The 1st July two of our company happened to quarrel, and had nearly gone
out to the field to fight, which had greatly endangered us all, as it is
the law here, that whoever draws a weapon in anger, although no harm be
done, is presently cut in pieces; and if they do even but small hurt,
not only they are so executed themselves, but all their relations are
put to death. The 2d, I went ashore to keep house at Firando, my
household consisting of twenty-six persons. At our first coming, we
found that the Dutch sold broad-cloths of £15 or 16 a-cloth, for forty
dollars, or £8 sterling the _mat_, which is a measure of two yards
and a quarter. Being desirous to keep up the price of our cloth, and hearing
that the Dutch had a great quantity, I had a conference with Brower, the
chief of their factory, proposing that we should mutually fix prices
upon such cloths as we both had, and neither of us, in any respect, sell
below the prices agreed upon; for performance of which, I offered to
enter into mutual bonds. In the morning, he seemed to approve of this
proposal, but ere night he sent me word that he disliked it, alleging
that he had no authority from his masters to make any such agreement.
Next morning he shipped away a great store of cloth to different
islands, rating them at low prices, as at twenty, eighteen, and sixteen
dollars the _mat_, that he might the more speedily sell off his own, and
glut the market before ours came forwards.

Pepper, ungarbled, which cost 1 3/4 dollars at Bantam the sack, was
worth at our coming ten _tayes_ the _pecul_, which is 100
_cattea_ of Japan, or 130 pounds English. A _taye_ is worth
five shillings sterling. A rial of eight, or Spanish dollar, is worth
there in ordinary payment only seven _mas_, or three shillings and
sixpence sterling, one mas being equal to a single rial. The _pecul_
of tin was worth thirty _tayes_; the _pecul_ of elephants teeth
eighty _tayes_: Cast iron six tayes the pecul: Gunpowder twenty-three