ABSTRACT
This hath bene the occasion, as also the shortenes of the tyme, the foule wether, and the long waye from the shipp to the towne, that Mr Lucas hath not bene able to sende mee over any capitall for the increase of myne; for not having a sufficient capitall to perfourme the voyage along the coaste, 1 the shippe arryving to late, and the foresayde questions and mutinies arysing in the shippe, it hath bene an occasion of this following resolution. The shippe being safely arryved heere the 11 of November, and having maturely deliberated together uppon that which had passed in Siam, and nowe considering and waying [i.e., weighing] the one and the other, wee have resolved together to keepe the shippe lying and wintering (to lye and winter) heere, and that chiefely for 3 principall reasons following, to witte: That the shippe arryved to late in this roade, being the very beginning and hardeste of the winter, having hard N.E. and N.N.E. wyndes, so that it was not possible to dobble the poynte of Redangh, 2 lying from us E.S.E. some 25 leagues, as dyvers Hollands shipps have striven to do, butt are returned backe with greate danger, and so to tarry all winter. Secondly, Mr Essington shoulde have bene fayne to tarry heere and I to departe with the shipp; butt seing the great tumulte and disorder in the shipp, by reason of the afore-recited occasions, I woulde not take it uppon mee to go with the shippe alone, for it was to bee feared that all woulde runne to naughts or bordello; 3 for I shoulde have
The occasion off the wintering off the shipp in Petania.
bene fayne to bee alwayes on shoare, and the shippe lying withoute a head, drincking theymselves druncke, fighting, knocking, dycing and suche lyke good poyntes used among theym, which have gotten suche upperhand in this shippe as ever I sawe in any shippe; and all this happened mooste because of the milde gouvernment of the former deceased captaine, so that this is one of the principall reasons that the shipp muste tarry heere to greate charges and losse of tyme; howebeit wee hope, seing howe it goeth forwards, that all things yett maye come to the beste, partly because I gathered butt a small capitall, which att this present tyme, for wante of China and other commodities, 4 cannot bee imployed to proffite. Secondly, that Mr Lucas hathe not bene able to sende mee any supply, which nowe maye better bee done; also in the meane tyme John Persons maye returne, and, the junckes of China arryving, the capitall maye profitably bee imployed and a greate capitall bee gathered, which will yeelde more profite then to imploye it nowe uppon some apparrellings, the tyme and trade being nowe wholly dead, according as further appeareth by the resolution.