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 if blood must be shed it shall not be my fault, it being lawful in defence of myself to do my best."

The next important move in the conflict was in the early months of 1618 when the English dispatched three ships to the Moluccas to relieve Courthope and further develop the trade with the islands. They apparently thought that the number would be sufficient to ensure their safety, but the Dutch had concentrated their forces with the special object of deallng with the English flotilla and did not hesitate to oppose it as soon as a favourable opportunity offered.

As the Solomon, one of the three ships, was off Banda she encountered four large Dutch vessels which, without any ado, proceeded to attack her. The English ship was so deeply laden that she could not use her lower tier of ordnance. She was further embarrassed by a lack of ammunition. Nevertheless she fought on from two o'clock in the afternoon until nine at night. By this time the contesting ships were quite close to each other—"almost board and board"—and it was possible for the combatants to enter into conversation with each other.

Cassarian, the English commander, opened a parley with the result that he on the demand of the Dutch commander struck his colours and went on board the enemy's flagship. As he did not return his crew assumed that he had been detained a prisoner. Their first care was to disarm the party of Bandanese on board, whose assistance they had had in the fight and whose exasperation at the turn events had taken might they feared take the form of a general running amok. The precaution, as events proved, was not an unnecessary one. When the Hollanders came to take possession of the ship two of the Bandanese