Page 60 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

60 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE EAST

no secret that the majority of the party did not usually
follow the profession of the sea. What were they then ?
The truth soon came out when they were questioned.
They were very much what Michelbornc and his men were,
freebooters who picked up what they could on the ocean
highway after “ the good old rule, the simple plan ” which
has been followed by the swashbuckler in all ages. They
had left Japan some mouths previously, had pillaged the
t coast of China and Cambodia and then crossed to Borneo,
where they had discarded their ship iu favour of another
l! one they had picked up in the usual way. It was this

Hi vessel which they were now navigating back to Japan.
The story, told with an entire absence of mauvaise horde,
was confirmed by the general appearance of the vessel
and the absence of all regular discipline on board. Though
one man appeared to have a little more authority than the
rest the general rule was plainly one of equality. Michel-
borne became sufficiently interested in the stranger to set
a party of his men to ransack her hold. The Japanese
outwardly showed no resentment of the indignity offered
to them. They fraternized with the English seamen,
, and a party of them sought and obtained permission
to inspect the Tiger, which was now immediately along­
4\ side. Caution had suggested to Michelborne the desira­

bility of disarming the visitors before they were admitted
on board. As this measure was at that time always taken
at Eastern ports in the case of the Japanese, owing to their
V: notoriously desperate disposition, there would not have
: been anything remarkable in its introduction in this in­
:!
)'
stance. But Davis, to whom the proposal was made,
1 deceived by the appearance of total submission which the
Japanese presented, would not bo convinced that it was

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