John Saris and the China Captain - Map of China: Decoding the Secrets of a Vanished Cartographer - page 64

themselves out on the water during a tropical downpour, the two Spaniards were
unwillingtogoaboardthe Clove ,preferringtogetsoakedratherthanbeseizedand
taken hostage. Saris had one Spaniard on board, Hernando, whom he had brought
with him from Bantam in case there should be an opportunity to negotiate trade
with other Spaniards. Hernando knew the two men in the boat, who were relieved
to learn that this was not yet another Dutch ship come to harass them. They rowed
back to shore to report to Don Fernando, who improved his welcome to the Eng-
lishmen by sending him his chief pilot, a man called Francisco Gomes.
Saris describes Gomes in his journal as 'a man of Good presence, with Com-
pliment and, telling me I was welcom, offering me his assistance to bring me into
thebestanckoringplace'.Aftertheshipwasmooredanddinnershared,Gomesex-
cused himself to go ashore and explain the situation to Don Fernando, who in any
case could do nothing without contacting his superior on nearby Ternate, Jerónimo
de Silva. Saris put Gomes ashore, 'for without his directyon they could doe noth-
ing'. The pilot returned the following day with gifts of food from Don Fernando.
Sarissentreturngiftsandanoffertotradefoodormunitionsforcloves.Sarisasked
for a speedy response, for two Dutch ships were shadowing the Clove the whole
time. Saris was banking on the Spanish being in desperate straits. They had wres-
ted Ternate from the Portuguese seven years earlier, in 1606, but since 1607 they
had been in a stand-off with the Dutch over their prize. None other than Jacob van
Heemskerck, captor of the Santa Catarina , had been to Ternate as early as 1601,
though another six years passed before the VOC set up a fortified base on the side
of the island away from the Spanish. Saris suspected that the running six-year con-
flict was bleeding the Spanish of supplies, especially munitions. Their need could
be his opening into the spice trade. If the situation was as Saris supposed, Don Jer-
ónimo did not let on. He sent the Englishman a letter that, as Saris complained to
Gomes, was 'nothing but compliments' and 'other idleness'. The governor invited
Saris to make a courtesy call at Ternate, but said nothing about trade.
Saris was offended by this politely worded suggestion that the English get lost.
He had come to trade munitions for cloves, a straightforward business deal, and
thought the governor should have seen the wisdom of going along with it. Gomes
tried to keep the deal alive by explaining that the main store of cloves on Tidore
had been taken off four months earlier, but that more had accumulated since. Ap-
proached properly, Don Fernando might just be willing to make a deal without re-
ferringtoDonJerónimo.GomeswouldseewhathecouldarrangeandbeggedSaris
todelayhisdeparture.Sariscaughtthedrift:Gomesneededsweetening.Heandhis