were forced to fcud with our bare poles till three o'clock in the morning; then the wind flackened and we brought our fhip to under a mizen, and lay with our head to to the weftward. The 27th day the wind abated much, but it rained very hard all day and the night enfuing. The 28th day the wind came about to the north-east, and it cleared up and blew a hard gale, but it stood not there, for it shifted about to the eastward, thence to the fouth-eaft, then to the fouth, and at laft fettled at fouth-west, and then we had a moderate gale and fair weather. It was the 29th day when the wind came to the fouth-weft; then we made all the fail we could for the ifland again. The 30th day we had the wind at weft and faw the iflands, but could not get in before night; therefore we stood off to the fouthward till two o'clock in the morning, then we tacked and stood in all the morning, and about twelve o'clock the ift day of October we anchored again at the place from whence we were driven. Then our fix men were brought aboard by the natives, to whom we gave three whole bars of iron for their kindness and civility, which was an extraordinary prefent to them. Mr. Robert Hall was one of the men that was left afhore: I fhall fpeak more of him hereafter. He and the reft of them told me, that after the fhip was out of fight the natives began to be more kind to them than they had been before, and perfuaded them to cut their hair fhort as theirs was, offering to each of them if they would do it a young woman to wife, and, a small hatchet and other iron utenfils fit for a planter in dowry; and withal fhewed them a piece of land for them to manage. They were courted thus by feveral of the town where they then were; but they took up their head quarters at the house of him with whom they first went afhore. When the fhip appeared in fight again they then importuned them for fome iron, which is the chief thing that they covet, even above their ear-rings. We might have bought all their ear-rings, or other gold they had, with our iron-bars, had we been affured of its goodness; and yet when it was touched and compared with other gold we could not difcern any difference, though it looked fo pale in the lump; but the feeing them polish it so often was a new discouragement. This laft ftorm put our men quite out of heart: for although it was not altogether fo fierce as that which we were in on the coaft of China, which was still fresh in memory, yet it wrought more powerfully, and frighted them from their defign of cruizing before Manila, fearing another storm there. Now every man wished himself at home, as they had done a hundred times before: but Captain Read, and Captain Teat the mafter, perfuaded them to go towards Cape Comorin, and then they would tell them more of their minds, intending doubtless to cruize in the Red-Sea; and they easily prevailed with the crew. The eastern monsoon was now at hand, and the best way had been to go through the ftreights of Malacca: but Captain Teat faid it was dangerous, by reafon of many iflands and fhoals there, with which none of us were acquainted. Therefore he thought it beft to go round on the east fide of all the Philippine Islands, and fo keeping fouth toward the Spice Iflands, to pafs out into the Eaft Indian Ocean about the inland Timor. This feemed to be a very tedious way about, and as dangerous altogether for fhoals; but not for meeting with English or Dutch fhips, which was their greatest fear. I was well enough fatisfied, knowing that the farther we went the more knowledge and expe rience I fhould get, which was the main thing that I regarded; and fhould also have the more variety of places to attempt an escape from them, being fully refolved to take the first opportunity of giving them the flip, CHAP. CHAP. VI.—They depart from the Bafhee Islands, and passing by fome others, and the THE 3d day of October 1687 we failed from these islands, ftanding to the fouthward, intending to fail through among the Spice Islands; we had fair weather and the wind at west. We first steered fouth-fouth-weft, and paffed close by certain fmall islands that lie juft by the north end of the ifland Luconia. We left them all on the west of us, and past on the east fide of it and the rest of the Philippine Islands, coasting to the fouthward. The north-east end of the island Luconia appears to be good champaign land, of an indifferent heighth, plain and even for many leagues; only it has fome pretty high hills standing upright by themselves in these plains, but no ridges of hills or chains of mountains joining one to another. The land on this fide feems to be most savannah or pasture: the fouth-east part is more mountainous and woody. Leaving the island Luconia, and with it our golden projects, we failed on to the southward, paffing on the eaft fide of the rest of the Philippine Iflands. These appear to be more mountainous and less woody till we came in fight of the island St. John, the first of that name I mentioned: the other I fpake of on the coaft of China; this I have already described to be a very woody island. Here the wind coming foutherly, forced us to keep farther from the islands. The 14th day of October we came close by a small low woody ifland, that lieth east from the fouth east end of Mindanao, diftant from it about twenty leagues. I do not find it fet down in any fea chart. The 15th day we had the wind at north-eaft, and we fteered weft for the island Mindanao, and arrived at the fouth-eaft end again on the 16th day. There we went in and anchored between two small islands, which lie in about five degrees ten minutes north latitude: I mentioned them when we first came on this coaft. Here we found a fine small cove on the north-west end of the eastermost island, fit to careen in or hale ashore ; fo fo we went in there and presently unrigged our fhip, and provided to hate our fhip afhore to clean her bottom. These islands are about three or four leagues from the ifland Mindanao; they are about four or five leagues in circumference, and of a pretty good heighth. The mould is black and deep, and there are two fmall brooks of fresh water. They are both plentifully stored with great high trees, and therefore our carpenters were fent afhore to cut down fome of them for our ufe; for here they made a new boltsprit, which we did fet here alfo, our old one being very faulty. They made a new fore-yard too and a foretop-mast: and our pumps being faulty and not ferviceable, they did cut a tree to make a pump: they firft fquared it, then fawed it in the middle, and then hollowed each fide exactly. The two hollow fides were made big enough to contain a pump-box in the midst of them both when they were joined together; and it required their utmost skill to close them exactly to the making a tight cylinder for the pump-box, being unaccustomed to fuch work. We learned this way of pump-making. from the Spaniards; who make their pumps that they use in their fhips in the South Seas after this manner; and I am confident that there are no better hand pumps in the world than they have. While we lay here, the young Prince that I mentioned before came on board. He understanding that we were bound farther to the fouthward, desired us to transport him and his men to his own ifland. He fhewed it to us in our draft, and told us the name of it, which we put down in our draft, for it was not named there; but I quite forgot to put it into my journal. This man told us, that not above fix days before this, he faw Captain Swan and feveral of his men that we left there, and named the names of fome of them, who he said were all well, and that now they were at the city of Mindanao; but that they had all of them been out with Raja Laut, fighting under him in his wars against his enemies the Alfoores; and that most of them fought with undaunted courage; for which they were highly honoured and esteemed, as well by the Sultan as by the general Raja Laut. That now Captain Swan intended to go with his men to Fort St. George, and that in order thereto, he had proffered forty ounces of gold for a fhip; but the owner and he were not yet agreed; and that he feared the Sultan would not let him go. away till the wars were ended. All this the Prince told us in the Malayan tongue, which many of us had learned; and when he went away he promised to return to us again in three days time, and fo long Captain Read promised to stay for him (for we had now almost finished our business), and he seemed very glad of the opportunity of going with us. After this I endeavoured to perfuade our men to return with the ship to the river of Mindanao, and offer their fervice again to Captain Swan. I took an opportunity when they were filling of water, there being then half the fhip's company afhore; and I found all thefe very willing to do it. I defired them to fay nothing till I had tried the minds of the other half, which I intended to do the next day, it being their turn to fill water then; but one of thefe men, who feemed moft forward to invite back Captain Swan, told Captain Read and Captain Teat of the project, and they presently diffuaded the men from any fuch defigns. Yet fearing the worst, they made all poffible hafte to be gone. I have fince been informed, that Captain Swan and his men ftayed there a great while afterward; and that many of the men got paffages from thence in Dutch floops to Ternate, particularly Mr. Rofy, and Mr. Nelly. There they remained a great while, and: and at last got to Batavia (where the Dutch took their journals from them) and fo to Europe; and that fome of Captain Swan's men died at Mindanao, of which number Mr. Harthrope, and Mr. Smith, Captain Swan's merchants, were two. At laft Captain Swan and his furgeon going in a small canoe aboard of a Dutch fhip, then in the road, in order to get paffage to Europe, were overfet by the natives at the mouth of the river; who waited their coming purpofely to do it, but unfufpected by them; where they were both killed in the water. This was done by the general's order, as fome think, to get his gold, which he did immediately feize on. Others fay, it was because the general's houfe was burnt a little before, and Captain Swan was fufpected to be the author of it: and others fay, that it was Captain Swan's threats occafioned his own ruin; for he would often fay paffionately, that he had been abused by the general, and that he would have fatisfaction for it: faying alfo, that now he was well acquainted with their rivers, and knew how to come in at any time; that he also knew their manner of fighting, and the weakness of their country; and therefore he would go away, and get a band of men to affist him, and returning thither again, he would fpoil and take all that they had, and their country too. When the general had been informed of these difcourfes, he would fay, "What, is Captain Swan made of iron, and able to resist a whole kingdom? Or does he think that we are afraid of him, that he fpeaks thus?" Yet did he never touch him, till now the Mindanayans killed him. It is very probable there might be somewhat of truth in all this; for the captain was paffionate, and the general greedy of gold. But whatever was the occafion, fo he was killed, as feveral have affured me, and his gold feized on, and all his things; and his journal alfo from England, as far as Cape Corrientes on the coaft of Mexico. This journal was afterwards fent away from thence by Mr. Moody (who was there both a little before and a little after the murder), and he sent it to England by Mr. Goddard, chief mate of the defence. But to our purpose: feeing I could not perfuade them to go to Captain Swan again, I had a great defire to have had the prince's company; but Captain Read was afraid to let his fickle crew lie long. That very day that the prince had promised to return to us, which was November 2, 1687, we failed hence, directing our courfe south-west, and having the wind at north-weft. This wind continued till we came in fight of the island Celebes; then it veered about to the weft, and to the fouthward of the weft. We came up with the north-east end of the ifland Celebes the ninth day, and there we found the current fetting to the westward fo ftrongly that we could hardly get on the east side of that island. The island Celebes is a very large ifland, extended in length from north to fouth about seven degrees latitude, and in breadth it is about three degrees. It lies under the equator, the north end being in latitude one degree thirty minutes north, and the fouth end in latitude five degrees thirty minutes fouth, and by common account the north point in the bulk of this ifland lies nearest north and fouth, but at the north-east end there runs out a long narrow point, stretching north-eaft, about thirty leagues; and about thirty leagues to the eastward of this long flip, is the island Gilolo, on the weft fide of which are four small iflands close by it, which are very well ftored with cloves. The two chiefest are Ternate and Tidore; and as the isle of Ceylon is reckoned the only place for cinnamon, and that of Banda for nutmegs, so these are thought by fome to be the only clove-islands in the world; but this is a great error, as I have already fhewn. At the south end of the island Celebes there is a fea or gulph, of about seven or 4 eight eight leagues wide, and forty or fifty long, which runs up the country almost directly to the north; and this gulph hath several small islands along the middle of it. On the weft fide of the island, almost at the south end of it, the town of Macaffer is feated. A town of great strength and trade, belonging to the Dutch. There are great inlets and lakes on the eaft fide of the island; as alfo abundance of fmall islands and fhoals lying scattered about it. We faw a high peaked hill at the north end but the land on the east fide is low all along; for we cruifed almoft the length of it. The mould on this fide is black and deep, and extraordinary fat and rich, and full of trees: and there are many brooks of water run out into the fea. Indeed all this eaft fide of the island feems to be but one large grove of extraordinary great high trees. Having with much ado got on this east fide, coafting along to the fouthward, and yet having but little wind, and even that little against us, at fouth-fouth-weft, and fometimes calm, we were a long time going about the island. The twenty-fecond day we were in latitude one degree twenty minutes fouth, and being about three leagues from the island standing to the fouthward, with a very gentle land wind, about two or three o'clock in the morning we heard a clashing in the water, like boats rowing; and fearing fome fudden attack, we got up all our arms, and stood ready to defend ourselves. As foon as it was day, we faw a great prow, built like the Mindanayan prows, with about fixty men in her; and fix fmaller prows. They lay ftill about a mile to windward of us, to view us; and propably defigned to make a prey of us when they firft came out; but they were now afraid to venture on us. At laft we fhewed them Dutch colours, thinking thereby to allure them to come to us, for we could not go to them; but they presently rowed in toward the island, and went into a large opening; and we faw them no more: nor did we ever fee any other boats or men, but only one fishing canoe, while we were about this island; neither did we see any house on all the coast. About five or fix leagues to the fouth of this place, there is a great range of both large and small islands, and many fhoals also, that are not laid down in our drafts; which made it extremely troublefome for us to get through. But we paft between them all and the island Celebes, and anchored against a fandy bay in eight fathoms sandy ground, about half a mile from the main island; being then in latitude one degree fifty minutes fouth. Here we stayed several days, and sent out our canoes a striking of turtle every day ; for here is great plenty of them; but they were very fhy, as they were generally wherever we found them in the East India feas. I know not the reason of it, unless the natives go very much a striking here; for even in the West Indies they are shy in places that are much disturbed: and yet on New Holland we found them fhy, as I fhall relate, though the natives there do not moleft them. On the fhoal without us we went and gathered fhell-fish at low water. There were a monftrous fort of cockles: the meat of one of them would fuffice feven or eight men. It was very good wholesome meat. We did alfo beat about in the woods on the island, but found no game. One of our men, who was always troubled with fore legs, found a certain vine that supported itself by clinging about other trees. The leaves reach fix or seven feet high, but the ftrings or branches eleven or twelve. It had a very green leaf, pretty broad and roundish, and of a thick substance. These leaves pounded fmall and boiled with hog's lard make an excellent falve. Our men knowing the virtues of it stocked themselves here: there was scarce a man in the ship but VOL. XI. |