11 November
Here arrived by the grace of God the ship the Globe, coming from Siam, having been 8 days in the way; and in regard of the great change happened in this short time I will relate this voyage more at large.
After they were departed hence the 4th of August, they arrived on the road of Siam the 15 ditto, casting ancker in the evening at 3 fathom, being high water; but the next day, the water ebbing 13 hours, there was but 7 foot depth, but being a muddy ground and very fair weather the ship endured no great hurt. The next day, the water growing, they went a little further of the shore, setting at 3 fathom at a low water, being some 4 (miles) leagues from the bar. The 17 ditto Adam Denton, Nasar Chan and the Sinnar [Siam-er) were sent from hence to the river to carry the news of our arrival, who, in regard the town lied some 30 leagues up along the river, came not back again till the 23 ditto, bringing along with them the Sabander and the Governor of Mancock [Bangkok], being a place situated by the river, to receive His Majesties letters, but chiefly for the presents they thought they should receive, so that it is as badde there for presents as an any other place of the Indies. Thus Mr Lucas and Mr Essington went with them to the town, and coming there had no want of trouble, whereof I refer myself to the letter from Mr Lucas, who wrote at large of all what passed there, especially in seeking to build a house of brick, which at last by the Kings gift was granted onto them, being as is reported the best that is in Siam, standing hard by the Hollands house, to whom [? which] it seemed unpossible for us to obtain. The 17th of September they came before the King and had audience, who in short terms asked for the disposition of His Majesty, and how long we had been from home, and after that bidde us welcome and promised us free trade; and after that he had given every one a little golden cuppe and a little piece of clothing, they departed again.
After much soliciting, running and trouble, by reason of the knavery of the Mandorins [high officials], we obtained that fair house given by the King, being a brick house but something old, which with a little reparation may yet serve many years, and by report there is no better in Siam nor better situated, standing hard by the Dutch house.
Thus having been with the King and gotten a house of brick, they took order to bring the goods on shore, hiring a junk for the same purpose for 96 R8; and seeing the ship began to be eaten by the worms, and that it would be 20 days before the junk would be able to get up the river, it was thought fitting to seek a convenient place to have the ship dubbled [to sheathe], having brought planks from Bantam expressly for that purpose. The junk being laden went up the river towards the town, being some 30 leagues of, and now being in the time of raining, the country being covered with water, the tide came very fiercely downwards, so that the junk did not come before the town till the 25 of October. Whereas arose no small heavyness by their great (force) violence and knaveries, whereof the King was ignorant; for the Mandoryns sending aboard of the junk to write up and seal all the goods, and so to carry them into the Kings house or factory, whereas they open all the packes and take out what pleased them best, [ap]praising the same as it seemed good onto them, and before any payment can be had one must give half as much for bribes: truly a very great knavery, the like whereof is not used in all the Indies, although there be no want of violence in all the Indies. But Mr Lucas, seeing with whom he had to do, and that it was without the Kings knowledge, gave them a resolute answer that he would not yield himself to such a bondage, and that he had performed his charge, which was to deliver His Majestys letters to the King, who had promised him a free trade, and if he might not have the same then he would departe again, for he was but sent to one King alone and not to as many as he found them.
In the mean while Mr Lucas had sent to Oya Phismachan [Phra Klang] being one of the chiefest mandarins, to desire leave to depart in friendship, in regard that he could not tarry because of the abuses offered onto him, and, being come in friendly manner, so he was desirous to depart with friendship; the which the said Oya Phismachan understanding, went presently to complain to the King, who presently gave other order, charging them to molest our folks no manner of way, but that they might carry their goods to their house and sell it to their pleasure, without making any mention of any custom. Upon which the packs were carried home without any molestation; and the 27th October Mr Lucas went aboard to carry those men aboard that were come up with the junk, and to dispatch the ship, hoping to find some easement for his troubles on the shore; but came just from the smoke into the fire, for the 26 of October in the afternoon about 4 of the clock arose such a sudden storm and running [pouring] rain that old folks had never seen the like in that country; the trees were blown out of the ground, and the King having made a fair tomb for a monument to his father, [it] was also blown down. The ship being in a thousand dangers, with 2 anchors out, went away, and by the manly courage of Mr Skinner and Samuell Huyts they got a cable to the third anchor and let that fall, by which she was stayed and so was saved, for it was already got from 6 fathom to 4 and not passing an English mile from the land, whereas were very sharp rocks. Mr Skinner was beaten from the anker (tree) stock, but by a great (chaunce) miracle he got above, catching a rope in his hand and so held himself, nobody knowing what had happened to him, for the sea was so rough and so beat over the ship that it was not possible to go along the ship, and under the half deck of the ship was drifty water.
The boat with 8 men being gone a shore and but newly put from aboard, the storm arose, and before they could get aboard they saw the ship go away, so that they verely thought the ship would have been stranded; therefore, not willing to come in the ship, they hung at the ships stern by the falling ladder, whenas the ship coming up or staying with the anchor, the boat was beat to the ground and 4 men drowned, hard by the ship; the boason, George Ponder [Pender], being son in law to Mr Johnson, present master of the ship, was drowned a good while after, or else devoured of a whale, having yet been seen a little before, but a little while after they saw a great whale there aboutes, and since was seen no more. The other three were cast on shore in sundry places, as also the skiff and the boat, which likewise was sunk, the cable breaking, driving some 6 (miles) leagues along the shore with little harm, driving just past the rocks and on the other side of the bay past a river; and there they were both found not very far asunder, and so brought aboard again. This storm lasted not passing 4 or 5 hours, and then began to grow less, so that the next morning the sea was as smooth as if there had been no wind at all; and it is to be wondered how the sea can be so rough in this bay, seeing the corners point out so far, having some islands, and being by report one of the best bays that can be wished, being but [only] this wind coming from the S.S.W. or thereabout that can do harm, for that maked [blows through] the opening between the land and the islands. To conclude, the Almighty God, that in all this voyage had kept us with such a fatherly care, had not withdrawn at this time, causing this storm as an instrument to make us more thankful hereafter, to deliver us from a greater evil; and had been a mean whereby great treachery and treason had been revealed, as it appeared without any doubt that it would have brought forth, as manifestly appeared by the action of these persons following.
The new captain, Mr Essington, commanding the boatson to do a certain matter, he, relying upon his father in law, Mr Johnson, refused to do it, and thereupon falling out with him, gave very injurious speeches to the captain, which he for fear of greater inconveniences suffered to pass without punishment; and Mr Johnson, who ought to have assisted the captain against his disobedient son, to the contrary rejoiced at it, instigating him more and more; all which happened in the beginning of his mastership, and after that Mr Johnson ever sought for occasions of strife and contentions; as when any deceased mans goods should be sold before the mast, then Mr Johnson, being in his cabin, refused to come forth, whereupon Mr Essington falling to the selling thereof, the other seeking occasion came running out of his cabin, keeping a great sturre, beginning to contemne the captain, commanding everyone to give back the goods they had bought, for it should be of no force, nor entered into the pursers book, because he had not been by at the sale thereof, using many other suchlike words, a matter which touched him nothing at all, and for that time was taken up or pacified.
After that, the ship arriving by the grace of God at Siam, which happened not by his [Johnsons] wisdom but much to the contrary, as all the men of the ship do witness, he not governing otherwise then as if he had expressly sought the ruin of the ship, and Mr Lucas and Mr Essington going up the river with His Majesties letter, leaving order and charge with the aforesaid Johnson for some things to be done in their absence; the said Captain Essington returning back again found all done wholly contrary to his order; whereupon, chiding with Mr Johnson, he received for an answer that before a year should come to an end he would make him sing another song. - WIRD FORTGESETZT !