The Journal of John Jourdain, 1608-1617, describing his Experiences in Arabia, India, and the Malay Archipelago

William Foster, William Foster

• Publisher: Hakluyt Society
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781317026730
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Early Modern History
• Index: History

An account of the East India Company's fourth voyage; with an appendix containing William Revett's 1609 account of the Seychelles, and reports on other places by merchants and seamen of the same period. Appendices: A. William Revett's account of the Seychelles. B. William Revett's narrative of events at Aden, his voyage to Mocha, etc. C. Captain Sharpeigh's account of events at Aden and Mocha, of the shipwreck, and of his subsequent journey to Agra. D. William Finch's description of Ma?ndu? and Gwalior. E. Coen's narrative of the visit of the Darling to Amboyna and Ceram. F. The fight at Patani and death of Jourdain. "Bibliography (by Basil H. Soulsby)": p. [375]-384. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1905.

A JOURNALL kept by JOHN JOURDAIN in a voiage for the EAST INDIES sett fourth by the Honourable Companie of Merchants trading the same, in Anno 1607 [1608], in two good shipps, namely the ASSENTION and UNION. Wherein goeth Generall Alexander Sharpeigh, and Vice-Admirall Captaine Richard Rolls; Maister, Phillipp Grove. The which voiag God blesse and prosper. Began att the Downes neere SANDWICH the 23^th of March, anno 1607 [1608]. With an addition of all my travails after the casting awaie of the Assention untili Anno 1617 of any worthy the writtinge.

JOHN JOURDAIN.

We departed from the Downes¹.

March 25th, 1608. Wee sett sayle from the Downes with the winde at N.N.W.

March 26. We came to ancor betwixt the Needles and Dover. The winde calme.

March 27, 28. We sette sayle from the Needles with the wind at E. and E.N.E., which contynued unteli we came to Plymoth.

March 29. We came into Plymoth Sounde aboute ten of the clocke in the forenoone, where the Generall, captaine, merchants and maister went aland to buy needfull provision which was wantinge abord the Union, as fyshes for mastes and tymber to make a halfe decke for the Union &c.

March 30. The Generall and myselfe, after we had supped, came abord, the wind beinge fayre. We came late to hasten the rest which were aland; Captaine Roles being gone some six myles out of the towne.

March 31. In the morning the rest of our companie came abord; and the same daye aboute three a clock in the after noone we sett sayle with a fayre wind at N.N.W. I saye N.N.E.

…. …. …. ….¹

Aprill 10. Wee had the sight of one of the ilands called Savages², which lyeth about some 28 leagues from the iland of Teneriffe. Our course S. by W.

Aprill 11. Aboute noone we had sight of the Picke of Teneriffe. And the wind this daye fell calme all the night.

Aprill 12. We had the wind at S.W.; soe that we could not fetch the iland of Tenerife, but stood close uppon a tacke for the Grand Canaria. The wind being more westerley, thy[s] daye in the eveninge about nine of the clocke we ancored a good distance of the roade of the Grand Canaria before the towne.

What passed at the Gran Canarias.

Aprill 13. We shott a peece for a boate, and presently came of a messenger from the Governor to knowe what we were, and what we demaunded. Our Generall willed me to tell them that our comminge was for fresh water, and to buy some wine for our money; and to the same effect our Generall, understandinge of English marchants which were leigers³ on land, wrote to them to acquainte the Governor with soe much; which the Governor understanding, sent for Mr. Hassard, an Englishman there resident, to knowe what the letter did import which was sent; who answered that we demaunded some eight butts of wine for our money and some water for our provision. The Governor, understanding what we desyred, sent presently the sayd Hassarde abord with a letter from the Governor, which was to this effect, vizt.—that yf yt pleased our Generall to come nearer into the roade, where all shipps (that are in amitie with the King his maister) doth use to ride, that then he would doe us all the kindnes that in him laye; otherwise he could not graunt us any favour att all. In answer thereof the Generall caused me to write a letter to the Governor in his name; the contents vizt.—that our comming thether was not to any evill intent, but only to take a quantety of water and some wyne; wherein yf he would favour us for our money, we should be behoulding unto him; yf not, that he would be pleased to send us word to the contrarye, that we might not make any more delay but follow our voyage &c.

Aprill 14. The sayde Hassard was sent agayne abord to tell the Generall that unlesse he woulde come nearer with our shippinge and send some of our owne company aland, that he could not suffer us to have any thinge from the shore; for that the cuntry people doubted us to be enymyes, seeing we came noe nearer the roade one [nor?] send our owne boate ashore. Havinge had this answere, the Generall takinge councell what was best to be donne, yt was concluded that two factors, of each shipp one, should goe aland, vizt. William Revet out of the Assention and Geffrye Carliell out of the Union¹, who went presently in company with Mr. Hassard; our Generall wrytinge a letter to the Inquizidor, which he understood bore more swaye in the country then the Governor, being somthing angrye that our Generall should write to the Governor and not to him. Theftect of the letter was, vizt.—that we understood that they were doubtfull of us to be enymyes to the Kinge his maister, and not subjectes to the Kinges Majestie of England; and for justyfying the truth unto His Honor he had sent two of his merchants aland to be examyned by them; and for his and their better satysfaction, in the morning, God willinge, he pretended¹ to come nearer with his shipps yf wind permitted; which being once full satisfied of our freindshipp with the Kinge their maister, that we doubted not but he would vouchsafe us such provision as we wanted for our money. After the merchannts were gone aland, a captaine of the castell came abord; the Generall being gone abord the Unyon to cause them to goe about to fysh the mast which was cracte, leaving me abord to entertayne the Spanish captaine.

Aprill 15. Our Generall, accordinge to promise, caused our shipps to sett sayle, and came to anker in fourteen fathom water, betwixt the fort and the cyttye; and this day Mr. Revet, one of the merchannts, came abord, and brought word that we should have both wyne and water, or anythinge els that wee wanted; and presently retourned aland².

Aprill 16. Mr. Carleill came abord, and brought with him, by order from the Governor, the Sarjeant Major to visitt our shipps for the better satysfaction of the people of the countrye, who doubted of us to be Hollanders, who had not longe before sacked their towne. And this daye had from the shore eight pypes of wyne (vizt., four abord the Unyon and four abord the Assention) with a present of our [their?] cuntry fruites to our Generall.

Aprill 17. In the afternoone William Revett and Geffrey Carleill came abord and brought all things that we wanted, with many besolos manos¹ to our Generall from the Inquisidor and Governor.

Aprill 18. Aboute six of the clocke in the morninge we sett sayle from the Gran Canaria with the wynde at W.N.W., and wee steared our course at S.W. & by S.

Aprill 19. We were allmost all the daye becalmed unteli four of the clocke, at which tyme we had a pretty gale at West and went our course S.W. & by S.

Aprill 20. We had sight of four carvailes², which we supposed to be bound for Cape Blanco³ or a fishinge. When they sawe us they altred their course; and wee stood our course as before at S.W. & by S. And this daye we observed, and were in 26deg. 40 mi.

…. …. …. ….

Aprill 25. …We demaunded of the maister of the Unyon in what lattitude he founde [himselfe?] and howe the lie of Sally⁴ was of him. He answered that yt bare S.W.Westerly, he beinge in 18 d. odd minitts, and per observacion [we?] were 17 d. 59 m. And this night we tooke in our maynsayle, because we would not overshute the lie of Boavista, where the Generall determyned to touch, to take in water and other refreshinge for our fyrst spendinge.

Aprill 26. We had sight of one of the iles of Cape de Vert, which we tooke to be the lie of Sail; but the maister and captayne of the Unyon, cominge abord, affirmed to our Generall not to be the lie of Sail, but another iland called Saint Nicholas. Then yt was concluded to stand for the iland of Boavista to take in water, which iland laye by judgment some twelve leagues to the southward, and that the iland of Boavista (sic) was to the eastwarde of us. Soe wee brought tackes a board and steared away E.S.E. and E. & by S. with a fresh gale at [blank]; and about six in the eveninge we had sight of an iland W.S.W. of us; soe we slacked sayle all night, and steared as formerly. Some made us this iland to be the lie of Mayo¹; others sayde naye. Soe that those that will strike a hodgshed in the sea coulde not find a greate iland bigger then a butt.

Aprill 27. We had sight of another iland, which all the doctors made to be the lie of Boavista untili we came soe neare the shore that we might allmost discerne the salt pitts of Mayo; then they knewe yt to be the same, as soone as they sawe the heapes of salt. Soe about three of the clocke in the afternoone we ankored in [blank] fathom water, good ground.

Aprill 28. Our Generall sent our longe boate aland with 20 men, with two marchants to conduct them, with soe many more out of the Unyon. And cominge on land they sawe three or four Negros, and spake to them in Portuges; who tould them that fourteen² sayle of Flemyngs had been there some two monthes before, bound for the East Indias. Soe they retourned agayne abord, with a company of leane carren goates dryed, but could find noe water.

Aprill 29. The longe boate retorned aland, and the Generall sent me in her to speake with the Negros to knowe of them where the water was; but before our cominge they were gone, and would not come to speake with us any more. Soe we retourned abord with some 30 more of the leane goates; with much trouble to gett agayne into the boate, the sea beinge rysen with a greate sufife neare the shore, verye dangerous for landinge.

Aprill 30. Our Generall called a councell as conserninge the proseedinge in our voyage without water, havinge sufiycient to carry us to the Cape, yf yt please God to send us any resonable passage. The Unyon (who most wanted) had in her some 20 tonnes of water, 20 tonnes of beare, besydes wine and syder in good plentye. In this councell there was a complaint made by the captayne of the Unyon that the maister¹ and some other of his shipp had abused his aucthorytye; which being examyned was found to be of noe great consequence, and therefore putt of untili our meeting the next daye.

May 1. The captayne and the maister of the Unyon, with the marchaunts, retourned againe abord, where they were made freinds². And in this counsell yt was determyned to proseede with what water we had towardes the Cape; but first to romage in hould some two or three dayes, to bringe all things in order, and soe in the name of God to departe.

May 2 and 3. We stayed to rumage our shipps, as is formerlye sett downe in court. Of this iland I need not write, because yt is sufficiently knowne to most of our seamen, who hath at large given informacion of this iland.

May 4. In the morninge aboute six of the clocke we sett sayle from the iland of Mayo, and stayed to the offinge for the Unyon untili eleven of the clocke; and then we steared awaye S. & by E., with a fayre gale at N.E.

May 5. We had the wind at N.E., somtymes calme, and wee stood our course att S.S.E. and S. & by E. amonge. At night yt fell calme, with much raine and thunder and much wind by puffs in the showers. This daye we had sight of a great shipp some two leagues to windward of us, which we judge to be some Portugall bound for Brazill. Having observed, wee were in 13 degrees 15 minitts of lattitude.

…. …. …. ….

May 20. The wind as formerlye, and wee stoode awaye at S. and S. & by E. This daye by noone we weare somthinge to the southward of the Equin[o]ctiall.

…. …. …. ….

May 22. …This daye came abord the captayne, merchants and maister of the Unyon to dynner, being invited per the Generall.

…. …. …. ….

May 26. …This daye the Generall, merchants and maister were invited abord the Unyon, where we dyned and supped; where shootinge a peece for our welcome, the gonners mate not sponginge the peece after the first shott, and another goinge to charge the peece agayne, tooke fyr...