the country.  Having made known our griefs, she sent for the protector that I might talk with him in her presence.  I asked the reason why he had prohibited our trade, on which he said that he must buy 10,000 sacks of pepper for the king; but I then said that I was informed by the Hollanders he owed them 10,000 sacks, and that he was working underhand for them against us.  He used many shifts; but the old queen, who was our fast friend, said he should not hurt us.  Finding they could have no trade with the people for pepper, the Hollanders had bribed the protector into this plan.  But if we had possessed 10,000 pieces of eight more than we had, the Hollanders would have got little pepper that year in Bantam, for they are much disliked, and what trade they have is through fear of their ships, which they have in great numbers in those seas.

In the end of September, the Pangran Mandelicko fell to robbing the junks, and seized one from Johor laden with rice, and having a number of men and women on board, all of whom he carried off as prisoners, and converted the rice to his own use.  This was a ready way to keep all other junks from the place, and to starve the inhabitants, as the land is not able to feed a quarter of its people.  The king and protector sent to command him to deliver up the people and goods, but he refused, and fortified his house, being supported by all the other pangrans of the royal blood, who were all, like him, traitors to the king, so that the king’s officers durst not meddle with him.  The protector, sabander, and admiral, sent to us to take heed to ourselves, as the rebels grew stronger every day.  I borrowed some small pieces of cannon of the Chinese merchants, who were our friends, causing our men to make chain-shot, lang-ridge, and bar-shot, and fortified our quarters the best way I could with bushes and chains.  So much were the inhabitants in fear of the rebels, that all trade was at an end.  Every day some spies of the rebels used to come into our yard, very inquisitive about what we were doing, so that we looked nightly to be attacked, and made every preparation to give them a warm reception.

About the 20th October, the King of Jackatra came to Bantam with 1500 fighting men, besides stragglers, and was to be followed by 1000 more.  He challenged the rebels and pangrans to fight him, having a great quarrel against them all, as they had endeavoured to have him deposed from his kingdom.  But the rebels kept within their fortifications.  The King of Jackatra and the Admiral of Bantam sent for us on the 26th October, to know if there were any means to fire their fortifications from a reasonable distance, beyond reach of their bases, of which they had a great number.  We told them, if we had a ship in the roads it might have been easily done, but we hardly expected to find materials for the purpose, such as camphor, salt-petre, and sulphur, having already some other things, for the purpose