The ambassador of Siam came to visit me on the 22d, and dined with me, and asserted that a thousand pieces of red cloth might be sold in his country in two days, and a great quantity yearly, as it is used for housings to their elephants and horses.  Gold, he said, was in such abundance in his country as only to be worth three times its weight in silver, though good gold.  It has also great abundance of cheap precious stones.  He said, moreover, that his king would esteem it a great happiness to have commerce with the King of England, with whom, as he understood, the King of Holland was not to be compared.

The 28th November, I took leave of the king, the governor, the admiral, the old sabander, Jura Bassa, Tanyong, and of the Hollanders, and went on board for altogether next day.  The 2d December, at night, our merchants came aboard, bringing a letter from the King of Bantam to the King of England, with a present of two picols of Canton. Before we got out of the straits we espied a sail on the 12th December, which proved to be the Hector from Surat, where her captain, William Hawkins, remained.  I understood that the Portuguese had taken eighteen of our men, several of whom were factors, and goods to the value of 9000 dollars.  The 14th we came back to Bantam roads, forced either to lengthen our voyage, or to go home with lost reputation.  The 16th there came a small vessel from Amsterdam, giving notice of peace between France, Spain, and the Dutch.  I appointed Messrs Molineux and Pockham for England in the Dragon, taking the rest with me in the Hector for the Moluccas, into which other ship I removed on the 17th, the masters shifting ships.  The 21st I forwarded Mr Towerson in all diligence, wishing him to depart in all speed; and on the 23d the Dragon made sail from Bantam, God prosper her voyage.[174]

[Footnote 174:  Mr Tewerson seems from this time to have commanded the Dragon on the voyage home; but this whole narrative is so ill expressed and incoherent, that its meaning has often to be guessed at.—­ASTL.  I. 321.a.]

Sec. 4. Voyage of the Hector to Banda, with Occurrences there.

About one in the morning of the 1st January, 1609, we weighed anchor, and with an off-shore wind got round the east point, three leagues E.N.E. from our former anchorage.  Thence easterly to another point other three leagues, a very long shoal with very little water extending between the two, to avoid which it is good to steer halfway between Java and the isles of Tonda, which are five leagues distant.  East from the second point is the isle of Tanara, so close to the shore that it cannot be distinguished from any distance.  From the second to the third point, are four leagues E.S.E. and one and a half mile off that point N. by W. is the isle of Lackee, between which and the point is only one and a half fathoms water, according to report.  We rode all night in six fathoms, having the isle east of us a league.  Weighing on the 4th, we steered within half a league of Lackee in seven or eight fathoms; from the isle to the west point of Jackatra being E.S.E. four leagues.  There is a dangerous sand off the west point of Jackatra, wherefore it is good to keep nearer the island opposite that point.