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fullest, which was written on March 5 by Coulson “ aboard
the Rotterdam lying in irons,” is to this effect:—
“ Understand that I, Samuel Coulson, late factor of
Hitto, was apprehended for suspicion of conspiracy;
and for anything I know must die for it: wherefore having
no meanes to make my innocency knowne, have writ in
this book, hoping some good Englishman will see it. I
doe hereupon my salvation, as I hope by His death and
passion to have redemption for my sinnes, that I am cleere
of all such conspiracy : neither do I know any Englishman
guilty thereof, nor other creature in the world. As this
is true, God bless me—Samuel Coulson.”
Towerson figures little in these moving narratives of
the Amboina prisoners, doubtless because of his isolation.
But that he suffered with the rest is clear from an account
of a visit paid by Beomont to him on the morning of execu­
tion. Beomont “ found him sitting in a chamber all alone
in a most miserable condition, the wounds of his torture
bound up. . . . He took Beomont by the hand and prayed
him when he came into England to do his duty to the
Honble. Company, his master, to Mr. Robinson, and to his
brother Billingsley, and to certify them of his innocence,
‘ which,’ said he, ‘ you yourself know well enough. 5 5J
At length the dread hour of execution arrived. The
beat of drum and the tramp of soldiers re-echoing through
the streets from early morning had sent throughout the
town an irresistible summons to witness the deed of horror
about to be perpetrated. All about the execution ground,
outside the fine kept by the military, was a vast crowd of
Amboinese, silent and awed, and yet not devoid of that
brilliancy of colouring which is so characteristic of the
Oriental popular gathering. There must have been amongst