Malacca is a strong city and castle belonging to the Portuguese, and the centre of a great trade in those parts of India.  From this place the king of Acheen has long sought to root them out, and has burnt and plundered some of their ships this year, 1619.  At Macao, an island on the coast of China, they have a city with a castle, where they are said to carry on much trade with the Chinese.  They have a factory in Japan, but neither town nor fort; and trade thence with the coast of China.  The Dutch are said to make much spoil of the vessels employed on this trade, Portuguese, Chinese, and others, accounting all fish that fall into their net.

SECTION V.

Notes, concerning the Proceedings of the Factory at Cranganore, from the Journal of Roger Hawes.[179]

[Footnote 179:  Parch.  Pilgr.  I. 608.—­Hawes sailed in the fleet under Keeling, in 1615, which carried out Sir Thomas Roe, already related in Sect.  IV. of this chapter; and the present short article almost exclusively relates to the new factory at Cranganore on the Malabar coast, in which Hawes was left as one of the factors.  This is a very imperfect and inconclusive article, yet gives some idea of the manners and customs of the Malabars.—­E.]

On the 4th of March 1615, we chased a Portuguese frigate, which ran into a creek and escaped.  While on our way towards Cape Comorin, a Tony came aboard of us, with messengers from the Zamorin to our general, Captain William Keeling.  Next day, the governor sent a present, and entreated the general to proceed to Cranganore, which we did next day, taking with us the messengers sent from the Zamorin, who requested the general to come on shore to speak with him.  But, while he was doing so, some frigates came and anchored near the shore, by which he was constrained to go on board the Expedition, Captain Walter Peyton.  On this occasion some shots were exchanged, but little harm was done.  The general went ashore on the 8th, accompanied by Mr Barclay, the cape merchant, and several others.  They were well used, and agreed to settle a factory in the dominions of the Zamorin, the following being the articles agreed upon:—­

"UNDERECON CHEETE, Great Zamorin, &c. to JAMES, King of Britain, &c. Whereas your servant and subject, William Keeling, arrived in my kingdom at the port of Cranganore, in March 1615, with three ships, and at my earnest solicitation came ashore to see me; there was concluded by me for my part, and by him for the English nation, as followeth.

“As I have ever been at enmity with the Portuguese, and propose always so to continue, I do hereby faithfully promise to be and to continue in friendship with the English, both for myself and my successors:  And, if I succeed in taking the fort of Cranganore, I engage to give it to the English, to possess as their own, together with the island belonging to it, which is in length along the sea-coast nine miles, and three in breadth; and I propose to build therein a house for my own people, to the number of one hundred persons.