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 Chap. IX.]

EXPEDITION UNDER HOUTMANN.

221

A.D. 1597.

of public execution; and nothing but excruciating deaths were looked for, when the governor, who had begun to calculate the consequences, recoiled from them, and proposed negotiation. It was so spun out that the Dutch once more lost patience and commenced hostilities, in which their superiority soon became so apparent, that the governor saw the necessity of yield- ing. Many delays were still interposed, but idtimately an arrangement was come

Governor of Banta.m and AiTENDASrs.— iiistoire de la Navigation, ic.

to. by which the Dutch

agreed to pay a considerable sum of money for the damage they had caused,

and Houtmann and liis companions regained then* freedom.

Friendship seemed about to be re-established, when a .Portuguese deputy ""J^'^JI"^"''!" arrived from Malacca with a large present to the governor, and the promise i.roceedii.i;8 of one still more valuable, provided he would shut the port against all commerce with the Dutch. The bribe was too tempting to be resisted ; and an order was issued by the governor which left no doubt as to his hostile intentions. Hout- mann, convinced that negotiation was now useless, hastened to remove with all his people and their effects. Immediately after, it was decided by a council held on board the Maurice, to give full scope to their resentment and take a signal revenge. Second thoughts proved better, and reflecting that nothing could be gained, and much might be lost by the indiscriminate carnage which they had contemplated, they weighed anchor, and proceeded eastward along the cojust of Java. After a fearful encounter with the natives, in which many lives were lost on both sides, and all hopes of establishing a friendly intercour.^^e were destroyed, the vessels quitted the north-west coast, and sailed north to the isle of Lubok, which they reached on the 9th of December. They now c-hanged their course to west, but, on the 2.5th, after they had beaten about, obstructed by contrary Avinds and currents, they were astonished to find them- selves still within sight of the island. Here, as they had only ninety-four men remaining, many of them imfit for service, it was resolved to abandon the Amstenkim, which had become so leaky that she could with difficulty be kept afloat.

On the 1 2th of Januarv, 1 597, anchor was again weisched, and the vessels Return of

° ° tlie Dutch

proceeded tor the eastern extremity of Java. On the 1 Sth they came in sight expedition of an active volcano, and, a few days after, entered the strait which separates Java from Bali. After some friendly intercom^e with the inhabitants of the latter island, they tiu-ned their face homewards on the 26th of February, and