chap, xxv ENGLISH COMPACT WITH JAPARA 287
deceased
King, he said, father of the King who reigns at present, ever since the
Dutch Company had built the fort at Batavia in his territories, had
never been willing to make peace with it: although during the war the
King had taken some Dutchmen prisoners, and the Dutch, on their side,
had taken twenty times as many of his subjects, offering to give in
exchange ten of his for one of theirs, yet he would not give up one,
either on that condition, or for money, and on his deathbed he advised
his son, who succeeded him, never to give liberty to one of them. This
obstinacy troubled the General and all the people of Batavia very much,
and obliged them to think of some means to bring him to reason. It is
the custom that as soon as a Musalman King dies, his successor sends
some of the principal nobles of his court to Mecca with presents to
make the priests pray for the soul of the deceased, and also to give
thanks to God and to Muhammad because the new King has come to the
throne without any obstruction, and to pray that he may always be
victorious over his enemies. The new King and his Council were in much
difficulty how they should make this voyage for two reasons, one
because the King had only small vessels, and to undertake so long a
journey on such vessels was risking much, besides which the native
pilots and sailors are able to sail only along the coasts, sighting
from point to point, because they do not understand how to take
observations. The other difficulty was that the King of Japara could
not ignore the fact that the Dutch were always cruising about his
harbours to capture his subjects if they went outside. In order, then,
to secure that those who went on the pilgrimage should be in safety, he
bethought him that it would be best to come to an understanding with
the English, believing that the Dutch would not dare to do anything to
the pilgrims if they were on board English vessels. With this object,
an envoy was dispatched to Bantam to the English President and his
Council, who promised to give the King one of the largest and best
appointed vessels which the Company sent to India. They stipulated as a
recompense that on the trade which the English might do in the future
in the Kingdom of the King of Japara, they should not have to pay more
