Sec.11. Occurrences at Firando after the Return of Captain Saris.[40]

The 7th of November, 1613, I sent in the first place some presents to the two kings of Firando, and afterwards went to visit them.  On the 8th, Andrew Palmer, the ship’s steward, and William Marnell, gunner’s mate, having been ashore all night and quarrelled in their cups, went out this morning into the fields and fought.  Both are so grievously wounded, that it is thought Palmer will hardly escape with his life, and that Marnell will be lame of his hands for life.  The 9th I went aboard ship early, and called the master and all the officers into my cabin, making known to them how much I was grieved at the misconduct of some of them, particularly of Palmer and Marnell, who had gone ashore without leave, and had so sore wounded each other, that one was in danger of his life, and the other of being lamed for ever; and besides, that the survivor ran a risk of being hanged if the other died, which would necessarily occasion me much vexation.  I also said, I was informed that Francis Williams and Simon Colphax were in the boat going ashore to have fought, and that John Dench and John Winston had appointed to do the like.  John Dench confessed it was true, and that he had seen Palmer and Marnell fighting, and had parted them, otherwise one or both had died on the field.  I told them these matters were exceedingly distressing to me, and I trusted would now be remedied, otherwise the ship would be unmanned, to the overthrow of our voyage, and the vast injury of the honourable company which had entrusted us.  After much contestation, they all engaged to amend what was amiss, and not to offend any more, which I pray God may be the case.  I told them also, that old king Foyne had complained to me, threatening, if any more of them went ashore to fight and shed blood, contrary to the laws of Japan, he would order them to be cut in pieces, as he was determined strangers should have no more licence to infringe the laws than his own subjects.

[Footnote 40:  We here resume the narrative of Captain Saris.  Purch.  Pilgr.  I. 378.  The observations of Mr Cockes, contained in the three preceding sub-sections, break off abruptly in the Pilgrims, as above.—­E.]

At my return ashore, old Foyne Same came to visit me at the English house, and told me that the piece of Poldavy, and the sash I gave him, were consumed when his house was burnt down.  This was in effect begging to have two others, which I promised to give him.  I likewise got him to send some of his people aboard, along with John Japan, our jurebasso, to intimate to our men that if any of them went ashore to fight, he had given strict orders to have them cut in pieces.  This I did in hopes of restraining them in future from any more drunken combats.  Towards night, Juan Comas, a Spaniard, came from Nangasaki, bringing two letters from Domingo Francisco, one for me, and the other for Mr Cockes, together with three