our people being in as good health, or better, than when we left England.  Contrary to our expectation, we here found the Hector, which had arrived only the day before, in company with the James and several Dutch ships.  The arrival of all these ships, and the daily expectation of the Trades-increase, Pepper-corn, Darling, and Thomas, occasioned a great and sudden alteration in the prices of commodities.  Such as were in considerable request, were raised nearly to three times the price for which they sold the day before the Hector arrived.  Cloves, which the people of the Hector and James had bought the day before at sixteen dollars the pekul, were now risen to forty dollars and upwards.  Pepper, which was ten dollars for ten sacks, rose upon our coming to twelve and a half dollars; and so of other commodities.

[Footnote 422:  Keys, islands and rocks.—­E.]

We went to court on the 26th, accompanied by our merchants, and gave divers presents to Pangran Chamarra, who enjoyed the entire authority of government as protector, although the king was now of full age.  From him we procured a licence to land our goods, providing the royal officers were made acquainted with all that were brought on shore, that the king might not be wronged of his duties.  The 28th a letter from Mr William Adams, written from Japan, was read in presence of all our merchants, that they might consider what hopes there were of trade in that country.  It was now concluded in a council of commerce, considering the power of the Dutch in the Moluccas and Banda, where they were almost absolute masters, and that Bantam was exceedingly unhealthy, where besides our people injured themselves greatly on shore with drink and loose women, that the Hector should be dispatched in all speed to England, and that 14,000 sacks of pepper should be provided for her and the Thomas without delay, fearing that pepper might be raised still higher when the natives got news of the other expected ships.  We accordingly bargained with Lackmoy for 2000 sacks of pepper, at 127-1/2 dollars the 100 sacks; and with Keewee for 1000 sacks at 125 dollars the 100 sacks, and for 3000 more at 150 dollars the 100.  We now tried ashore what was the weight of a pekul of cloves, which we found to be 132 pounds English.

The 9th November, Sir Henry Middleton arrived at Bantam in the Pepper-corn.  The 15th, at the earnest request of Chamarra the protector, we mustered before the palace eighty of our men in arms from our different ships, to assist in celebrating the breaking up of the Mahometan Lent, which gave him much content, more especially as the Dutch refused to gratify him.  The 16th we agreed with Keewee for 4000 sacks of pepper at 160 dollars the 100 sacks, with an allowance of three in the hundred basse.  The 18th eleven large Dutch ships arrived, the Thomas being in their company.  She had only got at Priaman 312 bahars of pepper, and twenty tael of gold.