feen them in Virginia, and in the bay of Campeachy; in the latter of which places the worms eat prodigiously. They are always in bays, creeks, mouths of rivers, and fuch places as are near the fhore; being never found far out at sea, that I could ever learn: yet a fhip will bring them lodged in its plank for a great way.

Having thus ript off all our worm-eaten plank, and clapped on new, by the beginning of December 1686, our fhip's bottom was fheathed and tallowed, and the 10th day we went over the bar and took aboard the iron and lead that we could not fell, and began to fill our water, and fetch aboard rice for our voyage: but Captain Swan remained ashore still, and was not yet determined when to fail, or whither. But I am well affured that he did never intend to cruize about Manila, as his crew defigned; for I did once ask him, and he told me, that what he had already done of that kind he was forced to; but now being at liberty, he would never more engage in any fuch defign: for, faid he, there is no Prince on earth is able to wipe off the stain of fuch actions. What other defigns he had I know not, for he was commonly very cross; yet he did never propose doing any thing elfe, but only ordered the provision to be got aboard in order to fail; and I am confident if he had made a motion to go to any English factory, most of his men would have confented to it, though probably fome would have still opposed it. However, his authority might foon have over-fwayed those that were refractory; for it was very ftrange to fee the awe that these men were in of him, for he punished the most stubborn and daring of his men. Yet when we had brought the fhip out into the road, they were not altogether fo fubmiffive as while it lay in the river, though even then it was that he punished Captain Teat.

I was at that time a hunting with the general for beef, which he had a long time promised us. But now I faw that there was no credit to be given to his word; for I was a week out with him and faw but four cows, which were fo wild, that we did not get one. There were five or fix more of our company with me; these who were young men, and had Dalilahs there, which made them fond of the place, all agreed with the general to tell Captain Swan that there were beeves enough, only they were wild. But I told him the truth, and advised him not to be too credulous of the general's promises. He feemed to be very angry, and stormed behind the general's back, but in his prefence was very mute, being a man of small courage.

It was about the 20th day of December when we returned from hunting, and the general defigned to go again to another place to hunt for beef; but he staid till after Christmas day, because fome of us defigned to go with him; and Captain Swan had defired all his men to be aboard that day, that we might keep it folemnly together: and accordingly he sent aboard a buffalo the day before, that we might have a good dinner. So the 25th day about 10 o'clock, Captain Swan came aboard, and all his men who were afhore: for you must understand that near a third of our men lived conftantly afhore, with their comrades and pagallies, and fome with women fervants, whom they hired of their masters for concubines. Some of our men also had houses, which they hired or bought, for houses are very cheap, for five or fix dollars. For many of them having more money then they knew what to do with, eafed themselves here of the trouble of telling it, fpending it very lavifhly, their prodigality making the people impofe upon them, to the making the rest of us pay the dearer for what we bought, and to endangering the like impofitions upon fuch Englishmen as may come here hereafter. For the Mindanaians knew how to get our fquires' gold from them (for we had no filver), and when our men wanted filver, they would change now and then an ounce of gold, and could get for it no more than ten or eleven dollars for a Mindanao ounce, which they would not part with again under eighteen dollars. Yet

this, and the great prices the Mindanaians fet on their goods, were not the only way to leffen their stocks; for their pagallies and comrades would often be begging fomewhat of them, and our men were generous enough, and would bestow half an ounce of gold at a time, in a ring for their pagallies, or in a filver wristband, or hoop to come about their arms, in hopes to get a night's lodging with them.

When we are all aboard on Christmas day, Captain Swan and his two merchants; I did expect that Captain Swan would have made fome propofals, or have told us his defigns; but he only dined and went afhore again, without fpeaking any thing of his mind. Yet even then I do think that he was driving on a defign of going to one of the fpice-iflands to load with fpice; for the young man before-mentioned, who I faid was fent by his uncle, the fultan of a spice-ifland near Ternate, to invite the English to their island, came aboard at this time, and after fome private difcourfe with Captain Swan, they both went afhore together. This young man did not care that the Mindanaians fhould be privy to what he faid. I have heard Captain Swan fay that he offered to load his fhip with fpice, provided he would build a small fort, and leave fome men to fecure the island from the Dutch; but I am fince informed, that the Dutch have now got poffeffion of the island.

The next day after Christmas, the general went away again, and five or fix Englishmen with him, of whom I was one, under pretence of going a hunting; and we all went together by water in his prow, together with his women and fervants, to the hunting-place. The general always carried his wives and children, his fervants, his money and goods with him: fo we all embarked in the morning, and arrived there before night. I have already described the fashion of their prows, and the rooms made in them. We were entertained in the general's room or cabin. Our voyage was not fo far, but that we reached our fort before night.

At this time one of the general's fervants had offended, and was punished in this manner: he was bound faft flat on his belly, on a bamboo belonging to the prow, which was fo near the water, that by the veffel's motion, it frequently delved under water, and the man along with it; and fometimes when hoifted up, he had scarce time to blow before he would be carried under water again.

When we had rowed about two leagues, we entered a pretty large deep river, and rowed up a league further, the water falt all the way. There was a pretty large village, the houses built after the country fashion. We landed at this place, where there was a house made ready immediately for us. The general and his women lay at one end of the house, and we at the other end, and in the evening all the women in the village danced before the general.

While we staid here, the general with his men went out every morning betimes, and did not return till four or five o'clock in the afternoon, and he would often compliment us, by telling us what good truft and confidence he had in us, faying that he left his women and goods under our protection, and that he thought them as fecure with us fix, (for we had all our arms with us) as if he had left one hundred and nine of his own men to guard them. Yet for all this great confidence, he always left one of his principal men, for fear fome of us fhould be too familiar with his women.

They did never ftir out of their own room when the general was at home, but as foon as he was gone out they would presently come into our room, and fit with us all day, and ask a thousand questions of us concerning our English women, and our customs. You may imagine that before this time fome of us had attained fo much of their language as to understand them, and give them anfwers to their demands. I remember that one day they asked how many wives the King of England had? We told them

but

but one, and that our English laws did not allow of any more. They faid it was a strange custom that a man fhould be confined to one woman; fome of them faid it was a very bad law, but others again faid it was a good law; fo there was a great dispute among them about it. But one of the general's women faid pofitively, that our law was better than theirs, and made them all filent by the reafon which fhe gave for it. This was the War Queen, as we called her, for fhe did always accompany the general whenever he was called out to engage his enemies, but the rest did not.

By this familiarity among the women, and by often difcourfing them, we came to be acquainted with their customs and privileges. The general lies with his wives by turns, but the by whom he had the first fon has a double portion of his company for when it comes to her turn fhe has him two nights, whereas the reft have him but one. She with whom he is to lie at night, seems to have a particular respect fhewn her by the rest all the precedent day; and for a mark of distinction, wears a striped filk handkerchief about her neck, by which we knew who was Queen that day.

We lay here about five or fix days, but did never in all that time fee the leaft fign of any beef, which was the business we came about, neither were we fuffered to go out with the general to fee the wild kine, but we wanted for nothing else: however this did not please us, and we often importuned him to let us go out among the cattle. At laft he told us, that he had provided a jar of rice-drink to be merry with us, and after that we should go with him.

This rice-drink is made of rice boiled and put into a jar, where it remains a long time fteeping in water. I know not the manner of making it, but it is very strong pleasant drink. The evening when the general defigned to be merry, he caused a jar of this drink to be brought into our room, and he began to drink first himself, then afterwards his men, fo they took turns till they were all as drunk as fwine, before they fuffered us to drink; after they had enough then we drank, and they drank no more, for they will not drink after us. The general leaped about our room a little while, but having his load, foon went to fleep.

The next day we went out with the general into the favannah, where we had near one hundred men making of a large pen to drive the cattle into: for that is the manner of their hunting, having no dogs. But I faw not above eight or ten cows, and those as wild as deer, fo that we got none this day: yet the next day fome of his men brought in three heifers, which they killed in the favannah. With these we returned aboard, they being all that we got there.

Captain Swan was much vexed at the general's actions; for he promised to fupply us with as much beef as we should want, but now either could not or would not make good his promife. Befide he failed to perform his promife in a bargain of rice, that we were to have for the iron which we fold him, but he put us off ftill from time to time, and would not come to any account. Neither were these all his tricks; for a little before his fon was circumcifed, (of which I fpake in the foregoing chapter,) he pretended a great ftreight for money to defray the charges of that day, and therefore defired Captain Swan to lend him about twenty ounces of gold; for he knew that Captain Swan had a confiderable quantity of gold in his poffeffion, which the general thought was his own, but indeed he had none but what belonged to the merchants; however he lent it the general; but when he came to an account with Captain Swan, he told him, that it was ufual at fuch folemn times to make prefents, and that he received it as a gift. He also demanded payment for the victuals that our captain and his men did eat at his house. These things ftartled Captain Swan, yet how to help himself he knew not. But all this, with other inward troubles, lay hard on our cap

tain's fpirits, and put him very much out of humour: for his own company were preffing him every day to be gone, because now was the heighth of the easterly monfoon, the only wind to carry us farther into the Indies.

About this time fome of our men, who were weary and tired with wandering, ran away into the country and abfconded, they being affifted, as was generally believed, by Raja Laut. There were others alfo, who fearing we should not go to an English port, bought a canoe, and defigned to go in her to Borneo: for not long before the Mindanao veffel came from thence, and brought a letter directed to the chief of the English factory at Mindanao. This letter the general would have Captain Swan have opened, but he thought it might come from fome of the Eaft India merchants whofe affairs he would not intermeddle with, and therefore did not open it. I fince met with Captain Bowry at Achin, and telling him this story, he faid that he fent that letter, fuppofing that the English were fettled there at Mindanao; and by this letter we also thought that there was an English factory at Borneo, so here was a mistake on both fides. But this canoe wherewith fome of them thought to go to Borneo, Captain Swan took from them, and threatened the undertakers very hardly; however this did not fo far difcourage them, for they fecretly bought another; but their defigns taking air, they were again fruftrated by Captain Swan.

The whole crew were at this time under a general difaffection, and full of very different projects, and all for want of action. The main divifion was between those that had money and those that had none. There was a great difference in the humours of thefe; for they that had money lived afhore, and did not care for leaving Mindanao, whilst those that were poor lived aboard, and urged Captain Swan to go to fea. These began to be unruly as well as diffatisfied, and fent afhore the merchants' iron to fell for rack and honey to make punch, wherewith they grew drunk and quarrelfome; which disorderly actions deterred me from going aboard, for I did ever abhor drunkennefs, which now our men that were aboard abandoned themfelves wholly to.

Yet these disorders might have been crufhed if Captain Swan had used his authority to fupprefs them: but he with his merchants living always afhore, there was no command, and therefore every man did what he pleased, and encouraged each other in his villanies. Now Mr. Harthop, who was one of Captain Swan's merchants, did very much importune him to fettle his refolutions, and declare his mind to his men, which at last he confented to do; therefore he gave warning to all his men to come aboard the 13th day of January 1687.

We did all earnestly expect to hear what Captain Swan would propofe, and therefore were very willing to go aboard; but unluckily for him, two days before this meeting was to be, Captain Swan fent aboard his gunner, to fetch fomething afhore out of his cabin. The gunner rummaging to find what he was fent for, among other things took out the captain's journal from America to the ifland Guam, and laid down by him. This journal was taken up by one John Read, a Bristol man, whom I have mentioned in my fourth chapter. He was a pretty ingenious young man, and of a very civil carriage and behaviour. He was alfo accounted a good artift, and kept a journal, and was now prompted by his curiofity to peep into Captain Swan's journal to see how it agreed with his own; a thing very ufual among the feamen that keep journals, when they have an opportunity, and efpecially young men who have no great experience. At the firft opening of the book he lighted on a place in which Captain Swan had inveighed bitterly against most of his men, efpecially against another John Reed a Jamaica This was fuch ftuff as he did not feek after: but hitting fo pat on this subject his curiofity led him to pry farther, and therefore while the gunner was bufy he con

man.

veyed the book away to look over it at his leifure. The gunner having dispatched his bufinefs, locked Reed fhewed it to his namefake and to the reft that were aboard, who were by this up the cabin-door, not miffing the book, and went afhore. Then John time the biggest part of them ripe for mischief; only wanting fome fair pretence to fet themselves to work about it. Therefore looking on what was written in this journal to be matter fufficient for them to accomplish their ends, Captain Teat, who as I faid before had been abufed by Captain Swan, laid hold on this opportunity to be revenged for his injuries; and aggravated the matter to the heighth, perfuading the men to turn out Captain Swan from being commander, in hopes to have commanded the fhip himself. As for the feamen they were eafily perfuaded to any thing, for they were quite tired with this long and tedious voyage, and most of them defpaired of ever getting home, and therefore did not care what they did, or whither they went. being bufied in fome action that made them fo uneafy; therefore they confented to It was only want of what Teat propofed, and immediately all that were aboard bound themselves by oath to turn Captain Swan out, and to conceal this design from thofe that were afhore until the fhip was under fail; which would have been prefently if the furgeon or his mate had been aboard, but they were both afhore, and they thought it no prudence to go to fea without a furgeon; therefore the next morning they fent afhore one John Cookworthy to haften off either the furgeon or his mate, by pretending that one of the men in the night broke his leg by falling into the hold. The furgeon told him that he intended to come aboard the next day with the captain, and would not come before, but fent his mate Herman Coppinger.

This man fometime before this was fleeping at his pagally's and a fnake twisted himfelf about his neck, but afterwards went away without hurting him. In this country it is ufual to have the fnakes come into the houfes and into the fhips too, for we had feveral came aboard our fhip when we lay in the river. But to proceed; Herman Coppinger provided to go aboard, and the next day being the time appointed for Captain Swan and all his men to meet aboard, I went aboard with him, neither of us diftrusted what was defigning by thofe aboard till we came thither; then we found it was only a trick to get the furgeon off; for now, having obtained their defires, the canoe was fent afhore again immediately, to defire as many as they could meet to come aboard, but not to tell the reafon left Captain Swan fhould come to hear of it.

The thirteenth day in the morning they weighed, and fired a gun; Captain Swan immediately fent aboard Mr. Nelly, who was now his chief mate, to fee what the matter was; to him they told all their grievances, and fhewed him the journal. He perfuaded them to stay till the next day for an answer from Captain Swan and the merchants; fo they came to an anchor again, and the next morning Mr. Harthop came aboard; he perfuaded them to be reconciled again, or at least to stay and get more rice, but they were deaf to it, and weighed again while he was aboard. Yet at Mr. Harthop's perfuafion they promised to stay till two o'clock in the afternoon for Captain Swan, and the reft of the men if they would come aboard; but they fuffered no man to go afhore, except one William Williams that had a wooden leg, and another that was a fawyer. If Captain Swan had yet come aboard, he might have dafhed all their defigns; but he neither came himself, as a captain of any prudence and courage would have done, nor fent till the time was expired. So we left Captain Swan and about thirty-fix men afhore in the city, and fix or eight that run away; and about fixteen we had buried there, the most of which died by poifon. The natives are very expert at poisoning, and do it upon small occafions; nor did our men want for giving offence, through their general rogueries, and fometimes by dallying too familiarly with their women, even before