English Sea Dogs encounter with Wako Pirates in 1604

[John Demick]

Hey everyone, ive read over an internet forum that the English "Sea Dogs" faced Wako pirates in 1604 and defeated them using hand-to-hand combat. I thought it was interesting information but unfortunatly I have found no sources on the net confirming this outside of forums. Can anyone give me a valid source to confirm whether or not this is true, a link or a name of a book would do.

thx.

[Bret B. Dusic]

did a search

try this one..

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...wak%2A+pirates

[David Black Mastro]

Originally posted by John Demick
Hey everyone, ive read over an internet forum that the English "Sea Dogs" faced Wako pirates in 1604 and defeated them using hand-to-hand combat. I thought it was interesting information but unfortunatly I have found no sources on the net confirming this outside of forums. Can anyone give me a valid source to confirm whether or not this is true, a link or a name of a book would do.

thx.

John,

The thread that Bret posted the link to is a good one (which I contributed to ), and here's another one, that covers both the "Sea Dogs" encounter, as well as fights between the wako and the Spanish, in the Philippines:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...threadid=15461

For printed sources, the best ones would include:

The Philippine Islands 1493-1898, which is a collection of original Spanish documents, edited by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robinson. It is an exhaustive 55-volume set, and you might be able to find it at a better college library.

Nathaniel's Nutmeg, or, The True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History by Giles Milton. This book gives a nice account of the "Sea Dogs" incident, and you should be able to find it at any bookstore.

Milton also has another book, called Samurai William--The Englishman Who Opened Japan (about William Adams, who was the historical basis for Clavell's Shogun), and this book gives a stirring description of the fight between samurai and the Portuguese carrack, the Nossa Senhora de Graca, in 1610. Commanded by Andrea Pessoa, this ship fought off wave after wave of samurai, who attempted to board her. Pessoa himself, fighting with sword-and-target (espada y rodela), killed at least two samurai in the HTH fighting. Unfortunately, the sails and rigging of the Nossa Senhora de Graca caught fire, and so Pessoa then set fire to the powder magazine, blowing everything and everyone (including himself) up.

Peace,

David

[William Carew]

Originally posted by David Black Mastro


Milton also has another book, called Samurai William--The Englishman Who Opened Japan (about William Adams, who was the historical basis for Clavell's Shogun), and this book gives a stirring description of the fight between samurai and the Portuguese carrack, the Nossa Senhora de Graca, in 1610. Commanded by Andrea Pessoa, this ship fought off wave after wave of samurai, who attempted to board her. Pessoa himself, fighting with sword-and-target (espada y rodela), killed at least two samurai in the HTH fighting. Unfortunately, the sails and rigging of the Nossa Senhora de Graca caught fire, and so Pessoa then set fire to the powder magazine, blowing everything and everyone (including himself) up.

Peace,

David

Hi David,

How detailed is the account in this book? Is there any comparison of the fighters on both sides? I'll probably pick this one up anyway, but that would be icing on the cake...

Cheers,

[David Black Mastro]

Originally posted by William Carew
Hi David,

How detailed is the account in this book? Is there any comparison of the fighters on both sides? I'll probably pick this one up anyway, but that would be icing on the cake...

Cheers,

William,

I'm afraid the account isn't detailed at all, from the HTH perspective. It simply mentions what Pessoa was armed with, that he killed two samurai, and that his men killed them as they boarded his ship. It also describes the savage carnage wrought by the ship's cannon.

A cake without icing, but useful and interesting nonetheless.

Peace,

David

[John Demick]

very interesting information,

thanks guys.

[Stephen Marsh]

Originally posted by John Demick
very interesting information,

thanks guys.

Though remember the physical size difference between the two sides in these conflicts. That does make a bit of a difference, as does the fact that it was a boarding party against a western ship defending itself.

[B. Fulton]

That's really going out with a bang.

"Take 'em with you" to the nth degree.

Interesting, I may get that book.

[David Black Mastro]

Originally posted by Stephen Marsh
Though remember the physical size difference between the two sides in these conflicts. That does make a bit of a difference, as does the fact that it was a boarding party against a western ship defending itself.

The wako who attacked Manilla in 1574 certainly outnumbered the Spanish. As I have stated several times before, the Sino-Japanese pirates were so well-organized and equipped that the Spanish at first thought that they were under attack by the Portuguese.

The Japanese who attacked Pessoa's ship likewise outnumbered the Portuguese.

As for the wako who fought against the English "Sea Dogs", they boarded the Tiger under ostensibly friendly terms, and then tried to "punk" the English.