Page 350
An.1686
Advantages of a Settlement here.
English Settlement and Trade, not only here, but through several of the Spice-Islands, which lye in its neighbourhood.
For the Islands Meangis, which I mentioned in the beginning of this Chapter, lye within 20 leagues of Mindanao. These are 3 small Islands that abound with Gold and Cloves, if I may credit my Author Prince Jeoly, who was born on one of them, and was at this time a Slave in the City of Mindanao. He might have been purchased by us of his Master for a small matter, as he was afterwards by Mr. Moody, (who came hither to Trade, and laded a Ship with Clove Bark) and by trans- porting him home to his own Country, we might have gotten a Trade there. But of Prince Jeoly I shall speak more hereafter. These Islands are as yet probably unknown to the Dutch, who as I said be- fore, indeavour to ingross all the Spice into their own hands.
There was another opportunity offered us here of settling on another Spice Island that was very well inhabited: for the Inhabitants fearing the Dutch, and understanding that the English were set- tling at Mindanao, their Sultan sent his Nephew to Mindanao while we were there to invite us thither: Captain Swan conferr'd with him about it divers times, and I do believe he had some inclination to accept the offer; and I am sure most of the men were for it: but this never came to a head, for want of a true understanding between Captain Swan and his Men, as may be declared hereafter.
Beside the benefit which might accrue from this Trade with Meangis, and other the Spice Islands, the Philippine Islands themselves, by a little care and industry, might have afforded us a very bene- ficial Trade, and all these Trades might have been managed from Mindanao, by settling there first. For that Island lyeth very convenient for Trading either