On the 12th, two merchants from Miaco came to our English house, to whom I shewed all our commodities.  They laid aside two pieces of broad cloth, one black and the other stammel, the best they could find, for which they offered seven tayes the yard.  They also offered for out Priaman gold eleven tayes of silver for one of gold.  But they went away without concluding any bargain.  This day, one of our men named Francis Williams, being drunk ashore, struck one of the servants of king Foyne with a cudgel, although the man had given him no offence, and had not even spoken to him.  The Japanese came to our house making great complaints, and was very angry, not without cause, and told me he would complain to his king of the bad usage he had received.  He had three or four others along with him, who had seen him abused, and who said the aggressor was just gone off to the ship.  I gave them fair words, desiring them to go on board and find out the man who had committed the offence, and they should be sure of having him punished, and for that purpose I sent Miguel, our jurebasso, on board along with them.  He did so, and pointed out Williams as the culprit, who stoutly denied the accusation with many oaths, but the affair was too notorious, and the master ordered him to be seized to the capstan in presence of the complainants, upon which even they entreated for his pardon, knowing that he was drunk.  But the fellow was so unruly, that he took up an iron crow to strike the Japanese in the master’s presence, and even abused the master in the grossest terms.[31]

[Footnote 31:  Of many misdemeanours, I permit some to pass the press, that the cause of so many deaths in the Indies might be seen, rather to be imputed to their own misconduct, than the intemperature of the climate, and for a caveat to others, who may send or be sent into ethnicke regions:  Yet do I conceal the most and worst.—­Purch.]

Learning, on the 13th, that old king Foyne was sick, I sent our jurebasso Miguel to visit him, carrying as a present a great bottle of our general’s sweet wine, and two boxes of conserves, comfits, and sugar-bread.  Miguel was likewise directed to offer my best service, and to say that I was sorry for his sickness, and would have waited on him myself, but that I supposed company was not agreeable to a sick man.  Foyne accepted my present in very good part, returning many thanks, and desiring me to ask for any thing we were in need of, either for the use of the ship or our factory, which he would take care we should be provided with.