to us, and would defend them,
being now the subjects of our king. They desired to remain till next
day, which we would not agree to, doubting that more of their ships
might come to join them. They then desired to stay till midnight; which
we agreed to, on condition that we saw them preparing to weigh their
anchors, in which case we said that notice should be sent ashore to the
Bandanese, not to fire upon them.

I also demanded to know from Dedall, what was their purpose in thus
coming into the road of Puloroon, unless to molest us. He pretended that
it was their usual custom in passing that island. But I told them that
was not true, as the islanders had declared there never was any
christian ship in their roads till we came. So he remained silent. They
came to anchor in the roads this day about three in the afternoon, and
departed about eleven at night. We have been since certainly informed,
that their purpose was to have taken possession of our ships by
treachery, or to have driven us out of the roads, and only gave up their
intentions on seeing that we were fortified on shore. Had they then
assailed us, we had little doubt of being able to have defended
ourselves against them, as we had both forts in readiness, the cannon
charged, and the gunners prepared to give fire, on the first signal from
our ships.

A Dutch ship and pinnace came from Nero on the 10th January; the pinnace
edging near the small island or high sand, called _Nylacka_. This island
is uninhabited, but full of trees and bushes, being daily resorted to by
the men of Puloroon for fishing; and as belonging to Puloroon, belonged
now to the English. On coming near the island, the people in the pinnace
were observed continually sounding, wherefore we made four shots towards
her from Fort Defence; but, not intending to strike her, shot wide. At
every shot, the pinnace answered with a base, or some such piece, firing
into the small island among the trees and bushes, where were some
Englishmen and Bandanese of Puloroon, who were in no small danger from
the shot. Seeing they braved us in this manner, the gunner was desired
to do his best, and his next shot fell close over the stern of the
pinnace or frigate, which made her presently go away. Their purpose of
coming thus to sound about the small island, seemed to be to look out
for a landing-place; meaning to come there with their forces, and there
to fortify themselves, on purpose to compel us to quit the large