928 
Afuccincl Hiftory of the Rife , Progrefs, and Book I. 
both the Portuguese and the Dutch fhould continue their 
Trade where they pleafed, and live in mutual Peace. This 
Affair was in Agitation without coming to any Refolution 
in the Tear ifio8 \ at which Time Admiral Matelif re- 
turned from the Indies with feveral Ships. This Admiral 
had kid Siege to Malacca , but was obliged to break it up, 
in order to give Battle to the Portugueze Fleet, that came 
So relieve it *, however, he had concluded an Alliance with 
the King of Iohor. In the Year 1609, the Company 
dent ;a very expert Pilot, called Henry Hudfon , with a Fly- 
boat, to find out a North-eaft, or North- weft Paffage to 
Ghma, but he returned without bringing his Defign to 
bear. At that Time they heard nothing from the Indies 
lince the Arrival of Admiral Matelif , except fome Advice 
by the Way of England •, but the next Summer, four of 
their Ships arrived with a large Cargoe ; they reported, 
that the Spaniards were ftill poffeffed of Ternate that the 
Dutch had mattered Machian of the Molucca I Hands, and 
that they hoped in Time to poffefs themfelves of Ternate. 
The Truce being concluded and proclaimed in the Ne- 
therlands, they refoived that a Pinnace fhould be fent to 
the Eafl-Indies , with a Pafsport from the King of Spain, and 
the Archdukes , to acquaint the Spaniards and the Dutch 
with the Treaty : This Project was accordingly put in Exe- 
cution, and towards the End of the Year, nine Veffels 
were fitted out under the Command of Peter Berth , both 
the Seamen and Soldiers being allowed to carry their 
Wives and Children along with them. 
8, It may not be amifs to oblerve here, that it was by 
this Truce, the new Republick of the United-Provinces 
came to be owned for a legal and independent State by all 
the Governments in Europe \ neither was this Negotiation 
of lefs Ule in the Indies , where the Spaniards and Portu- 
gueze had begun to recover their Spirits, and to diftinguilh 
themfelves by a vigorous Defence of what they poffeffed 
in that Part of the World, againft the Attempts of the 
Dutch . 
Don Juan de Silva , who then commanded for the King 
of Spain, in the Philippines , was a Nobleman of fuch Cou- 
rage and Conduct, that no Advantages were to be gained 
while he held the Government. For having received In- 
telligence, that a Dutch Admiral, whole Name was Wil- 
lert, was at Sea with a Squadron of four Sail, and had 
funk a Spanifh Galleon richly laden from China •, not con- 
tented with which, they were ftill cruizing for fome other 
Ships that were expected from China and Jap on : Don Juan 
refoived to hazard his own Life to retrieve the Honour of 
Spain, and to free thofe Seas from fuch unwelcome Guefts. 
It was with this View, that he embarked his own Guards, 
and fuch other Troops as were at Manila , on Board fuch 
Veffels as could be drawn together on a fudden, and with 
them he attacked the Dutch Admiral with fuch Fury, 
that he made himfelf Maffer of three of his four Ships, 
the Admiral himfelf having his Head taken off by a Can- 
non-ball in the Beginning of the Engagement, in which 
he loft one hundred and twenty-five Men. This Battle 
was fought on the 25th of April 1610, and the Spaniards 
following their Blow, made themfelves Matters of the 
Ifland of Tidor , and came before that of Ternate, while 
the Inhabitants of the Ifland of Banda, encouraged by 
thefe Succeffes, revolted from thzDutch,zn& having furprized 
their General, Peter William Verhojf, at fome Diftance 
from their Fort, killed him, and all that were with him. 
Admiral Paul Van Caerden, who was then in the Indies , 
thought to put a Stop to thefe Evils by his Prefence, and go- 
ing on Board a Sloop, with twenty-five Men, proceeded for 
the Ifland of Banda •, but being attacked by a Spanijh Vcffel 
in his Paffage, and his Crew having mutinied, he was ta- 
ken Prifoner, and the Spaniards demanding for his Ran- 
fom the Ifland of Machian , 30,000 Ducats in Money, and 
half a Year’s Wages for the Mariners, he chofe rather to 
be carried to the Philippines , than fubmit to fuch Condi- 
tions. This happened on the 25th of July , in the fame 
Year, and it was this News that induced the Company to 
fend lb ftrong a Fleet as that before-mentioned, under the 
Command of Admiral Peter Borth to the Eajl-Indies. 
They likewife thought fit to fend a folemn Ambaffy to 
the Emperor of Japan, at the Head of which were James 
Bpex, and Peter Segerfon , who, on the 10th of Auguji \ 
1 61 1 , had an Audience of the Emperor at Meaco , and ob- 
tained very advantageous Terms from that Monarch, 
notwithftanding all the Oppofition that could be given 
them by the Spaniards and the Portugueze . But while 
Things went on thus profperoufly Abroad, the Eajl-In- 
dia Company were not altogether free from Difficulties and 
Dilcouragements at Home, occafioned chiefly by the Covet- 
oufnefs of fome Merchants concerned in their Stock, who 
had fallen into a Practice of Jobbing, which was attended 
with many Inconveniences, fo that the Government in- 
terfered for the Remedy of thefe Grievances, which the 
States -General redreffed by a Placard publifhed February 
27, 1610. 
In May 161 1, the Company fent out four Ships more, 
under the Command of Laurence Real , which were fol- 
lowed by a ftrong Squadron that put to Sea from the 
Texel, in the next December, under the Command of Adrian 
Block Martz , near the Cape Verd Hands ; this Squadron 
met with feventeen Spanifio Men of War, which fell upon 
them, but were fo warmly received, that only four of 
them were left in a Condition to fail for Spain with the 
News of their Succefs. When the Directors received Ad- 
vice of a fharp Engagement, they conceived, that their 
Ships mutt needs have received fome Damage, and in or- 
der to reinforce them, fitted out two other Ships the next 
May, under the Command of John Peterfz Coen . In 
fine, the Commerce to India became fo extenfive, that 
the Forces of the Company grew to that Eleight, that in 
the Years 1613, and 1614, they fitted out twenty-feven 
Ships at feveral Times, under the Command of feveral 
Commodores, particularly Reyeft and t'Lam. 
In order to a lull View ol their great Succefs, we need on- 
ly to call our Eyes upon the following Lift of the Divi- 
dends that were made within the Compafs of eight Years. 
The Dividends made by the Dutch Eaji-India Com- 
/. 
l 5 
75 
4 ° 
20 } per Cent. 
2 5 
AnnoDom. 
pany, viz. 
r 1605 
in June ■ — 
1 606 
April — 
1 607 
July 
^ 1608 
April * — 
1609 
June — - 
1610 
Auguji — 
L l6l 3 
May — 
50 
37 
i he Company being in fuch a flouriffiing Condition, 
the next Year, viz. 1615, the States joined in fending a 
ftrong Squadron to the South-Seas, by the Way of the 
Magellan Streight, upon the ProfpeCt of furprizing the 
Spaniards, and weakening them on that Side, after which 
they might have an ealy Paffage to the Indies. George 
Van Spilbergen was Admiral in this Expedition, of which 
we have given a large Account in the former Part of this 
Work. In the mean Time, the War in the Indies conti- 
nued, where the Spaniards did all that in them lay to pre- 
ferve and to augment their Conquefts in the Moluccas , 
which appeared to them of the greater Confequence, be- 
caufe of their Situation which was extreamly favourable 
for fecuring a Communication between the Colonies and Set- 
tlements of their Countrymen in the Eafi and Weft- Indies. • 
But the Dutch Admiral Verhagen , perceiving clearly 
that Don Juan de Silva was under great Difficulties from 
the Quarrels that continually arofe between his Officers 
and the Portugueze, and that the latter was extreamly 
backward in fending Don Juan the Succours that he ex- 
pected ; he refoived thereupon to lay hold of this Oppor- 
tunity of cruffiing the Spanifh Strength, and having fitted 
out a confiderable Squadron, he cruized on the Coaft of 
Malacca for the Portugueze Galleons, that were going to 
the Affiftance of Don Juan de Silva. They were four in 
Number, and had a confiderable Body of Troops on 
Board, but Admiral Verhagen neverthelefs gave a good 
Account of them all ; for the largeft he funk, with all that 
were on Board her, made himfelf Matter of the leconft 
with all her Equipage, and forced the other two on Shore 
with very little Lofs to themfelves. This News was 
brought to Holland by a Fleet of four Ships richly laden 
with Spices, and other Commodities, to the Value of 
three 
l 
