The next day, (the 14th) in the afternoon, the Raja again came on board, but, to our very great disappointment, instead of the expected supply, he produced four small baskets of sago powder, and one bag of paddy, which would scarcely have maintained two men for a week; this return for the civilities he received the day before, was by no means a proper one, particularly as I was told he had been given to understand, that we were much in want of provisions, and he had been greatly pressed for a quantity of paddy, sufficient to serve two hundred men, until we could reach Batavia, to which place he was told we were going; and he was also informed, that it should be paid for in bar iron and other articles.

Our demand was more than perhaps might have been necessary, but it was made large from an opinion that we might not get near the quantity applied for.  We had reason to believe, that the island could well furnish the supply we had asked for, without any inconvenience to the inhabitants; for eight hundred weight had been purchased out of a common boat the day before, for a few pieces of bar iron, and the natives appeared to make more use of sago and fruits than of paddy:  the master of the ship showed some displeasure, and I own (if he had made our wants well understood the day before, which I had my doubts of) not without cause:  he came to me at the gangway, and told me he intended to detain the Raja until he sent some of his boats on shore for the paddy wanted:  I advised him against any violent measures, left our wants had not been perfectly understood; and that I did not see, that it could, in our present situation, answer any good end:  at this time we had a boat and several people on shore.

I recommended to him to endeavour to make the Raja understand, that unless he sent for the supply we had asked, and he had promised, that he, as commander of the Company’s ship, would represent his conduct to the governor and council at Batavia, who would certainly take notice of it; I thought a threat of that sort might answer our purpose better than the means he proposed:  for we were in no respect prepared for a quarrel with those people, the meanest of whom wore a cress or dagger constantly by his side, and the decks were at that time almost full of them; many of our people were also upon deck, but wholly unarmed and off their guard.

The master of the ship returned, and entered again into conversation with the Raja, who was on the after part of the quarter deck, but what was said I did not understand:  however, I joined them, and again recommended prudence and moderation to the master of the ship, and desired he would recollect, that we were not prepared for such violent measures as he seemed inconsiderately disposed to; that as there were a few stand of arms in the ship, and a few pairs of pistols among the officers, they should have been upon deck, and people stationed with ammunition for them; instead of which, we had not one armed man upon deck, nor a single necessary for using the carriage guns; all which rested with him, such articles being in his care and custody as master, for his owners:  notwithstanding this, the violence and perverseness of his temper was such as to dispose him (probably because he was advised against it) to create a disagreement between those people who were all armed, and our people who were defenceless.