[Sidenote:  The Portugals go about to hinder the trade of the Hollanders.] And here the reader is to vnderstand, that some foure moneths before the said three ships arriued at Bantam, the Portugales came with an Armada of gallies and fustes, being set foorth by the Viceroy of Goa and the gouernour of Molucca, to intercept the traffique of the Hollanders vnto those partes, and to made them loose all their expenses, labour, and time which they had bestowed:  and also that their great and rich presentes which they gaue vnto the Iauans the yeare before, to bring them into vtter detestation of the Hollanders, might not be altogether in vaine.

The Generall of them that came from Goa was Don Luis, and of those that came from Molucca Don Emanuell:  who brought their Armada before Bantam, intending to surprize the citty, vnder pretence that the same preparation was made to resist certaine pirates that came thither out of Holland the last yeare, and were determined this yeare also to come againe.  Vnder these colours they sought to take the towne and to fortifie the same, and they built certaine sconces in the countrey, committing great outrages, rauishing the Women, with many other villanies. [Sidenote:  The Portugals vanquished.] Hereupon the townsemen of Bantam very secretly provided certaine gallies and fustes in great hast, and sodainly assailed the Portugales before they were well aware of them:  for which cause finding but small resistance, they tooke 3.  Portugale gallies with certaine shippes, and slewe about 300. of them, taking 150.  Portugales prisoners, of which we daily saw some going vp and downe the streetes of Bantam like slaues and captiues.  Besides these they tooke about 900. gallie slaues prisoners.

Vpon this hard successe the rest of the Portugals betooke themselues to flight:  but whither they bee arriued at Goa or Molucca, or what is become of them since, we are not able to auouch.  The foresaid attempt and ouerthrowe, bred greater enmity betweene the Portugales and them of Bantam, and gaue an especiall occasion for the aduancement of our traffique.

The fiue ships (whereof we haue before signified that foure were dispatched by the whole companie for the Moluccas) being seuered beyonde the Cape of Buona Speranza [Marginal Note:  The course which the fiue ships tooke after they were separated from their three consorts about the Cape of bouona esperanza.] from the other three of their company, and hauing quite lost them, came all of them shortly after vnder an Island called (as it is thought) by the Portugals Isola de Don Galopes:  but they named it the Island of Mauritius.  Here they entered into an hauen, calling the same Warwicke, after the name of their Viceadmirall, wherin they found very good harborow in twenty degrees of southerly latitude.

[Sidenote:  The Isle of Mauritius described.] This Island being situate to the East of Madagascar, and containing as much in compasse as all Holland, is a very high, goodly and pleasant land, full of green and fruitfull vallies, and replenished with Palmito-trees, from the which droppeth holesome wine. [Sidenote:  Great store of Ebenwood.] Likewise here are very many trees of right Ebenwood as black as iet, and as smooth and hard as the very Iuory:  and the quantity of this wood is so exceeding, that many ships may be laden herewith.