hina in revenge against
the Hollanders, who had burnt one of his towns, and had slaughtered his
people most unmercifully. The origin of this quarrel was occasioned by a
large quantity of false dollars, sent to _Quinham_ by the Hollanders
some years ago, and put off in payment for silks and other Chinese
goods, to the great injury of the merchants of that country. When the
falsehood of the money was discovered, they laid hands upon the Dutch
factors, and are said to have put some of them to death. Upon this the
Dutch ships came upon the coast, and landed a body of men, who burnt a
town, putting man, woman, and child to the sword. This, as reported, was
the occasion of our present mischance, and of the slaughter of Mr
Peacock, because he was in company with the Hollanders. Along with this
letter, I send you a Japanese almanack, by which you will see the manner
of their printing, with their figures and characters. And so I leave you
to the holy protection of the Almighty, resting always, &c.

RICHARD COCKS.

No. 3. _Letter from Edmond Sayer, dated Firando, 5th December, 1615. But
having no Address_.

I received a letter from you by the hands of Captain Copendall of the
Horiander, who arrived here on the 29th of August this year, by which I
learnt your safe arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, homewards bound, and
of the loss of some of your company; and I make no doubt that, long ere
now, you are safe arrived in England, by the blessing of God. I sent you
a letter, dated in November, 1614, by the Dutch ship called the Old
Zealand, in which I informed you of the death of Mr Peacock and Walter
Carwarden, both betrayed in Cochin-China, to our great grief, besides
the loss of goods to the company.

The last year, Mr Wickham, Mr Adams, and I, when bound for Siam in a
junk we had bought, and meeting with great storms, our vessel sprung a
leak, and we were fain to bear up for the _Leukes_[60] islands, where we
had to remain so long, before we could stop our leaks, that we lost the
monsoon, and had to return here. We have fitted her out again this year,
and are now ready to sail again for Siam. My greatest hope in these
parts is, that we shall be able to establish trade with China, of which
we seem to have a fair prospect through the efforts of the China captain
and his brothers; and I make no doubt that we shall have a factory there
ere long.

[Footnote 60: The Liqueo islands are here obviously meant, a group to
the south