hence to the place where we first anchored, on the north-fide of the great island, purposely to water; for there was a great stream when we firft came to the island, and we thought it was fo now. But we found it dried up, only it ftood in holes, two or three hogfheads or a tun in a hole: therefore we did immediately cut bamboos, and made fpouts, through which we conveyed the water down to the fea-fide, by taking it up in bowls, and pouring it into thefe fpouts or troughs. We conveyed fome of it thus near half a mile. While we were filling our water, Captain Read engaged an old man, one of the inhabitants of this ifland, the fame who I said could fpeak the Malayan language, to be his pilot to the bay of Siam; for he had often been telling us, that he was well acquainted there, and that he knew fome islands there, where there were fishermen lived, who he thought could fupply us with falt-fish to eat at The easterly monfoon was not yet done; fea; for we had nothing but rice to eat. therefore it was concluded to spend fome time there, and then take the advantage of the beginning of the western monfoon, to return to Manila again. The 21ft day of April 1687, we failed from Pulo Condore, directing our course weft by fouth for the bay of Siam. We had fair weather, and a fine moderate gale of wind at eaft-north-east. The 23d day we arrived at Pulo Ubi, or the island Ubi. This ifland is about forty leagues to the weftward of Pulo Condore; it lies juft at the entrance of the bay of Siam, at the fouth-weft point of land, that makes the bay; namely, the point of Cambodia. This island is about feven or eight leagues round, and it is higher land than any of Pulo Condore ifles. Against the fouth-eaft part of it there is a small key, about a cables' length from the main ifland. This Pulo Ubi is very woody, and it has good water on the north fide, where you may anchor; but the best anchoring is on the eaft fide against a small bay; then you will have the little ifland to the fouthward of you. At Pulo Ubi we found two fmall barks laden with rice. They belonged to Cambodia, from whence they came not above two or three days before, and they touched here to fill water. Rice is the general food of all these countries, therefore it is transported by fea from one country to another, as corn in these parts of the world. For in fome countries they produce more than enough for themfelves, and fend what they can spare to those places where there is but little. The 24th day we went into the bay of Siam: this is a large deep bay, of which and of this kingdom I fhall at present speak but little, because I defign a more particular account of all this coaft, to wit, of Tonquin, Cochin-China, Siam, Champa, Combodia, and Malacca, making all the most easterly part of the continent of Afia, lying fouth of China: but to do it in the courfe of this voyage, would too much fwell this volume; and I fhall chufe therefore to give a feparate relation of what I know or have learnt of them, together with the neighbouring parts of Sumatra, Java, &c. where I have spent fome time. We ran down into the bay of Siam, till we came to the islands that our Pulo Condore pilot told us of, which lie about the middle of the bay: but as good a pilot as he was, he ran us aground; yet we had no damage. Captain Read went afhore at these iflands, where he found a fmall town of fishermen; but they had no fifh to fell, and fo we returned empty. We had yet fair weather, and very little wind; fo that being often becalmed, we were till the 13th day of May before we got to Pulo Ubi again. There we found two small veffels at an anchor on the east fide: they were laden with rice and laquer, which is used in japanning of cabinets. One of thefe came from Champa, bound to the town of Malacca, which belongs to the Dutch, who took it from the Portuguese; G 2 and and this fhews that they have a trade with Champa. This was a very pretty neat veffel, her bottom very clean and curiously coated; fhe had about forty men all armed with cortans, or broad fwords, lances, and fome guns, that went with a fwivel upon their gunnel. They were of the idolaters, natives of Champa, and fome of the brifkeft, moft fociable, without fearfulness or fhynefs, and the most neat and dextrous about their fhipping, of any fuch I have met with in all my travels. The other veffel came from the river of Cambodia, and was bound towards the ftreights of Malacca. Both of them stopped here, for the wefterly winds now began to blow, which were against them, being fomewhat bleated. We anchored alfo on the eaft-fide, intending to fill water. While we lay here we had very violent wind at fouth-west, and a strong current fetting right to windward. The fiercer the wind blew, the more ftrong the current set against it. This storm lasted till the 20th day, and then it began to abate. The 21ft day of May we went back from hence towards Pulo Condore. In our way we overtook a great jonk that came from Palimbam, a town on the island Sumatra : fhe was full laden with pepper which they bought there, and was bound to Siam: but it blowing fo hard, fhe was afraid to venture into that bay, and therefore came to Pulo Condore with us, where we both anchored May the 24th. This veffel was of the Chinese make, full of little rooms or partitions, like our well-boats. I fhall defcribe them in the next chapter. The men of this jonk told us, that the English were fettled on the island Sumatra, at a place called Sillabar; and the first knowledge we had that the English had any fettlement on Sumatra was from thefe. When we came to an anchor, we faw a small bark at an anchor near the fhore; therefore Captain Read fent a canoe aboard her to know from whence they came; and fuppofing that it was a Malayan veffel, he ordered the men not to go aboard, for they are accounted defperate fellows, and their veffels are commonly full of men, who all wear creffets, or little daggers by their fides. The canoe's crew not minding the captain's orders went aboard, all but one man that staid in the canoe. The Malayans, who were about twenty of them, feeing our men all armed, thought that they came to take their veffel; therefore at once, on a fignal given, they drew out their creffets, and stabbed five or fix of our men before they knew what the matter was. The reft of our men leaped over-board, fome into the canoe, and fome into the fea, and fo got away. Among the reft, one Daniel Wallis leaped into the fea, who could never fwim before nor fince; yet now he fwam very well a good while before he was taken up. When the canoes came aboard, Captain Read manned two canoes, and went to be revenged on the Malayans; but they feeing him coming, did cut a hole in the veffel's bottom, and went afhore in their boat. Captain Read followed them, but they ran into the woods and hid themselves. Here we ftaid ten or elven days, for it blew very hard all the time. While we ftaid here Herman Coppinger our furgeon went afhore, intending to live here; but Captain Read fent fome men to fetch him again. I had the fame thoughts, and would have gone afhore too, but waited for a more convenient place. For neither he nor I, when we were last on board at Mindanao, had any knowledge of the plot that was laid to leave Captain Swan, and run away with the fhip; and being fufficiently weary of this mad crew, we were willing to give them the flip at any place from whence we might hope to get a paffage to an English factory. There was nothing else of moment happened while we staid here *. * He then proceeds to China, and returns to the Afiatic Islands. СНАР. CHAP.V.-The Iles to which they gave the Names of Orange, Monmouth, Grafton, Bashee, --- THE fixth day of August we arrived at the five islands that we were bound to, and anchored on the east fide of the northermost island, in fifteen fathoms, a cable's length from the fhore. Here, contrary to our expectation, we found abundance of inhabitants in fight; for there were three large towns all within a league of the fea; and another larger town than any of the three, on the backfide of a small hill close by alfo, as we found afterwards. These islands lie in latitude twenty degrees twenty minutes north latitude by my obfervation, for I took it there, and I find their longitude, according to our drafts, to be one hundred and forty-one degrees fifty minutes. These islands having no particular names in the drafts, fome or other of us made ufe of the feamen's privilege, to give them what names we pleafe. Three of the islands were pretty large; the weftermoft is the biggeft. This the Dutchmen who were among us called the Prince of Orange's island, in honour of His prefent Majefty. It is about feven or eight leagues long, and about two leagues wide; and it lies almost north and fouth. The other two great islands are about four or five leagues to the eastward of this. The northermoft of them where we first anchored, I called the Duke of Grafton's Ifle, as foon as we landed on it; having married my wife out of his Dutchess's family, and leaving her at Arlington houfe, at my going abroad. This ifle is about four leagues long, and one league and a half wide, ftretching north and fouth. The other great ifland our feamen called the Duke of Monmouth's ifland. This is about a league to the fouthward of Grafton Ifle. It is about three leagues long and a league wide, lying as the other. Between Monmouth and the fouth-end of Orange land, there are two small islands of a roundish form, lying eaft and welt. The eastermost island of the two, our men unanimoufly called Bafhee ifland, from a liquor which we drank there plentifully every day, after we came to an anchor at it. The other, which is the smallest of all, we called Goat island, from the great number of goats there; and to the northward of them all, are two high rocks. Orange ifland, which is the biggest of them all, is not inhabited. It is high land, flat and even on the top, with steep cliffs against the fea; for which reason we could afhore there, as we did on all the reft. go I have made it my general obfervation, that where the land is fenced with steep rocks and cliffs against the sea, there the fea is very deep, and feldom affords anchor ground; and on the other fide where the land falls away with a declivity into the fea, (although (although the land be extraordinary high within,) yet there are commonly good foundings, and confequently anchoring; and as the vifible declivity of the land appears near, or at the edge of the water, whether pretty fteep or more floping, fo we commonly find our anchor ground to be more or lefs deep or steep; therefore we come nearer the fhore, or anchor farther off as we fee convenient; for there is no coast in the world that I know, or have heard of, where the land is of a continual heighth, without some small valleys or declivities, which lie intermixt with the high land. They are the fubfidings of valleys or low lands, that make dents in the fhore and creeks, fmall bays and harbours, or little coves, &c. which afford good anchoring, the furface of the earth being there lodged deep under water. Thus we find many good harbours on fuch coafts, where the land bounds the fea with steep cliffs, by reafon of the declivities, or fubfiding of the land between thefe cliffs: but where the declenfion from the hills or cliffs is not within land, between hill and hill, but, as on the coaft of Chili and Peru, the declivity is toward the main fea, or into it, the coaft. being perpendicular, or very steep from the neighbouring hills, as in thofe countries from the Andes, that run along the fhore, there is a deep fea, and few or no harbours or creeks. All that coaft is too fteep for anchoring, and hath the feweft roads fit for fhips of any coaft I know. The coafts of Gallicia, Portugal, Norway and Newfoundland, &c. are coafts like the Peruvian, and the high iflands of the Archipelago; but yet not fo fcanty of good harbours; for where there are fhort ridges of land, there are good bays at the extremities of those ridges, where they plunge into the fea; as on the coaft of Caraccos, &c. The island of John Fernando, and the ifland St. Helena, &c. are fuch high land with deep fhore: and in general, the plunging of any land under water, feems to be in proportion to the rifing of its continuous part above water, more or less steep; and it must be a bottom almoft level, or very gently declining, that affords good anchoring. Ships being foon driven from their moorings on a steep bank: therefore we never ftrive to anchor where we fee the land high, and bounding the fea with steep cliffs; and for this reafon, when we came in fight of States Ifland near Terra del Fuego, before we entered into the fouthfeas, we did not fo much as think of anchoring after we faw what land it was, because of the steep cliffs which appeared against the fea: yet there might be little harbours or coves for fhallops, or the like, to anchor in, which we did not fee or search after. As high steep cliffs bounding on the fea have this ill confequence, that they feldom afford anchoring; fo they have this benefit, that we can see them far off, and fail close to them, without danger; for which reafon we call them bold fhores: whereas low land on the contrary, is feen but a little way, and in many places we dare not come near it, for fear of running a ground before we fee it. Befides there are in many places fhoals thrown out by the course of great rivers, that from the low land fall into the fea. This which I have faid, that there is ufually good anchoring near the low lands, may be illuftrated by feveral inftances. Thus on the fouth fide of the bay of Campeachey, there is moftly low land, and there alfo is good anchoring all along fhore; and in fome places to the eastward of the town of Campeachy, we fhall have fo many fathom as we are leagues off from land; that is from nine or ten leagues distance till you come within four leagues: and from thence to land it grows but hallower. The bay of Honduras alfo is low land, and continues moftly fo, as we paft along from thence to the coafts of Portobel, and Cartagena, till we came as high as Santa Martha; afterwards the land is low again, till you come towards the coaft of Caraccos, which is a high coaft and bold fhore. The land about Surinam on the fame coaft is 1 low and good anchoring, and that over on the coaft of Guinea is fuch also. And fuch too is the bay of Panama, where the pilotbook orders the pilot always to found, and not to come within fuch a depth, be it by night or day. In the fame feas from the high land of Guatimala in Mexico, to California, there is mostly low land and good anchoring. In the main of Afia, the coast of China, the bay of Siam and Bengal, and all the coast of Coromandel, and the coast about Malacca, and against it the island Sumatra on that fide, are moftly low anchoring fhores. But on the weft fide of Sumatra, the shore is high and bold; fo most of the islands lying to the eastward of Sumatra; as the islands Borneo, Celebes, Gilolo, and abundance of iflands of less note, lying scattering up and down thofe feas, are low land, and have good anchoring about them, with many fhoals fcattered to and fro among them; but the islands lying against the Eaft Indian ocean, especially the weft fides of them, are high land and steep, particularly the weft parts, not only of Sumatra, but also of Java, Timor, &c. Particulars are endless; but in general it is feldom but high fhores and deep waters; and on the other fide, low land and fhallow feas are found together. But to return from this digreffion, to speak of the rest of these islands. Monmouth and Grafton ifles are very hilly, with many of those steep inhabited precipices on them, that I fhall defcribe particularly. The two small islands are flat and even; only the Bashee island hath one steep fcraggy hill, but Goat island is all flat and very even. The mould of these islands in the valley is blackish in fome places, but in most red. The hills are very rocky: the valleys are well watered with brooks of fresh water, which run into the fea in many different places. The foil is indifferent fruitful, efpecially in the valleys; producing pretty great plenty of trees (though not very big) and thick grafs. The fides of the mountains have alfo fhort grafs, and fome of the mountains have mines within them; for the natives told us, that the yellow metal they fhewed us, (as I fhall speak more particularly) came from these mountains; for when they held it up they would point towards them. The fruit of the islands are a few plantains, bonanoes, pine-apples, pumpkins, fugar canes, &c. and there might be more if the natives would, for the ground feems fertile enough. Here are great plenty of potatoes and yams, which is the common food for the natives for bread kind: for thofe few plantains they have, are only ufed as fruit. They have fome cotton growing here of the small plants. Here are plenty of goats and abundance of hogs; but few fowls, either wild or tame. For this I have always observed in my travels, both in the Eaft and West Indies, that in those places where there is plenty of grain, that is, of rice in one, and maiz in the other, there are alfo found great abundance of fowls; but on the contrary, few fowls in those countries where the inhabitants feed on fruits and roots only. The few wild fowls that are here are parakites, and fome other small birds. Their tame fowl are only a few cocks and hens. Monmouth and Grafton islands are very thick inhabited; and Bafhee island hath one town on it. The natives of these islands are short fquat people; they are generaly round visaged, with low foreheads and thick eye-brows; their eyes of a hazel colour and small, yet bigger than the Chinese; fhort low nofes, and their lips and mouths middle proportioned; their teeth are white, their hair is black and thick, and lank, which they wear but fhort; it will just cover their ears, and fo it is cut round very even. Their skins are of a very dark copper-colour. They wear no hat, cap, nor turbat, or any thing to keep off the fun. The men for the biggest part have only a small clout to cover their nakedness; fome of them |