As with the previous six entries in "The History of Central Mindanao, Part IV" my current entry focuses on William Dampier's "A New Voyage Around the World." Dampier, an upper class Englishman became a privateer, or a liscenced pirate. Under permit from the English Crown Dampier cruised Central and South America preying upon Spanish shipping before rounding the tip of South America and sailing into the Pacific Ocean. While taking on provisions at Guam, then a Spanish possesion, Dampier and his crewmates hear that the "King of Mindanao" was at war with Spain. Learning that the island is quite large and needing a safe mooring to ride out the Western Monsoon, they factor in the strife with Spain and reckon Mindanao might be the best destination.
Sailing west from Guam the ship skirts Siargao Island off of what is today Surigao del Norte Province on Mindanao's northeast coast. Sailing south along Mindanao's east coast the crew finally reaches the southern coast and moors in Sarangani Bay where they spend time hunting deer before casting off en route to the Sultanate of Maguindanao during the reign of the ninth Sultan, Barahaman (ruled 1678 to 1699). Arriving at the mouth of the Pulangi River (Rio Grande de Mindanao) and are met by the Sultan's brother and son. The brother, holding the position of Rajah Laut (Prince of the Seas) becomes the person with whom Dampier spends the most time and so it is he that we hear about most often.
Part 6 had stopped just after Dampier recounted how Rajah Laut had tried to gain control of their ship by having it moor in a worm infested pocket a quarter of a mile up the Pulangi. Rajah Laut ended up frustrated though because the ship was double hulled and so they just needed to re-plank the outer hull. Part 7 tells how the ship's captain, Captain Swan, ended up losing control of his crew and then his ship.
Chapter 13:
Having ripped off all our worm-eaten plank and clapped on new, by the beginning of December of 1686, our ship's bottom was was sheathed and tallowed, and the 10th day we went over the bar and took aboard the iron and lead that we could not sell and began to fill our water and fetch aboard rice for our voyage; but Captain Swan remained ashore and still was not yet determined when to sail or whither. But, I am well assured that he did never intend to cruise about Manila as his crew designed; for I did once asked him, and he told me that he had already done of that kind he was forced to; but now being at liberty he would never more engage in any such design; for said he, there is no prince on Earth is able to wipe off the stain of such actions. What other designs he had I know not, for he was commonly very cross; yet he did never propose doing anything else, but only ordered the provisions to be got aboard in order to sail; I am confident if he had made a motion to go to any English factory most of his men would have consented to it though probably some would have opposed it. However his authority might soon have overswayed those that were refractory; for it was very strange to see the awe that these men were in of him, for he punished the most stubborn and daring of his men. Yet when we had brought the ship out into the road they were not altogether so submissive as while it lay in the river, though even then it was that he punished Captain Teat.
"Hunting Wild Kine"
I was at that time a-hunting with the General for beef, which he had a long time promised us. But now I saw that there was no credit to be given to his word, for I was a week out with him and saw but four cows which were so wild that we did not get one. There were five or six more of our company with me; these who were young men and had Delilahs there, which made them fond of the place, all agreed with the General to tell Captain Swan that were beeves enough, only they were wild. But I told him the truth and advised him not to be credulous of the General's promises. He seemed to be very angry and stormed behind the General's back, but in his presence was very mute, being a man of small courage.
It was around the 20th day of December when we returned from hunting and the General designed to go again to another place to hunt for beef, but he stayed till' after Christmas Day because some of us designed to go with him and Captain Swan had desired all his men to be aboard that day that we might keep it solemnly together; and accordingly he sent aboard a buffalo the day before that he might have a good dinner, so the 25th day at around 10 o'clock Captain Swan came aboard and all his men who were ashore; for you must understand that near a third of our men lived constantly ashore with their comrades and pagallies, and some with women servants whom they hired of their masters as concubines.
"The Prodigality of Some of the English"
Some of our men also had houses which they hired or bought, for houses are very cheap, for five or six dollars. For many of them, having more money than they knew what to do with eased themselves here of the trouble of telling it, of spending it very lavishly, their prodigality making the people impose upon them, to making the rest of us pay the dearer for what we bought and endangering the like impositions upon such Englishman as may come here hence after. For the Mindanayans knew how to get our squires' gold from them (for we had no silver) and when our men wanted silver they would change now and then an ounce of gold and could get it for no more than ten or eleven dollars for a Mindanao ounce, which they would not part with again for under eighteen dollars. Yet this and the great prices the Mindanayans set on their goods were not the only way to lessen their stock; for their pagallies and comrades would often be begging somewhat of them, and our men were generous enough and would bestow around a half ounce of gold at a time, in a ring for their pagallies, or in a silver wrist band or hoop to come about their arms in hopes to get a night's lodging with them.
When we were all aboard on Christmas Day, Captain Swan and his two merchants; I did not expect that Captain Swan would have made some proposals or have told us his designs; but he only dined and went ashore again without speaking anything of his mind.
"Captain Swan Treats a Young Indian of a Spice Island"
Yet even then I do think that he was driving on a design of going to one of the Spice Islands to load with spice; for a young man sent by his uncle, the sultan of a spice island near Ternate, to invite the English to their island came aboard at this time and after some private discourse with Captain Swan they both went ashore together. This young man did not care that the Mindanayans should be privy to what he said. I have heard Captain Swan say that he offered to load his ship with spice provided he would build a small fort and leave some men to secure the island from the Dutch; but I a$ since informed that the Dutch have now got possession of the island.
"Captain Swan's Uneasiness and Indiscreet Management"
These things with other inward troubles, lay hard on our Captain's spirits and put him very much out of humor; for his own company were pressing everyday to be gone because npw was the height of the Easterly Monsoon, the only wind to carry us further into the Indies.
Around this time some of our men, who were weary and tired with wandering, ran away into the country and absconded, they being assisted, as was generally believed by Raja Laut. There were others also who, fearing we should not go to an English port, bought a canoe and designed to go her to Borneo; for not long before the Mindanao vessel came from thence and brought a letter direct to the chief of the English factory at Mindanao. This letter the General would have Captain Swan have opened; but he thought it might come from some of the East Inndia merchants whose affairs he would not intermeddle with, and therefpre did not open it. I since met with Captain Bowry at Achin and telling him this story, he said that he sent the letter, supposing that the English were settled there at Mindanao and by this letter we also thought that there was an English factory at Borneo; so there was a mistake on both sides. But this canoe, wherewith some of them thought to go to Borneo, Captain Swan took from them, and threatened the undertakers very hardily. However this did not so far discourage them, for they secretly bought another; but their designs taking the air they were again frustrated by Captain Swan.
The whole crew at this time were under a general disaffection and full of very different projects, all for want of action. The main division was between those that had money and those that had none. There was a great difference in the humors of these; for they that had money lived ashore and did not care for leaving Mindanao; whilst those that were poor lived aboard and urged Captain Swan to go to sea. These began to be unruly as well as dissatisfied; and sent ashore the merchants' iron to sell for rack and honey to make punch wherewith they grew drunk and quarrelsome; which disorderly actions deterred me from going aboard, for I ever did abhor drunkeness, which now our men that were aboard abandined themselves wholly too.
Yet these disorders may have been crushed if Captain Swan had used his authority to suppress them; but he with his merchants living always ashore there was no command; and therefore the man did what he pleased and encouraged each other in his villanies. Now Mr.Harthop, who was one of Captain Swan's merchants, did very much opportune him to settle his resolutions and declare his mind to his men which st last he consented to do. Therefore he gave warning to all his men to come aboard the 13th day of January, 1687.
We all did earnestly expect to hear what Captain Swan would propose and therefore were very willing to go aboard. But, unluckily for him, two days before this meeting was to be Captain Swan sent aboard his gunner to fetch something ashore out of his cabin. The gunner, rummaging to find that what he was sent for, among other things took out the Captain's journal from America to the island of Guam, and laid down by him. This journal was taken up by one John Read, a Bristol man. He was a pretty ingenious young man and of a very civil carriage and behaviour. He was also accounted a good artist and kept a journal, and was now prompted by his curiosity to peep into Captain Swan's journal to see how it agreed with his own, a thing very usual among the seamen to keep journals when they have an opportunity and especially young men who have no great experience. At the first opening of the book he lit on a place in which. Captain Swan had inveighed bitterly against most of his men, especially against another John Reed, a Jamaica man. Then John Read showed it to his namesake and to the rest that were aboard, who were by this time the biggest part of them ripe for mischief; only wanting some fair pretence to set themselves to work about it.
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