During the history of the spice trade sailors of the British East India Company of the second expedition of James Lancaster , John Davis and John Middleton who stayed in Bantam on Java first reached the Island in 1603 . They made good contacts with the people who lived there . During the history of the spice trade , sailors of the English East India Company of the second expedition of James Lancaster , John Davis and John Middleton who stayed in Bantam on Java , first reached the Island in 1603 and developed good contacts with the inhabitants .