Page 195 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 195

ese at this juncture by freeing their hands for the attack
on their rivals gave them an additional advantage of no
unimportant kind.
It is impossible that Courthope could have been ignorant
of the enormous risks he was taking in declining the accom­
modation offered by the Dutch. His excellent secret ser­
vice, supplied by the islanders whose prows enabled them
to keep up communications with the inhabitants of the
other islands of the group in spite of the Dutch, kept him
informed of every move on the enemy’s side. He had,
besides, more direct sources of information in the deserters
who from time to time came over to him from one or other
of the Dutch ports. Knowing,’all he might without any
reflection upon his courage have walked the golden bridge
which Reaal essayed to build for him. But his heart was
in this struggle which he felt he was waging for the honour
of his country, and he resolutely put behind him the sug­
gestion that he should abandon his post on any terms
which would make difficult the future revival of English
rights to a share in the trade. He confidently calculated
that when his need was known to his superiors adequate
assistance would be sent him to enable him to make good
the foothold which he had secured in the islands with
so much trouble and cost. In this he was not altogether
wrong, as the sequel will show, but neither he nor his prin­
cipals had taken adequate measure of the strength of the
Dutch position and of the tenacity of their resolve to
keep their monopoly intact.
Reaal, on his return to the Dutch headquarters at
Jakatra, the modern Batavia, in a proclamation issued in
November, 1617, fulminated in strong language against
the attempts that were being made to subvert the Dutch