at Macassar, which is most false: For I solemnly protest that we
used our best endeavours to save them, and if it had not been for us,
the eight men in their first boat had also been slain.

The Swan and Defence arrived in the road of Puloroon on the 13th
December. Next day the people of that island came on board, and
conferred with us about surrendering the island to us. We represented
that our nation had come often to their island, at great cost, and at
their particular request, to settle a factory, and trade with them in a
friendly manner, bringing them rice and other provisions, with cloth and
sundry commodities, in exchange for their spices; that we had no desire
to usurp over them, or to reduce them under bondage, as had been done
formerly by the Hollanders and other nations; and that, if they would
surrender their island of Puloroon to our sovereign the king of England,
by a formal writing, and by the delivery of some earth, with a tree and
fruits of the island, as true tokens of their fidelity, and thereafter a
nut-tree yearly as an acknowledgment, we should settle a factory, and
would furnish them with rice, cloth, and other commodities, both now and
yearly afterwards. We also assured them, if we were once settled on the
island, that sufficient supplies would come to them yearly, much better
than now; and that we would use our utmost efforts, both by means of our
men and ships, to defend them and ourselves from all enemies. We also
demanded, whether they had come under any contract with the Hollanders,
or had made them any surrender of their island. To this they unanimously
replied, that they had made no such engagement, and never would, but
held the Hollanders as their mortal enemies. This was earnestly declared
to us, both by the men of Puloroon and by divers chiefs from Puloway,
who had fled from that island on its forcible reduction by the
Hollanders. And they all declared that the island of Puloway had been
lawfully surrendered to Richard Hunt, for the king of England, before
the Hollanders came into the road, the English colours having been
hoisted in the castle, which the Hollanders shot down, using many
disgraceful words of his majesty. They farther declared, that they
defended their island for his majesty's use, as long as they possibly
could; and, being constrained by force, they had fled to Puloroon,
Lantor, and Serran.

After this conference had continued the whole day, the writings of
surrender we