In the afternoon, I waited upon the Governor, and acquainted him with the condition of the ship, desiring liberty to repair her defects, to which he replied, that I must petition the Council.

On the 6th therefore, which was Council-day, I addressed a letter to the Governor and Council, setting forth more particularly the condition of the ship; and after requesting leave to repair her, I added, that I hoped they would allow me the use of such wharfs and shore-houses as should be necessary. In the afternoon of the next day, the shebander, with Mr. Garrison, a merchant of the place, as interpreter, and another person, came to me. After the first compliments, the shebander said, that he was sent by the Governor and Council for a letter which they had heard I had received when I was at Bonthain, acquainting me, that a design had been formed to cut off my ship, that the author of it, who had injured both me, and their nation, in the person of the Governor of that, place, might be punished. I readily acknowledged that I had received such information, but said, that I had never told any body it was by letter. The shebander then asked me if I would take an oath that I had received no such letter as he had been directed to demand; to which I answered, that I was surprised at the question, and desired, that if the Council had any such uncommon requisition to make of me, it might be in writing, and I would give such reply, as, upon mature consideration, I should think proper. I then desired to know what answer he had been instructed to give to my letter, concerning the refitting of the ship; upon which, he told me, that the Council had taken offence at my having used the word hope, and not written in the stile of request, which had been invariably adopted by all merchants upon the like occasion: I replied, that no offence was intended on my part, and that I had used the first words which occurred to me, as proper to express my meaning. Thus we parted, and I heard nothing more of them till the afternoon of the 9th, when the shebander, and the same two gentlemen, came to me a second time. The shebander said, that he was then commissioned from the council, to require a writing under my hand, signifying that I believed the report of an intention formed at the island of Celebes to cut off my ship, was false and malicious, saying that he hoped I had a better opinion of the Dutch nation than to suppose them capable of suffering so execrable a fact to be perpetrated under their Government. Mr. Garrison then read me a certificate, which, by order of the council, had been drawn up for me to sign: as, whatever was my opinion, I did not think it advisable to sign such a certificate, especially as it appeared to be made a condition of complying with my request by the delay of an answer during this solicitiation, I desired the shebander to shew me his authority for the requisition he had made: he replied, that he had no testimony of authority but the notoriety of his being a public officer, and the evidence of the gentlemen that were with him, confirming his own declaration, that he acted in this particular by the express order of Council. I then repeated my request, that whatever the Council required of me might. be given me in writing, that the sense of it might be fixed and certain, and that I might have time to consider of my reply; but he gave me to understand that he could not do this without an order from the Council, and I then absolutely refused to sign the paper, at the same time desiring an answer to my letter, which they not being prepared to give, we parted, not in very good humour with each other.

Voyaging Accounts