboyna , and thole but nine 
Perfons, all afterwards cleared by the Governor and Fif- 
cal themfelves, from all Sufpicion of this pretended Crime, 
as were alfo the reft of the Englijh at Jaccatra. 
On the other Side, befides the Strength of the Caftle, 
and Town of Amboyna, the Dutch have three other ftrong 
Caftles, well furnilhed with Soldiers, in the fame Bland, 
and at Cambello , near adjoining. They had then alfo in 
the Road of Amboyna eight Ships and Veflels, namely, 
the Rotterdam of 1200 Tuns, the Unicorn of 300 Tuns, 
the Freemens Veffel of 100 Tuns, the Calk of 60 Tuns, 
Captain Gama! s Junck , of 40 Tuns, the Flute of 300 
Tuns, the Amjterdam of 1400 Tuns, and a fmall Pinnace 
of about 60 Tuns, and all thefe well furnilhed with Men 
and Ammunition. It is true, that the Stories do record 
fundry valiant and hardy Enterprifes of the Englijh Nati- 
on, and the Dutch are Witneffes of fome of them ; yea, 
have reaped the Fruit of the Englijh Refolution, yet no 
Story, no Legend, fcarcely reporteth any fuch Hardineft 
either of the Englijh or others, that fo few Perfons, fo 
naked of all Provifions and Supplies, lliould undertake 
fuch an Adventure upon a Counter-Party, fo well and 
abundantly fitted at all Points. But let it be further grant- 
ed, that they might poffibly have overcome all thofe Dif- 
ficulties, yet to what End and Purpofe fhould they have 
put themfelves into fuch a Jeopardy ? They knew well 
enough, that it was agreed between both Companies at 
home, that the Forts in the Indies lliould remain refpec- 
tively in the Hands of fuch as had Poffeflion of them at 
the Date of the Treaty Anno 1619, and that the fame was 
ratified by the King’s Majefty and the Lords States-Ge- 
neral. They knew likewife, and all the World takes 
Knowledge of his Majefty ’s religious Obfervation of Peace 
and Treaty with all his Neighbours, yea, with all the 
World. What Reward therefore could thefe Englijh hope 
for of their Valour and Danger? Certainly none other 
than that which is exprefsly provided by the Treaty itfelf, 
that is, to be punifbed as the Difturbers of the common 
Peace and Amity of both Nations. 
But let thefe Englijhmen have been as foolijfh as they will 
in this Plot, as the Dutch will have them, is it alfo to be 
imagined, that they were fo gracelefs, as when they were 
condemned, and ferioufly examined, and admonifhed by 
the Minifters to difcharge their Confciences, yet then to 
perfift in their Diflimulation, being otherwife of fuch god- 
ly Behaviour, as to Ipend the Time in Prayer, Singing of 
Pfalms, and fpiritually comforting one another, which the 
Dutch would have had them beftow in Drinking to drive 
away their Sorrow ? Let Colfon* s Queftion to the Minifter 
be confidered, his, and the refts, Offer and Defire to receive 
the Sacrament in Sign and Token of their Innocence, 
their mutually alking Forgivenefs for their like falfe Accu- 
fations of one another forced by the Torture. 
'Thomfon* s laft Farewel to Beamont , Colfon s Prayer, and 
his writing in his Prayer-Book Fardo* s Farewel to Powef 
alfo his conjuring Exhortation to his Fellows to difcharge 
their Confciences, and all their Anfwers thereunto* crav- 
ing God’s Mercy or Judgment, according to their Inno- 
cency in this Caufe ; their general and religious Profeffion 
of their Innocence to their Countrymen at their laft part- 
ing with them, and finally, their iealing this Profeffion 
with their laft Breath and Blood, even in the very Article 
of 
