his hn his et al d d their faces. Some of their poisons are flow and lingering, for we had fome now aboard who were poisoned there, but died not till some months after. CHAP. IV. They depart from the River of Mindanao.-Of the Time loft or gained in failing round the World: with a Caution to Seamen about the Allowance they are to take for the Difference of the Sun's Declination. The South Coast of Mindanao. Chambongo Town and Harbour, with its neighbouring Quays. -Green Turtle. · Ruins of a a Spanish Fort. -The Westermoft Point of Mindanao. -Twa Prows of the Sologues laden from Manila. - An Ile to the Weft of Sebo. - Walking Canes. Ile of Batts, very large; and numerous Turtle and Manatee. A dangerous Shoal. They fail by Panay belonging to the Spaniards, and others of the Philippine Islands. - Ísle of Mindora. Two Barks taken. A further Account of the Ifle Luconia, and the City and Harbour of Manila. They go off Pulo Condore to lie there. - The Shoals of Pracel, &c. Pulo Condore.-The Tar Tree. - The Mango.-Grape Tree. The wild or Bastard Nutmeg. Their Animals. Of the Migration of the Turtle from Place to Place. Of the commodious Situation of Pulo Condore; its Water, and its Cochin-Chinese Inhabitants. Of the Malayan Tongue. -The Cuftom of proftitut ing their Women in thefe Countries, and in Guinea. -The Idolatry here, at Tunquin, and among the Chinese Seamen, and of a Proceffion at Fort St. George. They refit their Ship. Two of them die of the Poifon they took at Mindanao. They take in Water and a Pilot for the Bay of Siam. Pulo Uby; and Point of Cambodia. Two Cambodian Veffels. Ifles in the Bay of Siam. The tight Veffels and Seamen of the Kingdom of Champa. - Storms. -A Chinese Jonk from Palimbam in Sumatra. They come again to Pulo Condore. A bloody Fray with a Malayan Veffel. - The Surgeon's and the Author's Defires of leaving their Crew. - -- THE 14th day of January 1687, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we failed from the river of Mindanao, defigning to cruise before Manila. It was during our stay at Mindanao, that we were first made fenfible of the change of time in the course of our voyage: for having travelled fo far weftward, keeping the fame courfe with the fun, we muft confequently have gained fomething infenfibly in the length of the particular days, but have loft in the tale, the bulk or number of the days or hours. According to the different longitudes of England and Mindanao this isle being weft from the Lizard, by common computation, about 210 degrees, the difference of time at our arrival at Mindanao ought to be about fourteen hours; and fo much we should have anticipated our reckoning, having gained it by bearing the fun company. Now the natural day in every particular place must be confonant to itself; but this going about with, or against the fun's courfe, will of neceffity make a difference in the calculation of the civil day beween any two places. Accordingly at Mindanao and all other places in the Eaft Indies we found them reckoning a day before us, both natives and Europeans; for the Europeans coming eastward by the Cape of Good Hope, in a course contrary to the fun and us, wherever we met they were a full day before us in their accounts. So among the Indian Mahometans here, their Friday, the day of their Sultan's going to their mofques, was Thurfday with us, though it were Friday also with those who came eastward from Europe. Yet at the Ladrone islands we found the Spaniards of Guam keeping the fame computation with ourselves; the reason of which I take to be that they fettled that colony by a courfe weftward from Spain; the Spaniards going first to America, and thence to the Ladrones and Philippines. But how the reckoning was at Manila and the rest of the Spanish colonies in the Philippine islands, islands, I know not; whether they keep it as they brought it, or corrected it by the accounts of the natives, and of the Portuguese, Dutch and English, coming the contrary way from Europe. One great reafon why feamen ought to keep the difference of time as exact as they can, is that they may be the more exact in the latitudes. For our tables of the fun's declination, being calculated for the meridians of the places in which they were made, differ about twelve minutes from thofe parts of the world that lie on their oppofite meridians, in the months of March and September; and in proportion to the fun's declination, at other times of the year alfo. And fhould they run farther as we did, the difference would ftill increase upon them, and be an occafion of great errors. Yet even able feamen in these voyages are hardly made fenfible of this, though fo neceffary to be observed, for want of duly attending to the reafon of it, as it happened among thofe of our crew; who after we had paft 180 degrees, began to decrease the difference of declination, whereas they ought still to have increased it, for it all the way increased upon us. We had the wind at north-north-eaft, fair clear whether, and a brisk gale. We coasted to the weftward, on the fouth fide of the island of Mindanao, keeping within four or five leagues of the fhore. The land from hence trends away weft by fouth. It is of a good height by the fea, and very woody, and in the country we saw high hills. The next day we were abreast of Cambongo; a town in this island, and thirty leagues from the river of Mindanao. Here is faid to be a good harbour, and a great fettlement, with plenty of beef and buffaloe. It is reported that the Spaniards were formerly fortified here also: there are two fhoals lie off this place, two or three leagues from the fhore. From hence the land is more low and even; yet there are fome hills in the country. About fix leagues before we came to the weft end of the island Mindanao, we fell in with a great many a small low islands or keys, and about two or three leagues to the fouthward of thefe keys, there is a long ifland ftretching north-eaft, and fouth-west, about twelve leagues. This ifland is low by the fea on the north fide, and has a ridge of hills in the middle, running from one end to the other. Between this isle and the small keys, there is a good large channel: among the keys alfo there is a good depth of water, and a violent tide; but on what point of the compafs it flows, I know not, nor how much it rifeth and falls. The feventeenth day we anchored on the east fide of all these keys, in eight fathom water, clean fand. Here are plenty of green turtle, whose flesh is as fweet as any in the West Indies: but they are very fhy. A little to the weftward of these keys on the island Mindanao, we faw abundance of cocoa-nut trees: therefore we sent our canoa afhore, thinking to find inhabitants, but found none, nor fign of any; but great tracks of hogs, and great cattle; and clofe by the fea there were ruins of an old fort; the walls thereof were of a good height, built with stone and lime, and by the workmanship feemed to be Spanish. From this place the land trends weft-northweft, and it is of an indifferent height by the fea. It runs on this point of the compass four or five leagues, and then the land trends away north-north-weft, five or fix leagues farther, making with many bluff points. We weighed again the fourteenth day, and went through between the keys; but met fuch uncertain tides, that we were forced to anchor again. The twentyfecond day we got about the westermoft point of all Mindanao, and stood to the northward, plying under the fhore, and having the wind at north-north-east a fresh gale. Оп gale. As we failed along further, we found the land to trend north-north-east. this part of the island the land is high by the fea, with full bluff points, and very woody. There are fome fmall fandy bays, which afford ftreams of fresh water. Here we met with two prows belonging to the Sologues, one of the Mindanaian nations before mentioned. They came from Manila laden with filks and calicoes. We kept on this western part of the island steering northerly, till we came abreast of fome other of the Philippine Islands, that lay to the northward of us, then steered away towards them; but ftill keeping on the weft fide of them, and we had the winds at north-north-east. The third of February we anchored in a good bay on the weft fide of the island, in latitude nine degrees, fifty-five minutes, where we had thirteen fathom water, good foft oaze. This island hath no name that we could find in any book, but lieth on the west fide of the ifland Sebo. It is about eight or ten leagues long, mountainous and woody. At this place Captain Read, who was the fame Captain Swan had fo much railed against in his journal, and was now made captain in his room (as Captain Teat was made mafter, and Mr. Henry More quarter-master,) ordered the carpenters to cut down our quarter deck to make the fhip fnug, and the fitter for failing. When that was done we heeled her, fcrubbed her bottom, and tallowed it. Then we filled all our water, for here is a delicate small run of water. The land was pretty low in this bay, the mould black and fat, and the trees of feveral kinds, very thick and tall. In fome places we found plenty of canes, fuch as we ufe in England for walking canes. These were fhort jointed, not above two feet and a half, or two feet ten inches the longeft, and most of them not above two feet. They run along on the ground like a vine; or taking hold of their trees, they climb up to their very tops. They are fifteen or twenty fathoms long, and much of a bignefs from the root, till within five or fix fathoms of the end. They are of a pale green colour, clothed over, with a coat of short thick hairy substance, of a dun colour; but it comes off by only drawing the cane through your hand. through your hand. We did cut many of them, and they proved very tough heavy canes. We faw no houses, nor fign of inhabitants; but while we lay here, there was a canoa with fix men came into this bay; but whither they were bound, or from whence they came, I know not. They were Indians, and we could not understand them. In the middle of this bay, about a mile from the shore, there is a small low woody island, not above a mile in circumference; our fhip rode about a mile from it. This island was the habitation ofan incredible number of great bats, with bodies as big as ducks, or large fowl, and with vaft wings: for I faw at Mindanao one of this fort, and I judge that the wings ftretched out in length, could not be lefs afunder than feven or eight feet from tip to tip; for it was much more than any of us could fathom with our arms extended to the utmoft. The wings are for fubftance like those of other bats, of a dun or moufe colour. The fkin or leather of them hath ribs running along it, and draws up in three or four folds; and at the joints of those ribs and the extremities of the wings, there are fharp and crooked claws, by which they may hang on any thing. In the evening as foon as the fun was fet, thefe creatures would begin to take their flight from this island, in fwarms like bees, directing their flight over to the main island; and whither afterwards I know not. Thus we should see them rifing up from the island till night hindred our fight; and in the morning as foon as it was F 2 light, light, we should see them returning again like a cloud, to the fmall island, till fun rifing. This course they keep conftantly while we lay here, affording us every morning and evening an hour's diverfion in gazing at them, and talking about them; but our curiofity did not prevail with us to go afhore to them, ourselves and canoas being all the day time taken up in bufinefs about our fhip. At this ifle also we found plenty of turtle and manatee, but no fish. We stayed here till the tenth of February, 1687, and then having completed our business, we failed hence with the wind at north. But going out we struck on a rock where we lay two hours: it was very smooth water, and the tide of flood, or else we should there have loft our ship. We ftruck off a great piece of our rudder, which was all the damage that we received, but we more narrowly mist loofing our ships this time, than in any other in the whole voyage. This is a very dangerous fhoal, because it does not break, unless probably it may appear in foul weather. It lies about two miles to the weftward, without the fmall Batt Island. Here we found the tide of flood setting to the fouthward, and the ebb to the northward. After we were paft this fhoal, we coafted along by the rest of the Philippine islands, keeping on the weft fide of them. Some of them appeared to be very mountainous dry land. We faw many fires in the night as we paffed by Panay, a great island settled by Spaniards: and by the fires up and down it feems to be well fettled by them; for this is a Spanish cuftom, whereby they give notice of any danger or the like from fea, and it is probable they had feen our fhip the day before. This is an unfrequented coaft, and it is rare to have any fhip feen there. We touched not at Panay, nor any where else, though we faw a great many small islands to the weftward of us, and fome fhoals, but none of them laid down in our draughts. The 18th day of February we anchored at the north-weft end of the island Mindora, in ten fathoms water, about three quarters of a mile from the fhore. Mindora is a large island, the middle of it lying in latitude thirteen degrees, about forty leagues long, stretching north-west and south-east. It is high and mountainous, and not very woody. At this place where we anchored, the land was neither very high nor low. There was a fmall brook of water, and the land by the fea was very woody, and the trees high and tall; but a league or two farther in the woods are very thin and small. Here we faw great tracks of hog and beef, and we saw some of each, and hunted them; but they were wild, and we could kill none. While we were here, there was a canoe with four Indians came from Manila. They were very fhy of us a while but at last, hearing us fpeak Spanish, they came to us, and told us, that they were going to a friar, that lived at an Indian village towards the fouth-east end of the ifland. They told us alfo, that the harbour of Manila is feldom or never without twenty or thirty fail of veffels, most Chinese, some Portuguese, and fome few the Spaniards have of their own. They faid, that when they had done their business with the friar they would return to Manila, and hope to be back again at this place in four days time. We told them that we came for a trade with the Spaniards at Manila, and fhould be glad if they would carry a letter to fome merchant there, which they promised to do. But this was only a pretence of ours, to get out of them what intelligence we could as to their fhipping, ftrength, and the like, under colour of feeking a trade; for our business was to pillage. Now, if we had really defigned to have traded there, this was as fair an opportunity as men could have defired for these men could have brought us to the friar that they were going to, and a small present to him would have engaged him to do any kindness for us in the way of trade; for the Spanish governors do not allow of it, and we must trade by stealth. The twenty-first day we went from hence with the wind at east-north-east, a small gale. The twenty-third day in the morning we were fair by the fouth-eaft end of the island Luconia, the place that had been fo long defired by us. We presently faw a fail coming from the northward, and making after her we took her in two hours time. She was a Spanish bark, that came from a place called Pangafanam, a small town on the north end of Luconia, as they told us; probably the same with Pongaffiny, which lies on a bay at the north-west fide of the island. She was bound to Manila, but had no goods on board; and therefore we turned her away. The twenty-third we took another Spanish veffel that came from the fame place as the other. She was laden with rice and cotton-cloth, and bound for Manila alfo. These goods were purpofely for the Acapulco fhip: the rice was for the men to live on while they lay there and in their return, and the cotton-cloth was to make fail. The mafter of this prize was boatfwain of the Acapulco ship which escaped us at Guam and was now at Manila. It was this man that gave us the relation of what strength it had, how they were afraid of us there, and of the accident that happened to them, as is before mentioned in the tenth chapter. We took these two veffels within feven or eight leagues of Manila. Luconia I have fpoken of already; but I fhall now add this further account of it. It is a great island, taking up between fix and feven degrees of latitude in length, and its breadth near the middle is about fixty leagues, but the ends are narrow. The north end lies in about nineteen degrees north latitude, and the fouth end is about twelve degrees thirty minutes. This great ifland hath abundance of small keys or iflands lying about it, especially at the north end. The fouth fide fronts towards the reft of the Philippine islands: of these that are its nearest neighbours, Mindora, lately mentioned, is the chief, and gives name to the fea or ftreight that parts it and the other iflands from Luconia, being called the streights of Mindora. The body of the island Luconia is compofed of many fpacious plain favannahs, and large mountains. The north end feems to be more plain and even, I mean freer from hills than the fouth end; but the land is all along of a good height. It does not appear fo flourishing and green as fome of the other islands in this range; especially that of St. John, Mindanao, Bat Ifland, &c. yet in fome places it is very woody. Some of the mountains of this island afford gold, and the favannahs are well stocked with herds of cattle, especially buffaloes. These cattle are in great plenty all over the East Indies; and therefore it is very probable that there were many of these here even before the Spaniards came hither. But now there are also plenty of other cattle, as I have been told, as bullocks, horfes, fheep, goats, hogs, &c. brought hither by the Spaniards. It is pretty well inhabited with Indians, most of them, if not all, under the Spaniards, who now are mafters of it. The native Indians do live together in towns; and they have priests among them to inftruct them in the Spanish religion. Manila, the chief, or perhaps the only city, lies at the foot of a ridge of high hills, facing upon a fpacious harbour near the fouth-weft point of the island, in about the latitude of fourteen degrees north. It is environed with a high ftrong wall, and very well fortified with forts and breast-works. The houses are large, ftrongly built, and covered with pantile. The streets are large and pretty regular; with a parade in the midst after the Spanish fashion. There are a great many fair buildings, befides churches and other religious houses; of which there are not a few. The |