how to have it sent, not daring to dispatch
it either by Englishmen or natives, for tear of being detained. On
coming into the road, however, we sent George Muschamp aboard their
admiral, the Star, to deliver the before-mentioned letter to Mynheer
Dedall, the Dutch commander; and with a message desiring them to depart
from the road of Puloroon before six glasses were run, as the islanders
would not allow them to remain in the roads, or to come near their
island, and would even have already fired upon them, if we had not
prevailed upon them to forbear.
Soon afterwards, the Dutch commander, Dedall, came on board the Swan,
attended by their chaplain, to enquire the reason of our message; when
we told him that we suspected they came to injure us, as they had
formerly done at Paloway, Cambella, and other places; and, as they had
formerly turned the glass to Mr Ball, when in their power, threatening
to hang him if he did not immediately cause the English to quit the
land, we had now in like manner appointed a time for them to quit the
roads. We also shewed him the instrument by which Puloroon was
surrendered to us, and our consequent right to keep possession for the
king of England, which we were determined upon doing to the utmost of
our power, wishing them to be well advised in their proceedings, as they
might expect to be shortly called to answer for their abusive words and
injurious conduct to the English. We also demanded the restoration of
Puloway, which had likewise been lawfully surrendered to the king of
England. After this, we enquired if they had received any previous
surrender at Puloroon, but they could not say they had any; and, when we
shewed the formal surrender made to our king, which their chaplain
perused, he acknowledged that it was a true surrender.
All this while the glass was running in the great cabin before their
eyes, putting them in mind to be gone. We also told them plainly, that
we believed their only purpose in coming here was to betray us, and to
drive us from the island by treachery or force, of which scandalous
conduct our nation had already had divers experience from theirs;
wherefore we neither could nor would trust them any more, and we must
insist upon their departure; as, when the glass was six times run out,
they must expect to be shot at from the shore; and, if they fired in
return against the islanders, or shewed any discourtesy or wrong to
them, we should consider it as hostility
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