Accounts is now nothing but a Name For I have lain ashore in the place where that City stood but it is all overgrown with Wood so as to leave no sign that any Town hath been there We staid at the Isle of Blanco not above 10 days and then went back to Salt-Tortuga again where Captain Yanky parted with us and from thence after about 4 days all which time our men were drunk and quarrelling we in Captain Wright's Ship went to the Coast of Caraccos on the Main Land This Coast is upon several accounts very remarkable 'T is a continu'd tract of high Ridges of Hills and small Valleys intermix'd for about â—…o leagues stretching East and West but in such manner that the Ridges of Hills and the Valleys alternately run pointing upon the shore from South to North the Valleys some of them about 4 or 5 others not above 1 or 2 furlongs wide and in length from the Sea scarce any of them above 3 or 4 mile at most there being a long Ridge of Mountains at that distance from the Sea-Coast and in a manner parallel to it that joins those shorter Ridges and closeth up the South end of the Valleys which at the North ends of them lye open to the Sea and make so many little Sandy Bays that are the only Landing-places on all the Coast. Both the main Ridge and these shorter Ribs are very high Land so that 3 or 4 leagues off at Sea the Valleys scarce appear to the Eye but all looks like one great Mountain From the Isles of Roda's about 15 and from the Isle of Aves about 20 leagues off we see this Coast very plain from on board our Ships yet when at Anchor on this Coast we cannot see those Isles tho again from the tops of these Hills they appear as if at no great distance like so many Hillocks in a Pond These Hills are barren except the lower sides of them that are cover'd with some of the same rich black Mould that fills the Valleys and is as good as I have seen In some of the Valleys there is a strong red Clay but in the general they are extremely fertil well watered and inhabited by Spaniards and their Negro's They have Maiz and Plantains for their support with Indian Fowls and some Hogs But the main product of these Valleys and indeed the only Commodity it vends are the Cacao-Nuts of which the Chocolate is made The Cacao-Tree grows no where in the North Seas but in the Bay of Campechy on Costa Rica between Portabel and Nicaragua chiefly up Carpenters River and on this Coast as high as the Isle of Trinidada In the South Seas it grows on the River of Guiaquil a little to the Southward of the Line and in the Valley of Collina on the South side of the Continent of Mexico both which places I shall hereafter describe Besides these I am confident there is no place in the world where the Cacao grows except those in Jamaica of which there are now but few remaining of many and large Walks or Plantations of them found there by the English at their first arrival and since planted by them and even these though there is a great deal of pains and care bestowed on them yet seldom come to any thing being generally blighted The Nuts of this Coast of Caracco's though less than those of Costa Rica which are large flat Nuts yet are better and fatter in my opinion being so very oily that we are forced to use Water in rubbing them up and the Spaniards that live here instead of parching them to get off the Shell before they pound or rub them to make Chocolate do in a manner burn them to dry up the Oil for else they say it would fill them too full of blood drinking Chocolate as they do 5 or 6 times a day My worthy Consort Mr. Ringrose commends most the Guiaquil Nut I presume because he had little knowledge of the rest for being intimately acquainted with him I know the course of his Travels and Experience But I am persuaded had he known the rest so well as I pretend to have done who have at several times been long used to and in a manner lived upon all the several sorts of them above mentioned he would prefer the Caraccos Nut before any other yet possibly the drying up of these Nuts so much by the Spaniards here as I said may lessen their Esteem with those Europeans that use their Chocolate ready rubb'd up so that we always chose to make it up our selves The Cacao-Tree hath a body about a foot and an half thick the largest sort and 7 or 8 foot high to the Branches which are large and spreading like an Oak with a pretty thick smooth dark-green leaf shap'd like that of a Plumb-Tree but larger The Nuts are inclosed in Cods as big as both a Mans fists put together At the broad end of which there is a small tough limber stalk by which they hang pendulous from the body of the Tree in all parts of it from top to bottom scattered at irregular distances and from the greater branches a little way up especially at the joints of them or parting 's where they hang thickest but never on the smaller boughs There may be ordinarily about 20 or 30 of these Cods upon a well-bearing Tree and they have 2 Crops of them in a year one in December but the best in June The Cod it self or Shell is almost half an inch thick neither spongy nor woody but of a substance between both brittle yet harder than the Rind of a Lemmon like which its surface is grained or knobbed but more course and unequal The Cods at first are of a dark Green but the side of them next the Sun of a Muddy Red. As they grow ripe the Green turns to a fine bright Yellow and the Muddy to a more lively beautiful Red very pleasant to the Eye They neither ripen nor are gather'd at once but for three weeks or a month when the Season is the Overseers of the Plantations go every day about to see which are turn'd yellow cutting at once it may be not above one from a Tree The Cods thus gathered they lay in several heaps to sweat and then bursting the Shell with their hands they pull out the Nuts which are the only substance they contain having no stalk or pith among them and excepting that these Nuts lye in regular rows like the grains of Maiz but sticking together and so closely stowed that after they have been once separated it would be hard to place them again in so narrow a compass There are generally near 100 Nuts in a Cod in proportion to the greatness of which for it varies the Nuts are bigger or less When taken out they dry them in the Sun upon Mats spread on the ground after which they need no more care having a thin hard skin of their own and much Oil which preserves them Salt water will
never see one Pearl Oyster about them nor any Pearl Oyster Shells but on the other Oysters I have made many a Meal there The northermost Island of all this range is called Pacheca or Pacheque This is but a small Island distant from Panama 11 or 12 leagues The Southermost of them is called St. Pauls Besides these two I know no more that are called by any particular name though there are many that far exceed either of the two in bigness Some of these Islands are planted with Plantains and Bonanas and there are Fields of Rice on others of them The Gentlemen of Panama to whom they belong keep Negroes there to plant weed and husband the Plantations Many of them especially the largest are wholly untill'd yet very good fat Land full of large Trees These unplanted Islands shelter many Runaway Negroes who abscond in the Woods all day and in the night boldly pillage the Plantain Walks Betwixt these Islands and the Main is a Channel of 7 or 8 leagues wide there is good depth of Water and good anchoring all the way The Islands border thick on each other yet they make many small narrow deep Channels fit only for Boats to pass between most of them At the S. E. end about a league from St. Pauls Island there is a good place for Ships to careen or hale ashore It is surrounded with the Land and hath a good deep Channel on the North side to go in at The tide riseth here about 10 foot perpendicular We brought our Ships into this place the 25th day but were forced to tarry for a Spring Tide before we could have Water enough to clean them therefore we first cleaned our Barks that they might cruise before Panama while we lay here The 27th day our Barks being clean we sent them out with 20 Men in each The fourth day after they returned with a Prize laden with Maiz or Indian Corn Salt Beef and Fowls She came from Lavelia and was bound to Panama Lavelia is a Town we once designed to attempt It is pretty large and stands on the Banks of a River on the North side of the Bay of Panama 6 or 7 leagues from the Sea Nata is another such Town standing in a Plain near another branch of the same River In these Towns and some others on the same Coast they breed Hogs Fowls Bulls and Cows and plant Maize purposely for the support of Panama which is supplied with Provision mostly from other Towns and the neighbouring Islands The Beef and Fowl our Men took came to us in a good time for we had eaten but little Flesh since we left the Island Plata The Harbor where we careen'd was incompassed by three Islands and our Ships rode in the middle That on which we haled our Ships ashore was a little Island on the North side of the Harbor The was a fine small sandy Bay but all the rest of the Island was invironed with Rocks on which at low Water we did use to gather Oysters Clams Muscles and Limpits The Clam is a sort of Oyster which grows so fast to the Rock that there is no separating it from thence therefore we did open it where it grows and take out the Meat which is very large fat and sweet Here are a few common Oysters such as we have in England of which sort I have met with none in these Seas but here at Point Garachina at Puna and on the Mexican Coast in the lat of 23 d. North. I have a Manuscript of Mr. Teat Captain Swan's chief Mate which gives an account of Oysters plentifully found in Port St. Julian on the East side and somewhat to the North of the Streights of Magellan but there is no mention made of what Oysters they are Here are some Guanoes but we found no other sort of Land Animal Here are also some Pigeons and Turtle-Doves The rest of the Islands that incompass this Harbor had of all these sorts of Creatures Our Men therefore did every day go over in Canoas to them to fish fowl or hunt for Guanoes but having one Man surprized once by some Spaniards lying there in Ambush and carried off by them to Panama we were after that more cautious of straggling The 14th day of February 1685. we made an end of cleaning our Ship fill'd all our Water and stock'd our selves with Fire-wood The 15th day we went out from among the Islands and anchored in the Channel between them and the Main in 25 fathom Water fast oazy ground The Plate Fleet was not yet arrived therefore we intended to cruise before the City of Panama which is from this place about 25 leagues The next day we sailed towards Panama passing in the Channel between the Kings Islands and the Main It is very pleasant sailing here having the Main on one side which appears in divers forms It is beautified with many small Hills cloathed with Woods of divers sorts of Trees which are always green and flourishing There are some few small high Islands within a league of the Main scattering here and there one These are partly woody partly bare and they as well as the Main appear very pleasant The Kings Islands are on the other side of this Channel and make also a very lovely prospect as you sail by them These as I have already noted are low and flat appearing in several shapes according as they are naturally formed by many small Creeks and Branches of the Sea The 16th day we anchored at Pacheque in 17 fathom Water about a league from the Island and sailed from thence the next day with the Wind at N. N. E. directing our course towards Panama When we came abrest of Old Panama we anchored and sent our Canoa ashore with our Prisoner Don Diego de Pinas with a Letter to the Governor to treat about an Exchange for our Man they had spirited away as I said and another Captain Harris left in the River of St. Maria the year before coming over Land Don Diego was desirous to go on this Errand in the name and with the consent of the rest of our Spanish Prisoners but by some accident he was killed before he got ashore as we heard afterwards Old Panama was formerly a famous place but it was taken by Sir Henry Morgan about the year 1673. and at that time great part of it was burned to ashes and it was never re-edified since New Panama is a very fair City standing close by the Sea about 4 mile from the Ruines of the Old Town It gives name to a large Bay which is famous for a great many navigable Rivers some whereof are very rich in Gold it is also very pleasantly sprinkled with Islands that are not only profitable to their Owners but very delightful to the Passengers and Seamen that sail by them some of which I have already described It is incompassed on the backside with a pleasant Country which is full of small Hills and Valleys beautified with
aboard Captain Davis his Ship Captain Swan also sprung his Maintop Mast and got up another but while he was doing it and we were making the best of our way we lost sight of him and were now on the North side of the Bay for this way all Ships must pass from Panama whether bound towards the Coast of Mexico or Peru. The 10th day we passed by Moro de Porcos or the Mountain of Hogs Why so called I know not it is a high round Hill on the Coast of Lavelia This side of the Bay of Panama runs out westerly to the Islands of Quibo there are on this Coast many Rivers and Creeks but none so large as those on the South side of the Bay It is a Coast that is partly mountainous partly low land and very thick of Woods bordering on the Sea but a few leagues within land it consists mostly of Savannahs which are stock'd with Bulls and Cows The Rivers on this side are not wholly destitute of Gold though not so rich as the Rivers on the other side of the Bay The Coast is but thinly inhabited for except the Rivers that lead up to the Towns of Nata and Lavelia I know of no other Settlement between Panama and Puebla Nova The Spaniards may travel by land from Panama through all the Kingdom of Mexico as being full of Savannahs but towards the Coast of Peru they cannot pass further than the River Cheapo the Land there being so full of thick Woods and watered with so many great Rivers besides less Rivers and Creeks that the Indians themselves who inhabit there cannot travel far without much trouble We met with very wet weather in our Voyage to Quibo and with S. S. W. and sometimes S. W. Winds which retarded our course It was the 15th day of June when we arrived at Quibo and found there Captain Harris whom we sought The Island Quibo or Cabaya is in lat 7d 14m North of the Equator It is about 6 or 7 leagues long and 3 or 4 broad The Land is low except only near the N. E. end It is all over plentifully stored with great tall flourishing Trees of many sorts and there is good water on the East and North East sides of the Island Here are some Deer and plenty of pretty large black Monkies whose Flesh is sweet and wholsome besides a few Guanoes and some Snakes I know no other sort of Land Animal on the Island There is a shole runs out from the S. E. point of the Island half a mile into the Sea and a league to the North of this shole point on the East side there is a Rock about a mile from the shore which at the last quarter ebb appears above Water Besides these two places there is no danger on this side but Ships may run within a quarter of a mile of the shore and anchor in 6 8 10 or 12 fathom good clean Sand and Oaze There are many other Islands lying some on the S. W. side others on the N. and N. E. sides of this Island as the Island Quicaro which is a pretty large Island S. W. of Quibo and on the North of it is a small Island called the Ranoheria on which Island are plenty of Palma-Maria Trees The Palma-Maria is a tall straight-bodied Tree with a small Head but very unlike the Palm-tree notwithstanding the Name It is greatly esteemed for making Masts being very tough as well as of a good length for the grain of the Wood runs not straight along it but twisting gradually about it These Trees grow in many places of the West Indies and are frequently used both by the English and Spaniards there for that use The Islands Canales and Cantarras are small Islands lying on the N. E. of Rancheria These have all Channels to pass between and good anchoring about them and they are as well stored with Trees and Water as Quibo Sailing without them all they appear to be part of the Main The Island Quibo is the largest and most noted for although the rest have Names yet they are seldom used only for distinction sake these and the rest of this knot passing all under the common name of the Keys of Quibo Captain Swan gave to several of these Islands the Names of those English Merchants and Gentlemen who were Owners of his Ship June 16th Captain Swan came to an anchor by us and then our Captains consulted about new methods to advance their fortunes and because they were now out of hopes to get any thing at Sea they resolved to try what the Land would afford They demanded of our Pilots what Towns on the Coast of Mexico they could carry us to The City of Leon being the chiefest in the Country any thing near us though a pretty way within Land was pitcht on But now we wanted Canoas to land our Men and we had no other way but to cut down Trees and make as many as we had occasion for these Islands affording plenty of large Trees fit for our purpose While this was doing we sent 150 Men to take Puebla Nova a Town upon the Main near the innermost of these Islands to get Provision It was in going to take this Town that Captain Sawkins was killed in the year 1680 who was succeeded by Sharp Our Men took the Town with much ease although there was more strength of Men than when Captain Sawkins was kill'd They returned again the 24th day but got no Provision there They took an empty Bark in their way and brought her to us The 5th day of July Captain Knight mentioned in my last Chapter came to us He had been cruising a great way to the Westward but got nothing beside a good Ship At last he went to the South-ward as high as the Bay of Guiaquil where he took a Bark-log or pair of Bark-logs as we call it laden chiefly with Flower She had other Goods as Wine Oyl Brandy Sugar Soap and Leather of Goats-skins and he took out as much of each as he had occasion for and then turned her away again The Master of the Float told him that the Kings Ships were gone from Lima towards Panama that they carried but half the Kings Treasure with them for fear of us although they had all the strength that the Kingdom could afford that all the Merchant Ships which should have gone with them were laden and lying at Payta where they were to wait for further orders Captain Knight having but few Men did not dare to go to Payta where if he had been better provided he might have taken them all but he made the best of his way into the Bay of Panama in hopes to find us there inriched with the Spoils of the Lima Fleet but coming to the Kings Islands he had advice by a Prisoner that we had ingaged with their Fleet but were worsted and since that made our way to the Westward and therefore he came hither to seek us He presently
for the Europeans coming Eastward by the Cape of Good Hope in a course contrary to the Sun and us where-ever we met they were a full day before us in their Accounts So among the Indian Mahometans here their Friday the day of their Sultans going to their Mosques was Thursday 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 same computation with our selves the reason of which I take to be that they settled that Colony by a course Westward 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 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 reason why Seamen ought to keep the difference of time as exact as they can is that they may be the more exact in their Lo ngitude For our Tables of the Suns declination being calculated for the Meridians of the places in which they were made differ about 12 minutes from those parts of the World that lie on their opposite Meridians in the months of March and September and in proportion to the Suns declination at other times of the year also And should they run farther as we did the difference would still increase upon them and be an occasion of great errours Yet even able Seamen in these Voyages are hardly made sensible of this tho so necessary to be observed for want of duly attending to the reason of it as it happened among those of our crew who after we had past 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 N. N. E. fair clear Weather and a brisk gale We coasted to the West-ward on the South side of the Island Mindanao keeping within 4 or 5 leagues of the shore The Land from hence trends away W. by S. It is of a good heighth by the Sea and very Woody and in the Country we say high Hills The next day we were abrest off Chambongo a Town in this Island and 30 leagues from the River of Mindanao Here is said to be a good Harbour and a great settlement with plenty of Beef and Buffaloe It is reported that the Spaniards were formerly fortified here also There are 2 shoals lie off this place 2 or 3 leagues from the shore From hence the Land is more low and even yet there are some Hills in the Country About 6 leagues before we came to the West end of the Island Mindanao we fell in with a great many small low Islands or Keys and about 2 or 3 leagues to the Southward of these Keys there is a long Island stretching N. E. and S. W. about 12 leagues This Island is low by the Sea on the North side and has a ridge of Hills in the middle running from one end to the other Between this Island and the small Keys there is a good large Channel Among the Keys also there is good depth of Water and a violent Tide but on what point of the compass it flows I know not nor how much it riseth and falls The 17th day we anchored on the East side of all these Keys in 8 fathom water clean Sand. Here are plenty of green Turtle whose flesh is as sweet as any in the West Indies but they are very shy A little to the Westward of these Keys on the Island Mindanan we saw abundance of Coco-nut Trees Therefore we sent our Canoa ashore thinking to find Inhabitants but found none nor sign of any but great tracks of Hogs and great Cattle and close by the Sea there were the ruins of an old Fort. The Walls thereof were of a good heighth built with Stone and Lime and by the Wokrmanship seem'd to be Spanish From this place the Land trends W. N. W. and is of an indifferent heighth by the Sea It run on this point of the Compass 4 or 5 leagues and then the Land trends away N. N. W. 5 or 6 leagues farther making with many bluff points We weigh'd again the 14th day and went thro between the Keys but met such uncertain Tydes that we were forced to anchor again The 22d day we got about the Westermost point of all Mindanao and stood to the Northward plying under the shore and having the Wind at N. N. E. a fresh gale As we sailed along further we found the Land to trend N. N. E. On this part of the Island the Land is high by the Sea with full bluff points and very Woody There are some small sandy Bays which afford streams of fresh Water Here we met with two Proe's belonging to the 〈◊〉 one of the Mindanaian Nations before mentioned They came from Manila laden with Silks and Calicoes We kept on this Western part of the Island steering Northerly till we came abrest of some other of the Philippine Islands that lay to the Northward of us then steered away towards them but still keeping on the West side of them and we had the Winds at N. N. E. The 3d of February we anchored in a good bay on the West side of an Island in lat 9 d. 55 m. where we had 13 fathom Water good soft oaze This Island hath no name that we could find in any book but lieth on the West side of Island Sebo It is about 8 or 10 leagues long Mountainous and Woody At this place Captain Read who was the same Captain Swan had so much railed against in his Journal and was now made Captain in his room as Captain Teat was made Master and Mr. Henry More Quartermaster ordered the Carpenters to cut down our Quarter Deck to make the Ship snug and the fitter for sailing When that was done we heeled her scrubbed her bottom and tallowed it Then we fill'd 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 several kinds very thick and tall In some places we found plenty of Canes such as we use in England for Walking-canes These were short jointed not above two foot and a half or two foot ten inches the longest and most of them not above two foot They run along on the ground like a Vine or taking hold of the Trees they climb up to their very tops They are 15 or 20 fathom long and much of a bigness from the root till within 5 or 6 fathom of the end They are of a pale green colour cloathed over with a coat of a short thick hairy substance of a dun colour but it comes off by only drawing the Cane thro your hand We did cut many of them
observed his Method in curing the Horse which was this First he strok'd the sore Place then applying to it a little rough Powder which looked like Tobacco Leaves dryed and crumbled small mumbling some Words to himself he blew upon the part three times and waving his Hands as often over it said it would be well speedily His Fee for the Cure was a White Cock Then coming to me and looking on the Worm in my Ancle he promised to cure it in three Days demanding also a White Cock for his pains and using exactly the same Method with me as he did with the Horse He bad me not open it in three Days but I did not stay so long for the next Morning the Cloath being rubb'd off I unbound it and found the Worm broken off and the Hole quite healed up I was afraid the remaining part would have given some trouble but have not felt any pain there from that day to this To return I told you how I was interrupted in following my Work by the Worms breeding in my Leg. And to compleat my misfortune presently after we had the most violent Storm for above 24 Hours that ever was known in these Parts An Account of which I shall give more particularly in my Discourse of Winds and shall now only mention some Passages I have already said we were four of us in Company at this Place cutting Logwood and by this Storm were reduced to great Inconveniencies for while that lasted we could dress no Victuals nor even now it was over unless we had done it in the Canoa for the highest Land near us was almost 3 Foot under Water besides our Provision too was most of it spoiled except the Beef and Pork which was but little the worse We had a good Canoa large enough to carry us all and seeing it in vain to stay here any longer we all embarked and rowed away to One-Bush-Key about 4 Leagues from our Huts There were 4 Ships riding here when the Storm began but at our arrival we found only one and hoped to have got some Refreshment from it but found very cold entertainment For we could neither get Bread nor Punch nor so much as a Dram of Rum though we offered them Money for it The Reason was they were already over-charged with such as being distressed by the Storm had been forced to take Sanctuary with them seeing we could not be supplied here we asked which way the other three Ships were driven they told us that Capt. Prout of New-England was driven towards Trist and 't was probable he was carried out to Sea unless he stuck on a Sand called the Middle Ground that Capt. Skinner of New-England was driven towards Beef-Island and Captain Chandler of London drove away towards Man-of-War Lagune Beef-Island lies North from One-Bush-Key but the other two Places lie a little on each side One to the East the other to the West So away we went for Beef-Island and coming within a League of it we saw a Flag in the Woods made fast to a Pole and placed on the Top of a high Tree And coming still nearer we at last saw a Ship in the Woods about 200 Yards from the Sea We rowed directly towards her and when we came to the Woods side found a pretty clear Passage made by the Ship through the Woods the Trees being all broke down And about three Foot Water Home to the Ship We rowed in with our Canoa and went Aboard and were kindly Entertained by the Seamen but the Captain was gone Aboard Captain Prout who stuck fast on the middle Ground before-mentioned Captain Prout's Ship was afterwards got off again but the Stumps of the Trees ran clear through the bottom of Captain Skinner's therefore there was no hope of saving her Here we got Victuals and Punch and stayed about two Hours in which time the Captain came Aboard and invited us to stay all Night But hearing some Guns fired in Man-of-War Lagune we concluded that Captain Chandler was there and wanted assistance Therefore we presently rowed away thither for we could do no Service here and before Night found him also stuck fast on a Point of Sand. The Head of his Ketch was dry and at the Stern there was above 4 Foot Water Our coming was very seasonable to Captain Chandler with whom we stayed two Days in which time we got out all his Goods carried off his Anchor c. and so not being able as yet to do him more Service we left him for the present and went away to hunt at Beef-Island At Trist were four Vessels riding before this Storm one of them was driven off to Sea and never heard of afterwards Another was cast dry upon the shore where she lay and was never got off again But the third rode it out Another was riding without the Bar of Trist and she put to Sea and got to New-England but much shattered About three days before this Storm began a small Vessel Commanded by Captain Vally went hence bound to Jamaica This Vessel was given for lost by all the Logwood-Cutters but about 4 Months after she returned thither again and the Captain said he felt nothing of the Storm but when he was about 30 Leagues to Wind-ward of Trist he had a fresh Summasenta-Wind that carried him as high as Cape Condecedo but all the time he saw very black Clouds to the Westward Beef-Island is about 7 Leagues long and 3 or 4 broad It lies in length East and West The East end looks toward the Island Trist and is low drowned Land and near the Sea produceth nothing but white and black Mangrove-Trees The North side lies open to the Main Sea running straight from East to West The Eastermost part for about three Leagues from Trist is Low and Mangrovy at the end of which there is a small salt Creek deep enough at high Water for Boats to pass From this Creek to the West end is 4 Leagues all sandy Bay closed on the backside with a low Sand-bank abounding with thick prickly Bushes like a White-thorn bearing a whitish hard Shell-Fruit as big as a Sloe much like a Calla-bash The West end is washed with the River St. Peter St. Paul This end is over-grown with red Mangroves About 3 Leagues up from the Mouth of this River shoots forth a small Branch running to the Eastward and dividing Beef-Island form the Main on the South and afterwards makes a great Lake of fresh Water called Fresh Water Lagune This afterward falls into a Salt Lake called Man-of-War Lagune which emptys it self into Laguna Termina about 2 Leagues from the S. E. Point of the Island The inside or middle of this Island is a Savannah bordered all round with Trees most Mangrovy either black white or red with some Logwood The South side between the Savannahs and the Mangroves is very rich Sometimes this Land lyes in Ridges higher than the Savannahs The Savannahs produce plenty of long Grass and the Ridges
Trade-Winds so has the Coast of Mexico and Guinea And as the Coast of Peru lies North and South so those lye nearest East and West According to the Course of the general Trade the Winds should be Easterly on these Coasts but here we meet with the quite contrary for from the Lat. of 10 d. North to 20 d. North on the Coast of Mexico the Winds are constantly near the West on all the Coast except check'd sometimes with Tornadoes which do commonly rise against the Wind the same is observed on the Coast of Angola where there are Tornadoes also But the Coast of Peru is not subject to any yet on that Coast there are sometimes Calms two or three days together off of the Bay of Arica between the Lat. of 16 and 23. In the Lat. of 19 you shall have Calms 30 or 40 Leagues off Shore but not so far on either side the Bay neither are such Calms usual on the Coasts of Angola and Mexico only after a Tornado as is common in other Places As the Coasts of Angola and Peru do in most things run parallel each with other so do the Coasts of Mexico and Guinea And if I am not mistaken the Winds on both these Coasts are much alike Both these Coasts do begin at the Bite or Bending of the Land where the other two Parallel Lands do end for as the Mexican Continent begins at or near Panama which is 8 or 9 degrees North of the Equator so that part of Guinea which I speak of begins about Old Callabar in about 4 or 5 degrees of North Lat. The Land trends away Westerly from both these Places some hundreds of Leagues and though not on one Point of the Compass because of the small Points Bays and Bending in the Land yet the Winds that on more regular Shores keep their constant Course and blow in upon the Shore about two Points from the Sea do also here on the Guinea Coast blow on the Shore from the West Quarter and as the Land lies Pointing in on the Shore even from Cape Mount to Old Callabar which is above 400 Leagues and that with such constancy that the East part of that Coast is called the Leeward Coast and the West part the Wind-ward Coast And yet this is so contrary to the general Opinion of Seamen concerning the Course of the Winds that nothing but their own experience will convince them of the Truth of it for thus they generally reason Barbardoes is the Easter-most of the Carribe Islands therefore the rest are said to be to Leeward of it and so of any other Island as indeed it usually holds true because the Winds there are commonly at East but this Counter Wind on the Coast of Guinea astonishes most Seamen that have seen nothing like what they meet with here There are other Coasts where the Winds shift very little as on the Coast of Carraccos and the South side of the Bay of Mexico i. e. in the Bay of Compechy and all the Carribe Islands Indeed there may be sometimes some small flurts of a Westerly Wind on these Coasts but neither constant certain nor lasting And indeed this was the great stumbling Block that we met with in running from the Gallapagos Islands for the Island Cocos mentioned in my former Book Chap. 5. Pag. 111. But that part of Africa which lies between Cape Verd in 14 d. North and Cape Bayedore in 27. has commonly Northerly Winds or between the N. and N. E. very fresh gales therefore our Guinea Ships bound to Guinea strive to keep near that Shore and oft times make the Capes And being to the Southward of Cape Blanco which lyes in Lat. about 21. they are sometimes so troubled with the Sand which the Wind brings off Shore that they are scarce able to see one another Their Decks are all strewed with it and their Sails all red as if they were tann'd with the Sand that sticks to them it being of a reddish colour From Cape Verd to Cape St. Anns which is about 6 degrees North the Trade is between the E. and S. E. from Cape St. Anns to Cape Palmas in about 4 d. North the Trade is at S. W. from Cape Palmas to the Bite of Guinea which is at the bending of the Coast the Wind is at W. S. W. from this bending the Land begins to turn about to the South and from thence to Cape Lopos which is to the South of the Line the Trade is at S. S. W. as it is on all that Coast even to 30 degrees South This last Account I had from Mr. Canby who has made many Voyages to Guinea CHAP. III. Of the coasting Trade-Winds that shift The Coasts where the Winds shift Of the Winds between Gratia de Dios and Cape La Vela Of those on the Coast of Brazil At Panama About Natal And Cape Corientes And the Red-Sea From the Gulph of Persia to Cape Comorin Of the Monsoons in India Their Benefit for sailing from Place to Place Sea and Land Breezes serviceable for the same purpose By what helps long Voyages are made in an open Sea THE Coasts where the Winds do usually shift are some in the West Indies as that part of the Coast between Cape Gratia de Dios and Cape La Vela chiefly The Coast of Brazil the Bay of Panama in the South Seas and all the Coast of the East Indies even from the River Natal which is in the Lat. of 30 d. South on the East side of Africa beyond the Cape of good Hope to the North East Parts of China comprehending all the Bays between The Islands also have their Annual changes Of all these I shall treat in their order beginning first with that Coast which lyes between Cape Gratia de Dios and Cape La Vela And I the rather begin with this part first because this part of the West Indies is all that is subject to change neither is the change altogether so orderly or certain as the Monsoones in the East Indies or the shifting Winds on the Coast of Brazil The Common Trade-Wind on this Coast is between the N. E. and the East This Trade blows constantly from March till November but is often check'd with Tornadoes in the Months of May June July and August especially between the River of Darien and Costarica but to Wind-ward there is a more serene Air and a brisker Wind From October till March there are Westerly Winds not constant norviolent but blowing moderately sometimes 2 or 3 Days or a Week and then the Breez may blow again as long These Winds are most in December and January before and after these two Months the Trade-Wind is only check'd a Day or two near the full or change of the Moon and when the Westerly Winds blow longest and strongest on the Coast the Easterly Trade-Wind blows off at Sea as at other times Near Cape La Vela the true Trade blows within 8 or 10 Leagues off the Shore when the Westerly
down in Lat. 12 d. 16 m. It is about 20 leagues from the Main and 9 or 10 from Querisao and is accounted 16 or 17 leagues round The Road is on the S. W. side near the middle of the Island where there is a pretty deep Bay runs in Ships that come from the Eastward luff up close to the Eastern shore and let go their Anchor in 60 fathom water within half a Cables length of the shore But at the same time they must be ready with a Boat to carry a Hasar or Rope and make it fast ashore otherwise when the Land-wind comes in the night the Ship would drive off to Sea again for the ground is so steep that no Anchor can hold if once it starts About half a mile to the Westward of this Anchoring place there is a small low Island and a Channel between it and the main Island The Houses are about half a mile within Land right in the Road There is a Governour lives here a Deputy to the Governor of Querisao and 7 or 8 Soldiers with 5 or 6 Families of Indians There is no Fort and the Soldiers in peaceable times have little to do but to eat and sleep for they never watch but in time of War The Indians are Husband-men and plant Maiz and Guinea Corn and some Yames and Potatoes But their chiefest business is about Cattle for this Island is plentifully stocked with Goats and they send great quantities every year in Salt to Querisao There are some Horses and Bulls and Cows but I never saw any Sheep though I have been all over the Island The South side is plain low Land and there are several sorts of Trees but none very large There is a small Spring of water by the Houses which serves the Inhabitants though it is brackish At the West end of the Island there is a good Spring of Fresh water and 3 or 4 Indian Families live there but no Water nor Houses at any other place On the South side near the East-end is a good Salt-pond where Dutch Sloops come for Salt From Bon-Airy we went to the Isle of Aves or Birds so called from its great plenty of Birds as Men of War and Boobies but especially Boobies The Booby is a Water-fowl somewhat less than a Hen of a light greyish colour I observ'd the Boobies of this Island to be whiter than others This Bird hath a strong Bill longer and bigger than a Crows and broader at the end her Feet are flat like a Ducks Feet It is a very simple creature and will hardly go out of a mans way In other places they build their Nests on the ground but here they build on Trees which I never saw any where else tho I have seen of them in a great many places Their Flesh is black and eats Fishy but are often eaten by the Privateers Their numbers have been much lessen'd by the French Fleet which lay here till it was lost as I shall give an account The Man of War as it is called by the English is about the bigness of a Kite and in shape like it but black and the Neck is red It lives on Fish yet never lights on the Water but soars aloft like a Kite and when it sees its prey it flys down head foremost to the waters edge very swiftly takes his prey out of the Sea with his Bill and immediately mounts again as swiftly and never touching the Water but with his Bill His Wings are very long His Feet are like other Land-Fowl and he builds on Trees where he finds any but where they are wanting on the ground This Island Aves lies about 8 or 9 leagues to the Eastward of the Island Bon-airy about 14 or 15 leagues from the Main and about the lat of 11d 45m North. It is but small not above 4 mile in length and towards the East end not half a mile broad On the North side it is low Land commonly overflown with the Tide but on the Southside there is a great Rocky Bank of Coral thrown up by the Sea The West end is for near a mile space plain even Savanah Land without any Trees There are 2 or 3 Wells dug by Privateers who often frequent this Island because there is a good Harbor about the middle of it on the North side where they may conveniently careen The Riff or Bank of Rocks on which the French Fleet was lost as I mentioned above runs along from the East end to the Northward about 3 mile then tends away to the Westward making as it were a Half Moon This Riff breaks off all the Sea and there is good riding in even sandy ground to the Westward of it There are 2 or 3 small low sandy Keys or Islands within this Riff about 3 miles from the Main Island The Count de Estree lost his Fleet here in this manner Coming from the Eastward he fell in on the back of the Riff and fired Guns to give warning to the rest of his Fleet But they supposing their Admiral was engaged with Enemies hoised up their Topsails and crowded all the Sail they could make and ran full sail ashore after him all within half a mile of each other For his Light being in the Main Top was an unhappy Beacon for them to follow and there escaped but one Kings-ship and one Privateer The Ships continued whole all day and the Men had time enough most of them to get ashore yet many perished in the Wreck and many of those that got safe on the Island for want of being accustomed to such hardships died like rotten Sheep But the Privateers who had been used to such accidents lived merrily from whom I had this relation and they told me that if they had gone to Jamaica with 30 l. a Man in their Pockets they could not have enjoyed themselves more For they kept in a Gang by themselves and watched when the Ships broke to get the Goods that came from them and though much was staved against the Rocks yet abundance of Wine and Brandy floated over the Riff where these Privateers waited to take it up They lived here about 3 weeks waiting an opportunity to transport themselves back again to Hispaniola in all which time they were never without 2 or 3 Hogsheads of Wine and Brandy in their Tents and Barrels of Beef and Pork which they could live on without Bread well enough tho the new-comers out of France could not There were about 40 Frenchmen on board in one of the Ships where there was good store of Liquor till the after part of her broke away and floated over the Riff and was carry'd away to Sea with all the men drinking and singing who being in drink did not mind the danger but were never heard of afterwards In a short time after this great Shipwrack Captain Pain Commander of a Privateer of 6 Guns had a pleasant accident befel him at this Island He came hither to Careen intending to fit
from all parts But Panama as it is not overcharg d with men so unreasonably as the other tho very full so it enjoys a good air lying open to the Sea wind which riseth commonly about 10 or 11 a clock in the morning and continues till 8 or 9 a clock at night then the Land wind comes and blows till 8 or 9 in the morning There are no Woods nor Marshes near Panama but a brave dry Champain land not subject to fogs nor mists The wet season begins in the latter end of May and continues till November At that time the Sea breezes are at S. S. W. and the Land winds at N. At the dry season the winds are most betwixt the E. N. E. and the North Yet off in the Bay they are commonly at South but of this I shall be more particular in my Chapter of Winds in the Appendix The rains are not so excessive about Panama it self as on either side of the Bay yet in the months of June July and August they are severe enough Gentlemen that come from Peru to Panama especially in these months cut their hair close to preserve them from Fevers for the place is sickly to them because they come out of a Country which never hath any Rains or Fogs but enjoys a constant serenity but I am apt to believe this City is healthy enough to any other people Thus much for Panama The 20th day we went and anchored within a league of the Islands Perico which are only 3 little barren rocky Islands in expectation of the President of Panama s Answer to the Letter I said we sent him by Don Diego treating about exchange of Prisoners this being the day on which he had given us his Parole to return with an Answer The 21st day we took another Baâ—…k laden with Hogs Fowl Salt Beef and Molossoes she came from Lavelia and was going to Panama In the afternoon we sent another Letter ashore by a young Mostiso a mixt brood of Indians and Europeans directed to the President and 3 or 4 Copies of it to be dispersed abroad among the common People This Letter which was full of Threats together with the young Man's managing the business wrought so powerfully among the common People that the City was in an uproar The President immediately sent a Gentleman aboard who demanded the Flower Prize that we took off of Gallo and all the Prisoners for the Ransom of our two Men but our Captains told him they would exchange Man for Man The Gentleman said he had not orders for that but if we would stay till the next day he would bring the Governours answer The next day he brought aboard our two Men and had about 40 Prisoners in exchange The 24th day we run over to the Island Tabago Tabago is in the Bay and about 6 leagues South of Panama It is about 3 mile long and 2 broad a high mountainous Island On the North side it declines with a gentle descent to the Sea The Land by the Sea is of a black Mold and deep but toward the top of the Mountain it is strong and dry The North side of this Island makes a very pleasant shew it seems to be a Garden of Fruit inclosed with many high Trees the chiefest Fruits are Plantains and Bonana's They thrive very well from the foot to the middle of it but those near the top are but small as wanting moisture Close by the Sea there are many Coco Nut Trees which make a very pleasant sight Within the Coco Nut Trees there grow many Mammet Trees The Mammet is a large tall and streight-bodied Tree clean without Knots or Limbs for 60 or 70 foot or more The Head spreads abroad into many small Limbs which grow pretty thick and close together The Bark is of a dark grey colour thick and rough full of large chops The Fruit is bigger than Quince it is round and covered with a thick Rind of a grey colour When the Fruit is ripe the Rind is yellow and tough and it will then peel off like Leather but before it is ripe it is brittle the Juice is then white and clammy but when ripe not so The ripe Fruit under the Rind is yellow as a Carret and in the middle are two large rough Stones flat and each of them much bigger than an Almond The Fruit smells very well and the taste is answerable to the smell The S. W. end of the Island hath never been cleared but is full of Fire-wood and Trees of divers sorts There is a very fine small Brook of fresh Water that springs out of the side of the Mountain and gliding through the Grove of Fruit-trees falls into the Sea on the North side There was a small Town standing by the Sea with a Church at one end but now the biggest part of it is destroyed by the Privateers There is good anchoring right against the Town about a mile from the shore where you may have 16 or 18 fathom Water soft oazy ground There is a small Island close by the N. W. end of this called Tabogilla which is a small Channel to pass between There is another woody Island about a mile on the N. E. side of Tabago and a good Channel between them this Island hath no Name that ever I heard While we lay at Tabago we had like to have had a scurvy trick plaid us by a pretended Merchant from Panama who came as by stealth to traffick with us privately a thing common enough with the Spanish Merchants both in the North and South Seas notwithstanding the severe Prohibitions of the Governours who yet sometimes connive at it and will even trade with the Privateers themselves Our Merchant was by agreement to bring out his Bark laden with Goods in the night and we to go and anchor at the South of Perico Out he came with a Fireship instead of a Bark and approached very near haling us with the Watch word we had agreed upon We suspecting the worst call d to them to come to an anchor and upon their not doing so fired at them when immediately their Men going out into the Canoas set fire to their Ship which blew up and burnt close by us so that we were forced to cut our Cables in all haste and scamper away as well as we could The Spaniard was not altogether so politick in appointing to meet us at Perico for there we had Sea-room whereas had he come thus upon us at Tabago the Land-wind bearing hard upon us as it did we must either have been burnt by the Fireship or upon loosing our Cables have been driven ashore But I suppose they chose Perico rather for the Scene of their Enterprize partly because they might there best sculk among the Islands and partly because if their Exploit fail d they could thence escape best from our Canoas to Panama but 2 leagues off During this Exploit Captain Swan whose Ship was less than ours and so not so much
and West Indies for thatching Houses they are very lasting and serviceable much surpassing the Palmeto For this Thatch if well laid on will endure 5 or 6 years and this is called by the Spaniards the Palmeto Royal. The English at Jamaica give it the same Name Whether this be the same which they in Guinea get the Palm-wine from I know not but I know that it is like this The Land in the Country is full of small peeked barren Hills making as many little Valleys which appear flourishing and green At the West end of this Bay is the Hill of Petaplan in lat 17d 30 m. N. This is a round point stretching out into the Sea at a distance it seems to be an Island A little to the West of this Hill are several round Rocks which we left without us steering in between them and the round point where we had 11 fathom water We came to an anchor on the N. W. side of the Hill and went ashore about 170 Men of us and marched into the Country 12 or 14 miles There we came to a poor Indian Village that did not afford us a Meal of Victuals The people all fled only a Mulatto woman and 3 or 4 small Children who were taken and brought aboard She told us that a Carrier one who drives a Caravan of Mules was going to Acapulco laden with Flower and other Goods but stopt in the Road for fear of us a little to the West of this Village for he had heard of our being on this Coast and she thought he still remained there and therefore it was we kept the Woman to be our Guide to carry us to that place At this place where we now lay our Moskito-men struck some small Turtle and many small Jew-fish The Jew-fish is a very good Fish and I judge so called by the English because it hath Scales and Fins therefore a clean Fish according to the Levitical Law and the Jews at Jamaica buy them and eat them very freely It is a very large Fish shaped much like a Cod but a great deal bigger one will weigh 3 or 4 or 5 hundred weight It hath 3 large head with great Fins and Scales as big as an Half-Crown answerable to the bigness of his body It is very sweet Meat and commonly fat This Fish lives among Rocks there are plenty of them in the West Indies about Jamaica and the Coast of Caraccos but chiefly in these Seas especially more Westward We went from hence with our Ships the 18th day and steered West about 2 leagues farther to a place called Chequetan A mile and half from the shore there is a small Key and within it is a very good Harbour where Ships may careen there is also a small River of fresh water and wood enough The 14th day in the morning we went with 95 Men in 6 Canoas to seek for the Carrier taking the Mulatto woman for our Guide but Captain Townly would not go with us Before day we landed at a place called Estapa a league to the West of Chequetan The woman was well acquainted here having been often at this place for Muscles as she told us for here are great plenty of them they seem in all respects like our English Muscles She carry'd us through the pathless Wood by the side of a River for about a league then we came into a Savannah full of Bulls and Cows and here the Carrier before mentioned was lying at the Estantion-house with his Mules not having dared to advance all this while as not knowing where we lay so his own fear made him his Mules and all his Goods become a Prey to us He had 40 packs of Flower some Chocolate a great many small Cheeses and abundance of Earthen Ware The eatables we brought away but the Earthen Vessels we had no occasion for and therefore left them The Mules were about 60 we brought our Prize with them to the shore and so turn'd them away Here we also kill'd some Cows and brought with us to our Canoas In the afternoon our Ships came to an anchor half a mile from the place where we landed and then we went aboard Captain Townly seeing our good success went ashore with his Men to kill some Cows for here were no Inhabitants near to oppose us The Land is very woody of a good fertile soil watered with many small Rivers yet it hath but few Inhabitants near the Sea Captain Townly killed 18 Beefs and after he came aboard our Men contrary to Captain Swan's inclination gave Captain Townly part of the Flower which we took ashore Afterwards we gave the Woman some Cloaths for her and her Children and put her and two of them ashore but one of them a very pretty Boy about 7 or 8 years old Captain Swan kept The Woman cried and begg'd hard to have him but Captain Swan would not but promis'd to make much of him and was as good as his word He proved afterwards a very fine Boy for Wit Courage and Dexterity I have often wonder'd at his Expressions and Actions The 21st day in the evening we sailed hence with the Land-wind The Land-winds on this part of the Coast are at N. and the Sea-winds at W. S. W. We had fair weather and coasted along to the Westward The Land is high and full of ragged Hills and West from these ragged Hills the Land makes many pleasant and fruitful Valleys among the Mountains The 25th day we were abrest of a very remarkable Hill which towring above the rest of its fellows is divided in the top and makes two small parts It is in lat 18 d. 8 m. North. The Spaniards make mention of a Town called Thelupan near this Hill which we would have visited if we could have found the way to it The 26th day Captain Swan and Captain Townly with 200 Men of whom I was one went in our Canoas to seek for the City of Colima a rich place by report but how far within Land I could never learn for as I said before here is no Trade by Sea and therefore we could never get Guides to inform us or conduct us to any Town but one or two on this Coast and there is never a Town that lieth open to the Sea but Acapulco and therefore our search was commonly fruitless as now for we rowed above 20 leagues along shore and found it a very bad Coast to land we saw no House nor sign of Inhabitants although we past by a fine Valley called the Valley of Maguella only at two places the one at our first setting out on this Expedttion and the other at the end of it we saw a Horseman set as we supposed as a Centinel to watch us At both places we landed with difficulty and at each place we followed the track of the Horse on the sandy Bay but where they entered the Woods we lost the track and although we diligently searcht for it yet we could find it no more so we
were perfectly at a loss to find out the Houses or Town they came from The 28th day being tired and hopeless to find any Town we went aboard our Ships that were now come abrest of the place where we were for always when we leave our Ships we either order a certain place of meeting or else leave them a sign to know where we are by making one or more great Smoaks yet we had all like to have been ruin'd by such a signal as this in a former Voyage under Captain Sharp when we made that unfortunate attempt upon Arica which is mentioned in the History of the Buccaneers For upon the routing our Men and taking several of them some of those so taken told the Spaniards that it was agreed between them and their Companions on board to make two great Smokes at a distance from each other assoon as the Town should be taken as a signal to the Ship that it might safely enter the Harbour The Spaniards made these Smokes presently I was then among those who stay'd on board and whether the signal was not so exactly made or some other discouragement happen'd I remember not but we forbore going in till we saw our scatter'd Crew coming off in their Canoas Had we entred the Port upon the false signal we must have been taken or sunk for we must have past close by the Fort and could have had no Wind to bring us out till the Land-wind should rise in the night But to our present Voyage After we came aboard we saw the Volcan of Colima This is a very high Mountain in about 18d 36m North standing 5 or 6 leagues from the Sea in the midst of a pleasant Valley It appears with 2 sharp peeks from each of which there do always issue flames of fire or smoke The Valley in which this Volcan stands is called the Valley of Colima from the Town itself which stands there not far from the Volcan The Town is said to be great and rich the chief of all its Neighborhood and the Valley in which it is seated by the relation which the Spaniards give of it is the most pleasant and fruitful Valley in all the Kingdom of Mexico This Valley is about 10 or 12 leagues wide by the Sea where it makes a small Bay but how far the Vale runs into the Country I know not It is said to befull of Cacao gardens fields of Corn Wheat and Plantain-walks The neighbouring Sea is bounded with a sandy shore but there is no going ashore for the violence of the waves The Land within it is low all along and Woody for about 2 leagues from the East side at the end of the Woods there is a deep River runs out into the Sea but it hath such a great Bar or Sandy shole that when we were here no Boat or Canoa could possibly enter the Sea running so high upon the Bar otherwise I judge we should have made some farther discovery into this pleasant Valley On the West side of the River the Savannah land begins and runs to the other side of the Valley We had but little wind when we came aboard therefore we lay off this Bay that afternoon and the night ensuing The 29th day our Captains went away from our Ships with 200 men intending at the first convenient place to land and search about for a path for the Spanish Books make mention of 2 or 3 other Towns hereabouts especially one called Sallagua to the West of this Bay Our Canoas rowed along as near the shore as they could but the Sea went so high that they could not land About 10 or 11 a clock 2 Horsemen came near the shore and one of them took a Bottle out of his pocket and drank to ourmen While he was drinking one of our men snatcht up his Gun and let drive at him and kill'd his Horse so his consort immediately set Spurs to his Horse and rode away leaving the other to come after afoot But he being Booted made but slow haste therefore 2 of our men stript themselves and swam ashore to take him but he had a Macheat or long Knife wherewith he kept them both from seizing him they having nothing in their hands wherewith to defend themselves or offend him The 30th day our men came all aboard again for they could not find any place to land in The first day of December we passed by the Port of Sallagua This Port is in lat 18 d. 52 m. It is only a pretty deep Bay divided in the middle with a rocky point which makes as it were two Harbours Ships may ride securely in either but the West Harbour is the best there is good anchoring any where in 10 or 12 fathom and a Brook of fresh Water runs into the Sea Here we saw a great new thatched House and a great many Spaniards both Horse and Foot with Drums beating and Colours flying in defiance of us as we thought We took no notice of them till the next morning and then we landed about 200 Men to try their Courage but they presently withdrew The Foot never stay'd to exchange one shot but the Horsemen stay'd till 2 or 3 were knocked down and then they drew off our Men pursuing them At last 2 of our Men took 2 Horses that had lost their Riders and mounting them rode after the Spaniards full drive till they came among them thinking to have taken a Prisoner for Intelligence but had like to have been taken themselves for 4 Spaniards surrounded them after they had discharged their Pistols and unhorsed them and if some of our best Footmen had not come to their rescue they must have yielded or have been killed They were both cut in 2 or 3 places but their wounds were not mortal The 4 Spaniards got away before our Men could hurt them and mounting their Horses speeded after their Consorts who were marched away into the Country Our Men finding a broad Road leading into the Country followed it about 4 leagues in a dry stony Country full of short Woods but finding no sign of Inhabitants they returned again In their way back they took two Mulatto's who were not able to march as fast as their Consorts therefore they had skulked in the Woods and by that means thought to have escaped our Men. These Prisoners informed us that this great Road did lead to a great City called Oarrha from whence many of those Horsemen before spoken of came that this City was distant from hence as far as a Horse will go in 4 days and that there is no place of consequence nearer that the Country is very poor and thinly inhabited They said also that these Men came to assist the Phillippine Ship that was every day expected here to put ashore Passengers for Mexico The Spanish Pilot-Books mention a Town also called Sallagua hereabouts but we could not find it nor hear any thing of it by our Prisoners We now intended to cruize off of Cape
Corrientes to wait for the Phillippine Ship So the 6th day of December we set sail coasting to the Westwards towards Cape Corrientes We had fair weather and but little Wind the Sea breezes at N. W. and the Land-wind at N. The Land is of an indifferent heighth full of ragged points which at a distance appear like Islands the Country is very woody but the Trees are not high nor very big Here I was taken sick of a Fever and Ague that afterwards turned to a Dropsy which I laboured under a long time after and many of our Men died of this distemper though our Surgeons used their greatest skill to preserve their lives The Dropsy is a general distemper on this Coast and the Natives say that the best remedy they can find for it is the Stone or Cod of an Allegator of which they have 4 one near each Leg within the Flesh pulverized and drunk in Water this Receipt we also found mentioned in an Almanack made at Mexico I would have tried it but we found no Allegators here though there are several There are many good Harbours between Sallagua and Cape Corrientes but we passed by them all As we drew near the Cape the Land by the Sea appeared of an indifferent heighth full of white Cliffs but in the Country the Land is high and barren and full of sharp peeked Hills unpleasant to the sight To the West of this ragged Land is a chain of Mountains running parallel with the shore they end on the West with a gentle descent but on the East side they keep their heighth ending with a high steep Mountain which hath 3 small sharp peeked tops somewhat resembling a Crown and therefore called by the Spaniards Coronada the Crown Land The 11th day we were fair in sight of Cape Corrientes it bore N. by W. and the Crown Land bore North. The Cape is of an indifferent heighth with steep Rocks to the Sea It is flat and even on the top cloathed with Woods the Land in the Country is high and doubled This Cape lieth in 20 d. 28 m. North. I find its longitude from Tenariff to be 230 d. 56 m. but I keep my longitude Westward according to our course and according to this reckoning I find it is from the Lizard in England 121 d. 41 m. so that the difference of time is 8 hours and almost 6 minutes Here we had resolved to cruize for the Phillippine Ship because she always makes this Cape in her Voyage homeward We were as I have said 4 Ships in company Captain Swan and his Tender Captain Townly and his Tender It was so ordered that Captain Swan should lye 8 or 10 leagues off shore and the rest about a league distant each from other between him and the Cape that so we might not miss the Philippine Ship but we wanted Provision and therefore we sent Captain Townly's Bark with 50 or 60 men to the West of the Cape to search about for some Town or Plantations where we might get Provision of any sort The rest of us in the mean time cruizing in our stations The 17th day the Bark came to us again but had got nothing for they could not get about the Cape because the wind on this Coast is commonly between the N. W. and the S. W. which makes it very difficult getting to the Westward but they left 4 Canoas with 46 men at the Cape who resolved to row to the Westward The 18th day we sailed to the Keys of Chametly to fill our Water These Keys or Islands of Chametly are about 16 or 18 leagues to the Eastward of Cape Corrientes They are small low and woody invironed with Rocks there are 5 of them lying in the form of a half Moon not a mile from the shore and between them and the Main is very good Riding secure from any Wind. The Spaniards do report that here live Fishermen to fish for the Inhabitants of the City of Purification This is said to be a large Town the best hereabouts but is 14 leagues up in the Country The 20th instant we entered within these Islands passing in on the S. E. side and anchored between the Islands and the Main in 5 fathom clean Sand. Here we found good fresh Water and Wood and caught plenty of Rock-fish with Hook and Line a sort of Fish I describ'd at the Isle of John Fernando but we saw no sign of Inhabitants besides 3 or 4 old Hutts therefore I do believe that the Spanish or Indian Fishermen come hither only at Lent or some other such season but that they do not live here constantly The 21st day Captain Townly went away with about 60 men to take an Indian Village 7 or 8 leagues from hence to the Westward more towards the Cape and the next day we went to cruize off the Cape where Captain Townly was to meet us The 24th day as we were cruizing off the Cape the 4 Canoas before mentioned which Captain Townly's Bark left at the Cape came off to us They after the Bark left them past to the West of the Cape and rowed into the Valley Valderas or perhaps Val d' Iris for it signifies the Valley of Flags This Valley lies in the bottom of a pretty deep Bay that runs in between Cape Corrientes on the S. E. and the point of Pontique on the N. W. which two places are about 10 leagues asunder The Valley is about 3 leagues wide there is a level sandy Bay against the Sea and good smooth landing In the midst of the Bay is a fine River whereinto Boats may enter but it is brackish at the latter end of the dry Season which is in February March and part of April I shall speak more of the Seasons in my Chapter of Winds in the Appendix This Valley is bounded within Land with a small green Hill that makes a very gentle descent into the Valley and affords a very pleasant prospect to Sea-ward It is inriched with fruitful Savannahs mixt with Groves of Trees fit for any uses beside Fruit Trees in abundance as Guava's Oranges and Limes which here grow wild in such plenty as if Nature had designed it only for a Garden The Savannahs are full of fat Bulls and Cows and some Horses but no House in sight When our Canoas came to this pleasant Valley they landed 37 men and marched into the Country seeking for some Houses They had not gone past 3 mile before they were attackt by 150 Spaniards Horse and Foot There was a small thin Wood close by them into which our men retreated to secure themselves from the fury of the Horse Yet the Spaniards rode in among them and attackt them very furiously till the Spnnish Captain and 17 more tumbled dead off their Horses then the rest retreated being many of them wounded We lost 4 men and had 2 desperately wounded In this action the Foot who were armed with Lances and Swords and were the greatest number never made any attack
Besides these there are an infinite number of small Islands of no account and even the great Islands many of them are without Names or at least so variously set down that I find the same Islands named by divers Names The Island St. John and Mindanao are the Southern-most of all these Islands and are the only Islands in all this Range that are not subject to the Spaniards St. Johns Island is on the East side of the Mindanao and distant from it 3 or 4 leagues It is in lat about 7 or 8 North. This Island is in length about 38 leagues stretching N. N. W. and S. S. E. and it is in breadth about 24 leagues in the middle of the Island The Northermost end is broader and the Southermost is narrower This Island is of a good heighth and is full of many small hills The Land at the South East end where I was ashore is of a black fat mould and the whole Island seems to partake of the same fatness by the vast number of large Trees that it produceth for it looks all over like one great Grove As we were passing by the S. E. end we saw a Canoa of the Natives under the shore therefore one of our Canoas went after to have spoken with her but she run away from us seeing themselves chaced put their Canoa ashore leaving her fled into the Woods nor would be allured to come to us altho we did what we could to entice them besides these Men we saw no more here nor sign of any Inhabitants at this end When we came aboard our Ship again we steered away for the Island Mindanao which was now fair in sight of us it being about 10 leagues distant from this part of St. Johns The 22d day we came within a league of the East side of the Island Mindanao and having the Wind at S. E. we steered toward the North end keeping on the East side till we came into the lat of 7d 40 m. and there we anchored in a small Bay about a mile from the shore in 10 fathom Water rocky foul ground Some of our Books gave us an account that Mindanao City and Isle lies in 7d 40 m. we guest that the middle of the Island might lye in this lat but we were at a great loss where to find the City whether on the East or West side Indeed had it been a small Island lying open to the Eastern Wind we might probably have searched first on the West side for commonly the Islands within the Tropicks or within the bounds of the Trade-Winds have their Harbours on the West sido as best sheltered but the Island Mindanao being guarded on the East side by St. Johns Island we might as reasonably expect to find the Harbour and City on this side as any where else but coming into the lat in which we judg'd the City might be found no Canoas or People that might give as any umbrage of a City or place of Trade near at hand though we coasted within a league of the shore The Island Mindanao is the biggest of all the Philippine Islands except Luconia It is about 60 leagues long and 40 or 50 broad The South end is in about 5 d. N. and the N. W. end reacheth almost to 8 d. N. It is a very mountainous Island full of Hills and Valleys The Mould in general is deep and black and extraordinary fat and fruitful The sides of the Hills are stony yet productive enough of very large tall Trees In the heart of the Country there are some Mountains that yield good Gold The Valleys are well moistned with pleasant Brooks and small Rivers of delicate Water and have Trees of divers sorts flourishing and green all the year The Trees in general are very large and most of them are of kinds unknown to us There is one sort which deserves particular notice called by the Natives Libby Trees These grow wild in great Groves of 5 or 6 mile long by the sides of the Rivers Of these Trees Sago is made which the poor Country People eat instead of Bread 3 or 4 months in the year This Tree for its body and shape is much like the Palmeto tree or the Cabbage tree but not so tall as the latter The Bark and Wood is hard and thin like a Shell and full of white Pith like the Pith of an Elder This Tree they cut down and split it in the middle and scrape out all the Pith which they beat lustily with a wooden Pestle in a great Mortar or Trough and then put into a Cloth or Strainer held over a Trough and pouring Water in among the Pith they stir it about in the Cloth so the Water carries all the substance of the Pith through the Cloth down into the Trough leaving nothing in the Cloth but a light sort of Husk which they throw away but that which falls into the Trough settles in a short time to the bottom like Mud and then they draw off the Water and take up the muddy substance wherewith they make Cakes which being baked proves very good Bread The Mindanao People live 3 or 4 months of the year on this food for their Bread kind The Native Indians of Teranate and Tidore and all the Spice Islands have plenty of these Trees and use them for food in the same manner as I have been inform'd by Mr. Caril Rofy who is now Commander of one of the Kings Ships He was one of our company at this time and being left with Captain Swan at Mindanao went afterwards to Teranate and lived there among the Dutch a year or two The Sago which is transported into other parts of the East Indies is dried in small pieces like little Seeds or Comfits and commonly eaten with Milk of Almonds by those that are troubled with the Flux for it is a great binder and very good in that distemper In some places of Mindanao there is plenty of Rice but in the hilly Land they plant Yams Potatoes and Pumkins all which thrive very well The other Fruits of this Island are Water-Melons Musk-Melons Plantains Bonanoes Guava's Nutmegs Cloves Betel-nuts Durians Jacks or Jaca's Coco-nuts Oranges c. The Plantain I take to be the King of all Fruit not except the Coco it self The Tree that bears this Fruit is about 3 foot or 3 foot and an half round and about 10 or 12 foot high These Trees are not raised from seed for they seem not to have any but from the roots of other old Trees If these young suckers are taken out of the ground and planted in another place it will be 15 months before they bear but if let stand in their own native Soil they will bear in 12 months As soon as the Fruit is ripe the Tree decays but then there are many young ones growing up to supply its place When this Tree first springs out of the ground it comes up with 2 leaves and by that time it is a foot
in them as we were informed by all the Spaniards that ever we converst with in these parts They told us also that in these wrecks most of the men were drowned and that the Chinese did never go thither to take up any of the Treasure that was lost there for fear of being lost themselves But the danger of the place did not daunt us for we were resolved to try our fortunes there if the Winds would permit and we did beat for it 5 or 6 days but at last were forced to leave that design also for want of Winds for the S. E. Winds continuing forced us on the Coast of China It was the 25th day of June when we made the Land and running in towards the shore we came to an Anchor the same day on the N. E. end of St. John's Island This Island is in Lat. about 2 d. 30 min. North lying on the S. Coast of the Province of Quantung or Canton in China It is of an indifferent heighth and pretty plain and the Soil fertile enough It is partly woody partly Savannahs or Pasturage for Cattle and there is some moist arable Land for Rice The skirts or outer part of the Island especially that part of it which borders on the main Sea is woody The middle part of it is good thick grassy Pasture with some groves of Trees and that which is cultivated Land is low wet Land yielding plentiful Crops of Rice the only grain that I did see here The tame Cattle which this Island affords are China Hogs Goats Buffaloes and some Buslocks The Hogs of this Island are all black they have but small Heads very short thick Necks great Bellies commonly touching the ground and short Legs They eat but little food yet they are most of them very fat probably because they sleep much The tame Fowls are Ducks and Cocks and Hens I saw no wild Fowl but a few small Birds The Natives of this Island are Chinese They are subject to the Crown of China and consequently at this time to the Tartars The Chinese in general are tall strait-bodied raw boned men They are long Visaged and their Foreheads are high but they have little Eyes Their Noses are pretty large with a rising in the middle Their Mouths are of a mean size pretty thin Lips They are of an ashy complexion their Hair is black and their Beards thin and long for they pluck the hair out by the roots suffering only some few very long straggling Hairs to grow about their Chin in which they take great pride ofren combing them and sometimes tying them up in a knot and they have such Hairs too growing down from each side of their upper Lip like Whiskers The ancient Chinese were very proud of the Hair of their Heads letting it grow very long and stroking it back with their Hands curiously and then winding the plats all together round a Bodkin thrust through it at the hinder part of the Head and both Men and Women did thus But when the Tartars conquer'd them they broke them of this custom they were fond of by main force insomuch that they resented this imposition worse than their subjection and rebelled upon it but being still worried were forc'd to acquiesce and to this day they follow the fashion of their Masters the Tartars and shave all their Heads only reserving one Lock which some tye up others let it hang down to a great or small length as they please The Chinese in other Countries still keep their old custom but if any of the Chinese is found wearing long Hair in China he forfeits his Head and many of them have abandoned their Country to preserve their liberty of wearing their Hair as I have been told by themselves The Chinese have no Hats Caps or Turbans but when they walk abroad they carry a small Umbrello in their hands wherewith they fence their heads from the Sun or the Rain by holding it over their heads If they walk but a little way they carry only a large Fan made of Paper or Silk of the same fashion as those our Ladies have and many of them are brought over hither one of these every man carries in his hand if he do but cross the street skreening his head with it if he hath not an Umbrello with him The common apparrel of the men is a loose Frock and Breeches They seldom wear Stockings but they have Shoes or a sort of Slippers rather The mens Shoes are made diversly The women have very small Feet and consequently but little Shoes for from their Infancy their Feet are kept swathed up with bands as hard as they can possibly endure them and from the time they can go till they have done growing they bind them up every night This they do purposely to hinder them from from growing esteeming little Feet to be a great Beauty But by this unreasonable custom they do in a manner lose the use of their Feet and instead of going they only stumble about their Houses and presently squat down on their Breeches again being as it were confined to sitting all days of their lives They seldom stir abroad and one would be apt to think that as some have conjectured their keeping up their fondness for this fashion were a stratagem of the mens to keep them from gadding and gossipping about and confine them at home They are kept constantly to their work being fine Needle-Women and making many curious Embroideries and they make their own Shoes but if any Stranger be desirous to bring away any for Novelty's sake he must be a great Favourite to get a pair of Shoes of them tho he give twice their value The poorer sort of Women trudge about streets and to the Market without Shoes or Stockings and these cannot afford to have little feet being to get their living with them The Chinese both Men and Women are very ingenious as may appear by the many curious things that are brought from thence especially the Porcelaine or China Earthen Ware The Spaniards of Manila that we took on the Coast of Luconia told me that this Commodity is made of Conch-shells the inside of which looks like Mother of Pearl But the Portuguese lately mentioned who had lived in China and spoke that and the neighbouring Languages very well said that it was made of a fine sort of Clay that was dug in the Province of Canton I have often made enquiry about it but cou'd never be well satisfied in it but while I was on the Coast of Canton I forgot to inquire about it They make very fine Lacquer Ware also and good Silks and they are curious at painting and Carving China affords Drugs in great abundance especially China Root but this is not peculiar to that Country alone for there is much of this Root growing in Jamaica particularly at 16 mile walk and in the Bay of Honduras it is very plentiful There is a great store of Sugar made in this Country and
which we did set here also our old one being very faulty They made a new Fore-Yard too and a Fore Top-Mast and our Pumps being faulty and not serviceable they did cut a Tree to make a Pump They first squared it then sawed it in the middle and then hollowed each side exactly The two hollow sides were made big enough to contain a Pump-box in the midst of them both when they were joyned together and it required their utmost skill to close them exactly to the making a tight Cylinder for the Pump-box being unaccustomed to such work We learnt this way of Pump-making from the Spaniards who make their Pumps that they use in their Ships 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 in Chapter the 13th came aboard He understanding that we were bound farther to the Southward desired us to transport him and his Men to his own Island He shewed 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 6 days before this he saw Captain Swan and several of his Men that we left there and named the Names of some of them who he said were all well and that now they were at the City of Mindanao but that they had been all of them 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 honored 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 40 ounces of Gold for a Ship but the Owner and he were not yet agreed and that he feared that the Sultan would not let go away till the Wars were ended All this the Prince told us in the Malayan tongue which many of us had learnt and when he went away he promised to return to us again in 3 days time and so long Captain Reed promised to stay for him for we had now almost finished our business and he seem'd very glad of the opportunity of going with us After this I endeavoured to perswade our Men to return with the Ship to the River of Mandanao and offer their service again to Captain Swan I took an opportunity when they were filling of Water there being then half the Ships Company ashore and I found these all very willing to do it I desired them to say 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 these Men who seemed most forward to invite back Captain Swan told Captain Read and Captain Teat of the project and they presently disswaded the Men from any such designs Yet fearing the worst they made all possible haste to be gone I have since been informed that Captain Swan and his Men stayed there a great while afterward and that many of the Men got passage from thence in Dutch Sloops to Ternate particularly Mr. Rofy and Mr. Nelly There they remained a great while and at last got to Batavia where the Dutch took their Journals from them and so to Europe and that some of Captain Swan's Men died at Mindanao of which number Mr. Harthope and Mr. Smith Captain Swan's Merchants were two At last Captain Swan and his Surgeon going in a small Canoa aboard of a Dutch Ship then in the Road in order to get passage to Europe were overset by the Natives at the Mouth of the River who waited their coming purposely to do it but unsuspected by them where they both were kill'd in the Water This was done by the General 's Order as some think to get his Gold which he did immediately seize on Others say it was because the General 's House was burnt a little before and Captain Swan was suspected to be the Author of it and others say that it was Captain Swan's Threats occasioned his own Ruine for he would often say passionately that he had been abused by the General and that he would have satisfaction for it saying also 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 wou'd go away and get a Band of Men to assist him and returning thither again he would spoil and take all that they had and their Country too When the General has been informed of these discourses he would say 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 speaks thus Yet did he never touch him till now the Mindanayans kill'd him It is very probable there might be somewhat of truth in all of this for the Captain was passionate and the General greedy of Gold But whatever was the occasion so he was kill'd as several have assured me and his Gold seiz'd on and all his things and his Journal also from England as far as Cape Corrientes on the Coast of Mexico This Journal was afterwards sent 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 seeing I could not perswade them to go to Captain Swan again I had a great desire to have had the Prince's company but Captain Read was afraid to let his fickle crew lye long That very day that the Prince had promised to return to us which was November 2. 1687. we sailed hence directing our course South West and having the Wind at N. W. This Wind continued till we came in sight of the Island Celebes then it veered about to the W. and to the Southward of the West We came up with the N. E. end of the Island Celebes the 9th day and there we found the current setting to the Westward so strongly that we could hardly get on the East side of that Island The Island Celebes is a very large Island extended in length from North to South about 7 degrees of lat and in breadth it is about 3 degrees It lies under the Equator the North end being in lat 1 d. 30 m. North and the South end in lat 5 d. 30 m. South and by common account the North point in the bulk of this Island lies nearest North and South but at the North East end there runs out a long narrow point stretching N. E. about 30 leagues and about 30 leagues to the Eastward of this long Slipe is the Island Gilolo on the West
side of which are 4 small Islands close by it which are very well stored 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 some to be the only Clove Islands in the World but this is a great error as I have already shewn At the South end of the Island Celebes there is a Sea or Gulph of about 7 or 8 leagues wide and 40 or 50 long which runs up the Countrey almost directly to the North and this Gulph hath several small Islands along the middle of it On the West side of the Island almost at the South end of it the Town of Macasser is seated A Town of great Strength and Trade belonging to the Dutch There are great Inlets and Lakes on the East side of the Island as also abundance of small Islands and sholes lying scattered about it We saw a high peeked Hill at the N. end but the Land on the East side is low all along for we cruized almost the length of it The mold on this side is black and deep and extraordinary fat and rich and full of Trees and there are many Brooks of Water run out into the Sea Indeed all this East side of the Island seems to be but one large Grove of extraordinary great high Trees Having with much ado got on this East side coasting along to the Southward and yet having but little Wind and even that little against us at S. S. W. and sometimes Calm we were a long time going about the Island The 22d day we were in Lat. 1 d. 20 m. South and being about 3 leagues from the Island standing to the Southward with a very gentle Land wind about 2 or 3 a clock in the morning we heard a clashing in the Water like Boats rowing and fearing some sudden attack we got up all our Arms and stood ready to defend our selves As soon as it was day we saw a great Proe built like the Mindanayan Proe's with about 60 men in her and 6 smaller Proe's They lay still about a mile to Windward of us to view us and probably design'd to make a prey of us when they first came out but they were now afraid to venture on us At last we shewed 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 saw them no more nor did we ever see any other Boats or Men but only one fishing Canoa while we were about this Island neither did we see any House on all the Coast. About 5 or 6 leagues to the South of this place there is a great Range of both large and small Islands and many shoals also that are not laid down in our Drafts which made it extreamly troublesom for us to get through But we past between them all and the Island Celebes and anchored against a sandy Bay in 8 fathom sandy ground about half a mile from the main Island being then in lat 1 d. 50 m. South Here we stayed several days and sent out our Canoas a striking of Turtle every day for here is great plenty of them but they were very shy as they were generally where-ever we found them in the East India Seas 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 shy as I shall relate though the Natives there do not molest them On the sholes without us we went and gathered Shell-fish at low water There were a monstrous sort of Cockles the Meat of one of them would suffice 7 or 8 Men. It was very good wholsom Meat We did also beat about in the Woods on the Island but found no game One of our Men who was always troubled with sore Legs found a certain Vine that supported it self by climbing about other Trees The leaves reach'd 6 or 7 feet high but the strings or branches 11 or 12. It had a very green leaf pretty broad and roundish and of a thick substance These leaves pounded small and boiled with Hogs Lard make an excellent Salve Our Men knowing the vertues of it stockt themselves here there was scarce a Man in the Ship but got a pound or two of it especially such as were troubled with old Ulcers who found great benefit by it This Man that discovered these leaves here had his first knowledge of them in the Isthmus of Darien he having had this Receipt from one of the Indians there and he had been ashore in divers places since purposely to seek these leaves but did never find any but here Among the many vast Trees hereabouts there was one exceeded all the rest This Captain Read caused to be cut down in order to make a Canoa having lost our Boats all but one small one in the late Storms so 6 lusty Men who had been Logwood cutters in the Bays of Campeachy and Honduras as Captain Read himself and many more of us had and so were very expert at this work undertook to fell it taking their turns 3 always cutting together and they were one whole day and half the next before they got it down This Tree though it grew in a Wood was yet 18 foot in circumference and 44 foot of clean body without knot or branch and even there it had no more than one or two branches and then ran clean again 10 foot higher there it spread it self into many great limbs and branches like an Oak very green and flourishing yet it was perisht at the heart which marr'd it for the service intended So leaving it and having no more business here we weighed and went from hence the next day it being the 29th day of November While we lay here we had some Tornadoes one or two every day and pretty fresh Land Winds which were at West The Sea breezes were small and uncertain sometimes out of the N. E. and so veering about to the East and South East We had the Wind at North East when we weighed and we steered off S. S. W. In the afternoon we saw a shole a head of us and altered our course to the S. S. E. In the evening at 4 a clock we were close by another great shole therefore we tackt and stood in for the Island Celebes again for fear of running on some of the sholes in the night By day a Man might avoid them well enough for they had all Beacons on them like Huts built on tall Posts above high-water mark probably set up by the Natives of the Island Celebes or those of some other neighbouring Islands and I never saw any such elsewhere In the night we had a violent Tornado out of the S. W. which lasted about an hour The 30th day
received this information by a Letter from the Frier that Captain Weldon brought away from thence But to proceed The 5th day of May we ran down on the West side of the Island Nicobar properly so called and anchored at the N. W. end of it in a small Bay in 8 fathom water not half a mile from the shore The body of this Island is in 7 d. 30 m. North Lat. it is about 12 leagues long and 3 or 4 broad The South end of it is pretty high with steep Cliffs against the Sea the rest of the Island is low flat and even The mold of it is black and deep and it is very well watered with small running streams It produceth abundance of tall Trees fit for any uses for the whole bulk of it seems to be but one entire Grove But that which adds most to its beauty off at Sea are the many spots of Coco-nut Trees which grow round it in every small Bay The Bays are half a mile or a mile long more or less and these Bays are intercepted or divided from each other with as many little rocky points of VVoodland As the Coco-nut Trees do thus grow in Groves fronting to the Sea in the Bays so there is another sort of Fruit Tree in the Bays bordering on the backside of the Coco Trees farther from the Sea It is called by the Natives a Melory Tree This Tree is as big as our large Apple Trees and as high It hath a blackish rind and a pretty broad leaf The Fruit is as big as the Bread-fruit at Guam described in Chapter X. or a large Penny Loaf It is shaped like a Pear and hath a pretty tough smooth rind of a light green colour The inside of the Fruit is in substance much like an Apple but full of small strings as big as a brown thread I did never see of these Trees any where but here The Natives of this Island are tall well-limb'd Men pretty long visaged with black Eyes their Noses middle proportioned and the whole Symmetry of their Faces agreeing very well Their Hair is black and lank and their Skins of a dark copper colour The Women have no Hair on their Eye-brows I do believe it is pluckt up by the roots for the Men had Hair growing on their Eye-brows as other People The Men go all naked save only a long narrow piece of cloath or Sash which going round their Wastes and thence down between their Thighs is brought up behind and tuckt in at that part which goes about the Waste The Women have a kind of a short Petticoat reaching from their Waste to their Knees Their Language was different from any that I had ever heard before yet they had some few Malayan words and some of them had a word or two of Portuguese which probably they might learn aboard of their Ships passing by this place for when these Men see a Sail they do presently go aboard of them in their Canoas I did not perceive any Form of Religion that they had they had neither Temple nor Idol nor any manner of outward veneration to any Deity that I did see They inhabit all round the Island by the Sea side in the Bays there being 4 or 5 Houses more or less in each Bay Their Houses are built on Posts as the Mindanaians are They are small low and of a square form There is but one Room in each House and this Room is about 8 foot from the ground and from thence the roof is raised about 8 foot higher But instead of a sharp ridge the top is exceeding neatly arched with small Rafters about the bigness of a Mans Arm bent round like a Half-Moon and very curiously thatched with Palmeto-leaves They live under no Government that I could perceive for they seem to be equal without any distinction every Man ruling in his own House Their Plantations are only those Coco-nut Trees which grow by the Sea side there being no cleared Land farther in on the Island for I observ'd that when past the Fruit Trees there were no paths to be seen going into the Woods The greatest use which they make of their Coco-Trees is to draw Toddy from them of which they are very fond The Melory Trees seem to grow wild they have great Earthen Pots to boil the Melory Fruit in which will hold 12 or 14 Gallons These Pots they fill with the Fruit and putting in a little water they cover the mouth of the Pot with leaves to keep in the steam while it boils When the Fruit is soft they peel off the rind and scrape the pulp from the strings with a flat stick made like a Knife and then make it up in great lumps as big as a Holland Cheese and then it will keep 6 or 7 days It looks yellow and tastes well and is their chiefest food for they have no Yams Potatoes Rice nor Plantains except a very few yet they have a few small Hogs and a very few Cocks and Hens like ours The Men imploy themselves in Fishing but I did not see much Fish that they got every House hath at least 2 or 3 Canoas belonging to it which they draw up ashore The Canoas that they go a fishing in are sharp at both ends and both the sides and the bottom are very thin and smooth They are shaped somewhat like the Proes at Guam with one side flattish and the other with a pretty big belly and they have small slight Outlagers on one side Being thus thin and light they are better managed with Oars than with Sails yet they sail well enought and are steer'd with a Paddle There commonly go 20 or 30 Men in one of these Canoas and seldom fewer than 9 or 10. Their Oars are short and they do not paddle but row with them as we do The Benches they sit on when they row are made of split Bambo's laid across and so near together that they look like a Deck The Bambos lie moveable so that when any go in to row they take up a Bambo in the place where they would sit and lay it by to make room for their Legs The Canoas of those of the rest of these Islands were like those of Nicobar and probably they were alike in other things for we saw no difference at all in the Natives of them who came hither while we were here But to proceed with our affairs it was as I said before the 5th day of May about 10 in the morning when we anchored at this Island Captain Read immediately ordered his Men to heel the Ship in order to clean her which was done this day and the next All the Water Vessels were fill'd they intending to go to Sea at night for the winds being yet at N. N. E. the Captain was in hopes to get over to Cape Comorin before the wind shifted Otherwise it would have been somewhat difficult for him to get thither because the Westerly Monsoon was now at hand I thought
Islands lying in the Lat. of about 23 d. North and distant from the Coast of Jucatan about 25 Leagues the biggest is not above a Mile or two in Circuit They are distant from one another 2 or 3 Miles not lying in a Line but soattering here and there with good Channels of 20 or 30 Fathom Water for a Ship to pass between All of them have good Anchoring on the West sides where you may ride in what depths you please from 10 to 2 Fathom Water clean sandy Ground On some there are a few low Bushes of Burton-Wood but they are mostly Barren and Sandy bearing nothing but only a little Chicken-Weed neither have they any fresh Water Their Land-Animals are only large Rats which are in great Plenty and of Fowls Boobies in vast abundance with Men of War and Egg-Birds These inhabit only on some of the Northermost of them not promiscuously one among another but each sort within their own Precincts viz. the Boobies and the other two sorts each a-part by themselves and thus two or three of the Islands are wholly taken up The Boobies being most numerous have the greatest portion of Land The Egg-Birds tho' they are many yet being but small take up but little room to the rest Yet in that little part which they inhabit they are sole Masters and not disturbed by their Neighbours All three sorts are very tame especially the Boobies and so thick settled that a Man cannot pass through their Quarters without coming within reach of their Bills with which they continually peck't at us I took notice that they sate in Pairs and therefore at first thought them to be Cock and Hen but upon striking at them one flew away from each place and that which was left behind seemed as malicious as the other that was gone I admired at the boldness of those that did not fly away and used some sort of violence to force them but in vain for indeed these were young Ones and had not yet learned the use of their Wings tho' they were as big and as well feathered as their Dams only their Feathers were something whiter and fresher I took notice that an old one either the Cock or Hen always sat with the Young to secure them for otherwise these Fowls would prey on each other the Strong on the Weak at least those of a different Kind would make bold with their Neighbours The Men-of-War-Birds as well as the Boobies left Guardians to the Young when they went off to Sea lest they should be starved by their Neighbours for there were a great many old and lame Men of War Birds that could not fly off to Sea to seek their own Food These did not inhabit among their Consorts but were either expelled the Community or else chose to lye out at some distance from the rest and that not altogether but scattering here and there where they could rob securest I saw near 20 of them on one of the Islands which sometimes would sally into the Camp to seek for Booty but presently retreated again whether they got any thing or nothing If one of these lame Birds found a Young Booby not guarded it presently gave him a good poult on the back with his Bill to make him disgorge which they will do with one stroak and it may be cast up a Fish or two as big as a Mans Wrist this they swallow in a trice and march off and look out for another Prize The sound Men-of-War will sometimes serve the old Boobies so off at Sea I have seen a Man-of-War fly directly at a Booby and give it one blow which has caused it to cast up a large Fish and the Man of War flying directly down after it has taken it in the Air before it reach'd the Water There are abundance of Fish at some distance from these Islands by which the Fowls inhabiting here are daily supplied The Fish near the Island are Sharks Sword Fishes and Nurses all three sorts delighting to be near sandy Bays those that I saw here were but of a small size the Sword-Fish not above a Foot and a half or two Foot long neither were the Sharks much longer and the Nurses about the same length The Nurse is just like a Shark only its skin is rougher and is used for making the finest Rasps Here are many Seals they come up to sun themselves only on two or three of the Islands I don't know whether exactly of the same kind with those in colder Climates but as I have noted in my former Book they always live where there is plenty of Fish To the North of these Islands lyes a long ledge of Rocks bending like a Bow it seems to be 10 or 12 Yards wide and about 4 Leagues long and 3 Leagues distant from the Island They are above Water all joyning very close to one another except at one or two Places where are small Passages about nine or ten Yards Wide 't was through one of these that Providence directed us in the Night for the next Morning we saw the Riff about half a Mile to the North of us and right against us was a small Gap by which we came in hither but coming to view it more nearly with our Boat we did not dare to venture out that way again One Reason why we would have gone out to the Northward was because from our Main-top we saw the Islands to the Southward of us and being unacquainted knew not whether we might find among them a Channel to pass through our second reason was the hopes of making a better slant in for the shore if we could weather the East end of the Riff In order to this we weighed Anchor keeping down by the side of the Riff till we were at the West end of it which was about a League from where we Anchored then we stood off to the North and there kept plying off and on to Weather the East end of the Riff three Days but not being able to effect it by reason of a strong Current setting to the N. W. we ran back again to the West end of the Riff and steered away for the Islands There we Anchored and lay three or four days and visited most of them and found plenty of such Creatures as I have already described Though here was great store of such good Food and we like to want yet we did neither salt any nor spend of it fresh to save our Stock I found them all but one Man averse to it but I did heartily wish them of another mind because I dreaded wanting before the end of the Voyage a hazard which we needed not to run there being here such plenty of Fowls and Seals especially of the latter that the Spaniards do often come hither to make Oyl of their Fat upon which account it has been visited by English men from Jamaica particularly by Capt. Long who having the command of a small Bark came hither purposely to make Seal-Oyl and
covered with Pantile There is a strong Citadel or Fort at one end planted with many Guns where the Governour resides with a small Garrison to defend it Though this Port Commands the Town and Harbour yet it hath been twice taken First by Sir Christopher Mims who about the Year 1659. having summoned the Governour and afterwards stayed 3 days for an Answer before he Landed his Men yet then took it by Storm and that only with small Arms. I have been told that when he was advised by the Jamaica Privateers to take it by Stratagem in the Night he replied that he scorned to steal a Victory therefore when he went against it he gave them warning of his Approach by his Drums and Trumpets yet he took the Fort at the first onset and immediately became Master of the Place It was taken a second time by English and French Privateers about the Year 1678. by surprize They Landed in the Night about 2 Leagues from the Town and marching into the Country lighted on a Path that brought them thither The next Morning near Sun-rising they entred the Town when many of the Inhabitants were now stirring in their Houses who hearing a noise in the Street look'd out to know the occasion and seeing Armed Men marching towards the Fort supposed them to be some Soldiers of their own Garrison that were returned out of the Country for about a Fortnight or 3 VVeeks before they had sent out a Party to suppress some Indians then in Rebellion a thing very Common in this Country Under favour of this Supposition the Privateers marched through the Streets even to the Fort without the least Opposition Nay the Towns-People bad them Good Morrow and Congratulated their safe return not discovering them to be Enemies till they fired at the Sentinels on the Fort-wall and presently after began a furious Attack and turning two small Guns which they found in the Parade against the Gates of the Fort they soon made themselves Masters of it The Town is not very rich though as I said before the only Sea-Port on all this Coast. The chiefest Manufacture of the Country is Cotton-Cloath this serves for cloathing the Indians and even the poorer sort of Spaniards wear nothing else It is used also for making Sails for Ships and remitted to other parts for the same purpose Besides Cotton-Cloath and Salt fetch'd from the Salinas I know of no other vendible Commodity exported hence Indeed formerly this place was the Scale of the whole Logwood-Trade which is therefore still called Palo i. e. VVood de Campeachy tho' it did not grow nearer than at 12 or 14 Leagues distance from the Town The place where the Spaniards did then cut it was at a River called Champeton about 10 or 12 Leagues to Leeward of Campeachy Town the Coast from thence South the Land pretty high and rocky The Native Indians that lived hereabouts were hired to cut it for a Ryal a Day it then being worth 90 100 01 110 l. per Tun. After the English had taken Jamaica and began to cruise in this Bay they found many Barks laden with it but not knowing its value then they either set them adrift or burned them saving only the Nails and Iron work a thing now usual among the Privateers taking no notice at all of the Cargo till Cap. James having taken a great Ship laden with it and brought her home to England to fit her for a Privateer beyond his Expectation sold his VVood at a great rate tho' before he valued it so little that he burned of it all his Passage home After his return to Jamaica the English visiting this Bay found out the Place where it grew and if they 〈◊〉 Prize at Sea they would go to Champeton 〈◊〉 where they were certain to find large Piles cut to their Hand and brought to the Sea-side ready to be ship'd off This was their Common Practice till at last the Spaniards sent Soldiers thither to prevent their Depredations But by this time the English knew the Trees as growing and understanding their value began to rummage other Coasts of the Main in search of it till according to their desire they found large Groves of it first at Cape Catoch which as I have said before was the first Place where they setled to Logwood-Cutting and loaded many Vessels from thence to Jamaica and other Places But it growing scarce there they found out the Lagune of Trist in the Bay of Campeachy where they followed the same Trade and have ever since continued it even to the time of my being here But to proceed From the River Champeton to Port-Royal is about 18 Leagues the Coast S. S. VV. or S. VV. by S. Low-land with a sandy Bay against the Sea and some Trees by the shore with small Savanahs mixt with small shrubby VVoods within Land all the way There is only one River between Champeton and Port-Royal called Port Escondedo Port-Royal is a broad Entrance into a Salt Lagune of 9 or 10 Leagues long and 3 or 4 wide with 2 Mouths one at each end This Mouth of Port-Royal hath a Barr whereon there is 9 or 10 Foot VVater VVithin the Bar it is deep enough and there is good Anchoring on either side The entrance is about a Mile over and two Miles in length it hath fair sandy Bays on each side with smooth Landing Ships commonly Anchor on the VVeather or East side next Champeton both for the convenience of some VVells there dug on the Bays by the Privateers and Logwood-Cutters as also to ride more out of the Tide which here runs very strong This Place is remarkable enough because from hence the Land trends away VVest and runs so for about 65 or 70 Leagues farther On the VVest side of this Harbour is a low Island called by Us Port-Royal-Island which makes one side of the Mouth as the Main does the other It is about 2 Miles wide and 3 Leagues long running East and VVest The East end of this Island is sandy and pretty clear of VVoods with some Grass bearing a small prickly Bur no bigger than a Grey Pea which renders it very troublesom to those that walk bare-foot as the Bay-Men often do There are some Bushes of Burton-wood And a little further to the VVest grow large Sapadillo-Trees whose Fruit is long and very pleasant The rest of the Island is more woody especially the North side which is full of white Mangrove close to the shore On the VVest side of this Island is another small low Island called Trist separated from the former by a small Salt Creek scarce broad enough for a Canoa to padle through The Island Trist is in some Places three Mile wide and about 4 Leagues in Length running E. and W. The East end is swampy and full of white Mangroves and the South side much the same The VVest part is dry and sandy bearing a sort of long Grass growing in Tufts very thin This is a sort of
of Cattle belonging to an Indian Village In the Woods on each side this River there are plenty of Guanoes Land-Turtle and abundance of Quams and Corresos with some Parrots and there is no Settlement nearer than the Beef Estantion nor any thing else remarkable in this River that I know A League West from Checapeque there is another small River called Dos Boccas 't is only fit for Canoas to enter It has a Bar at its Mouth and therefore is somewhat dangerous Yet the Privateers make light of it for they will govern a Canoa very ingeniously However Captain Rives and Captain Hewet two Privateers lost several Men here in coming out for there had been a North which had raised the Bar and in going out most of their Canoas were over-set and some Men drowned This River wlll not float a Canoa above a League within its Mouth and so far is salt but there you meet with a fine clear Stream of fresh Water about a League up in the Country and beyond this are fair Savannahs of long Grass fenced in with Ridges of as rich Land as any in the World The Mold such as is formerly described all plain and level even to the Hills of Chiapo There are no Indian Towns within 4 or 5 Leagues of the Sea but further off they are pretty thick lying within a League 2 or 3 one of another Halpo is the chiefest The Indians make use of no more Land than serves to maintain their Families in Maiz and to pay their Taxes And therefore between the Towns it lies uncultivated In all this Country they rear abundance of Poultry Viz. Turkies Ducks and Dunghil Fowls but some of them have Cacao-Walks The Cacao of these Parts is most of it sent to Villa de Mose and ship'd off there Some of it is sold to Carriers that travail with Mules coming hither commonly in Nov. or Dec. and staying till Febr. or March They lye a Fortnight at a time in a Village to dispose of their Goods which are commonly Hatchets Macheats Axes Hoes Knives Cizars Needles Thread Silk for sowing Womens Frocks small Looking-glasses Beads Silver or Copper Rings wash'd with Gold set with Glass instead of Stones small Pictures of Saints and such like Toys for the Indians And for the Spaniards Linnen and Woollen Cloaths Silks Stockings and old Hats new dress'd which are here very valuable and worn by those of the best Quality so that an old English Beaver thus ordered would be worth 20 Dollars so much is Trade wanted here in this Country When he has sold off his Goods he is generally paid in Cacao which he carries to La Vera Cruz. From Dos Boccas to the River Palmas is 4 Leagues low Land and sandy Bay between From Palmas to the Halover is 2 Leagues The Halover is a small Neck of Land parting the Sea from a large Lagune It is so call'd by the Privateers because they use to drag their Canoas in and out there From the Halover to St. Anns is 6 Leagues St. Anns is a Mouth that opens the Lagune before mentioned there is not above 6 or 7 Foot Water yet Barks often go in there to Careen From St. Anns to Tondelo is 5 Leagues The Coast still West the Land low and sandy Bay against the Sea a little within which are pretty high Sand-Banks cloathed with prickly Bushes such as I have already described at Beef-Island Against the Sea near the West end within the Sand Bank the Land is lower again the Woods not very high and some spots of Savannahs with plenty of fat Bullocks In Hunting of which a Frenchman unhappily lost his Life For his Company being stragled from him to find Game he unluckily met a Drove of Cattle flying from them in the Woods which were so thick that there was no passing but in these very narrow Paths that the Cattle themselves had made so that not being able to get out of their way the foremost of the Drove thrust his Horns into his Back and carried him a 100 Paces into the Savannah where he fell down with his Guts trailing on the Ground The River Tondeloe is but narrow yet capable to receive Barks of 50 or 60 Tuns there is a Bar at the Entrance and the Channel crooked On the West side of the Bar there is a spit of Sand shoots out therefore to avoid it at your coming in you must keep the East side aboard but when once entred you may run up for two or three Leagues on the East side a quarter of a Mile within the Mouth you may lie secure but all this Coast and especially this River intolerably swarms with Musketoes that there is no sleeping for them About 4 or 5 Leagues from the Mouth this River is fordable and there the Road crosses it where two French Canoas that lay in this River intercepted the Caravan of Mules laden with Cacao that was returning to La Vera Cruz taking away as much as they could carry with them From Tondeloe River to the River of Guasickwalp is 8 Leagues more the Coast still West all along sandy Bay and sand-Hills as between St. Anns and Tondeloe only towards the West part the Bank is lower and the Trees higher This is one of the Principal Rivers of this Coast 't is not half the breadth of the Tobasco River but deeper It s Bar is less dangerous than any on this Coast having 14 foot Water on it and but little Sea Within the Bar there is much more and soft Oasie ground The Banks on both sides are low The East side is woody and the West side Savannah Here are some Cattle but since it has been frequented by Privateers the Spaniards have driven most of their Bullocks from hence farther into the Country This River hath its rise near the South Sea and is Navigable a great way into Land especially with Boats or small Barks The River Teguantapeque that falls into the South Seas hath its Origine near the Head of Guasickwalp and it is reported that the first Naval Stores for the Manila Ships were sent through the Country from the North to the South Seas by the conveniency of these two Rivers whose Heads are not above 10 or 12 Leagues asunder I heard this discoursed by the Privateers long before I visited the South Seas and they seemed sometimes minded to try their Fortunes this way supposing as many do still that the South Sea shore is nothing but Gold and Silver But how grosly they are mistaken I have satisfied the World already And for this part of the Country though it is rich in Land yet it has not the least appearance of any Mine neither is it thick inhabited with Spaniards And if I am not deceived the very Indians in the heart of the Country are scarce their Friends The Town of note on the S. Sea is Teguantapeque and on the N. Seas Keyhooca is the chiefest near this River Besides these two the Country is only inhabited by Indians
big as a Turkey wherewith we treated our Guides for we brought no Provision with us This night our last Slave run away The eleventh day we marched 10 mile farther and built Hutts at night but went supperless to bed The twelfth in the morning we crossed a deep River passing over it on a Tree and marched 7 mile in a low swampy ground and came to the side of a great deep River but could not get over We built Hutts upon its Banks and lay there all night upon our Barbecu's or frames of Sticks raised about 3 foot from the ground The thirteenth day when we turned out the River had overflowed its Banks and was 2 foot deep in our Hutts and our Guides went from us not telling us their intent which made us think they were returned home again Now we began to repent our haste in coming from the last settlements for we had no food since we came from thence Indeed we got Macaw-berries in this place wherewith we satisfied our selves this day though coursly The fourteenth day in the morning betimes our Guides came to us again and the Waters being fallen within their bounds they carry'd us to a Tree that stood on the Bank of the River and told us if we could fell that Tree cross it we might pass if not we could pass no further Therefore we set two of the best Ax-men that we had who fell'd it exactly cross the River and the bows just reached over on this we passed very safe We afterwards crossed another River three times with much difficulty and at 3 a Clock in the afternoon we came to an Indian settlement where we met a drove of Monkeys and kill d 4 of them and stayed here all night having marched this day 6 miles Here we got Plantains enough and a kind reception of the Indian that lived here all alone except one boy to wait on him The fifteenth day when we set out the kind Indian and his boy went with us in a Canoa and set us over such places as we could not ford and being past those great Rivers he returned back again having helped us at least 2 mile We marched afterwards 5 mile and came to large Plantain walks where we took up our quarters that night we there fed plentifully on Plantains both ripe and green and had fair weather all the day and night I think these were the largest Plantains walks and the biggest Plantains that ever I saw but no house near them We gathered what we pleased by our Guides orders The sixteenth day we marched 3 mile and came to a large settlement where we abode all day Not a man of us but wisht the Journey at an end our Feet being blistered and our Thighs stript with wading through so many Rivers the way being almost continually through Rivers or pathless Woods In the afternoon five of us went to seek for game and kill'd 3 Monkeys which we drest for Supper Here we first began to have fair Weather which continued with us till we came to the North Seas The eighteenth day we set out at 10 a Clock and the Indians with 5 Canoas carried us a league up a River and when we landed the kind Indians went with us and carried our burthens We marched 3 mile farther and then built our Hutts having travelled from the last settlements 6 miles The nineteenth day our Guides lost their way and we did not march above 2 miles The twentieth day by 12 a Clock we came to Cheapo River The Rivers we crost hitherto run all into the South Seas and this of Cheapo was the last we met with that run that way Here an old man who came from the last settlements distributed his burthen of Plantains amongst us and taking his leave returned home Afterward we forded the River and marched to the foot of a very high Mountain where we lay all night This day we marched about 9 miles The 21st day some of the Indians returned back and we marched up a very high mountain being on the top we went some miles on a ridge and steep on both sides then descended a little and came to a fine Spring where we lay all night having gone this day about 9 miles the weather still very fair and clear The 22d day we marched over another very high Mountain keeping on the ridge 5 miles When we came to the North end we to our great comfort saw the Sea then we descended and parted our selves into 3 Companies and lay by the side of a River which was the first we met that runs into the North Sea The 23d day we came through several large Plantain walks and at 10 a Clock came to an Indians habitation not far from the North Sea Here we got Canoas to carry us down the River Conception to the Sea side having gone this day about 7 miles We found a great many Indians at the mouth of this River They had settled themselves here for the benefit of Trade with the Privateers and their Commodities were Yams Potatoes Plantains Sugar Canes Fowls and Eggs. These Indians told us that there had been a great many English and French Ships here which were all gone but one Barco-longo a French Privateer that lay at La Sound 's Key or Island This Island is about 3 leagues from the mouth of the River Conception and is one of the Samballoes a range of Islands reaching for about 20 leagues from point Samballas to Golden-Island Eastward These Islands or Keys as we call them were first made the Rendezvous of Privateers in the year 1679 being very convenient for careening and had names given to some of them by the Captains of the Privateers as this La-Sound s Key particularly Thus we finished our Journey from the South Sea to the North in 23 days in which time by my account we travelled 110 miles crossing some very high Mountains but our common march was in the Valleys among deep and dangerous Rivers At our first landing in this Country we were told that the Indians were our Enemies we knew the Rivers to be deep the wet season to be coming in yet excepting those we left behind we lost but one man who was drowned as I said Our first landing place on the South Coast was very disadvantageous for we travelled at least 50 miles more than we need to have done could we have gone up Cheapo River or Santa Maria River for at either of these places a man may pass from Sea to Sea in 3 days time with ease The Indians can do it in a day and a half by which you may see how easy it is for a party of men to travel over I must confess the Indians did assist us very much and I question whether ever we had got over without their assistance because they brought us from time to time to their Plantations where we always got Provision which else we should have wanted But if a party of 500 or 600 men or more were
Coast of Portabell nor so frequent The Westerly winds in the Westerly wind season blow here tho not so strong nor lasting as on the Coasts of Cartagene and Portabell When we had spent some time here we return'd again towards the Coast of Cartagene and being between Rio Grande and that place we met with Westerly winds which kept us still to the Eastward of Cartagene 3 or 4 days and then in the morning we descryed a Sail off at Sea and we chaced her at noon Captain Wright who sailed best came up with her and engaged her and in half an hour after Captain Yanky who sailed better than the Tartan the Vessel that I was in came up with her likewise and laid her aboard then Captain Wright also and they took her before we came up They lost 2 or 3 men and had 7 or 8 wounded The Prize was a Ship of 12 Guns and 40 men who had all good small Arms She was laden with Sugar and Tobacco and had 8 or 10 Tuns of Marmalett on board She came from Saint Jago on Cuba and was bound to Cartagene We went back with her to Rio Grande to fix our Rigging which was shattered in the Fight and to consider what to do with her for these were commodities of little use to us and not worth going into a Port with At the Rio Grande Captain Wright demanded the Prize as his due by virtue of his Commission Captain Yanky said it was his due by the Law of Privateers Indeed Captain Wright had the most right to her having by his Commission protected Captain Yanky from the French who would have turned him out because he had no Commission and he likewise began to engage her first But the Company were all afraid that Captain Wright would presently carry her into a Port therefore most of Captain Wright's Men stuck to Captain Yanky and Captain Wright losing his Prize burned his own Bark and had Captain Yankys's it being bigger than his own the Tartan was sold to a Jamaica Trader and Captain Yanky commanded the Prize Ship We went again from hence to Rio la Hach and set the Prisoners ashore and it being now the beginning of November we concluded to go to Querisao to sell our Sugar if favoured by westerly Winds which were now come in We sailed from thence having fair weather and Winds to our mind which brought us to Querisao a Dutch Island Captain Wright went ashore to the Governour and offered him the Sale of the Sugar but the Governor told him he had a great Trade with the Spaniards therefore he could not admit us in there but if we would go to St. Thomas which is an Island and Free Port belonging to the Danes and a Sanctuary for Privateers he would send a Sloop with such Goods as we wanted and Money to buy the Sugar which he would take at a certain rate but it was not agreed to Querisao is the only Island of importance that the Dutch have in the West-Indies It is about 5 leagues in length and may be 9 or 10 in circumference the Northernmost point is laid down in North lat 12 d. 40 m. and it is about 7 or 8 leagues from the Main near Cape Roman On the South side of the East end is a good harbour called Santa Barbara but the chiefest harbour is about 3 leagues from the S. E. end on the South side of it where the Dutch have a very good Town and a very strong Fort. Ships bound in thither must be sure to keep close to the Harbour's mouth and have a Hasar or Rope ready to send one end ashore to the Fort for there is no Anchoring at the entrance of the Harbour and the Current always sets to the Westward But being got in it is a very secure Port for Ships either to Careen or lye safe At the East end are two hills one of them is much higher than the other and steepest toward the North side The rest of the Island is indifferent level where of late some rich Men have made Sugar works which formerly was all pasture for Cattle there are also some small Plantations of Potatoes and Yames and they have still a great many Cattle on the Island but it is not so much esteemed for its produce as for its situation for the Trade with the Spaniard Formerly the Harbour was never without Ships from Cartagenâ—… and Portabell that did use to buy of the Dutch here 1000 or 1500 Negroes at once besides great quantities of European Commodities but of late that Trade is fallen into the hands of the English at Jamaica yet still the Dutch have a vast Trade over all the West Indies sending from Holland Ships of good force laden with European goods whereby they make very profitable returns The Dutch have two other Islands here but of little moment in comparison of Querisao the one lieth 7 or 8 leagues to the Westward of Querisao called Aruba the other 9 or 10 leagues to the Eastward of it called Bon-Airy From these Islands the Dutch fetch in Sloops Provision for Querisao to maintain their Garrison and Negroes I was never at Aruba therefore cannot say any thing of it as to my own knowledge but by report it is much like Bon-Airy which I shall describe only not so big Between Querisao and Bon-Airy is a small Island called Little Querisao it is not above a league from Great Querisao The King of France has long had an eye on Querisao and made some attempts to take it but never yet succeeded I have heard that about 23 or 24 years since the Governour had sold it to the French but dy'd a small time before the Fleet came to demand it and by his death that design fail d. Afterwards in the year 1678 the Count D Estre who a year before had taken the Isle of Tobago from the Dutch was sent hither also with a Squadron of stout Ships very well mann'd and fitted with Bombs and Carcasses intending to take it by storm This Fleet first came to Martinico where while they stay'd orders were sent to Petit-Guavers for all Privateers to repair thither and assist the Count in his design There were but two Privateers Ships that went thither to him which were mann'd partly with French partly with English men These set out with the Count but in their way to Querisao the whole Fleet was lost on a Riff or Ridge of Rocks that runs off from the Isle of Aves not above two Ships escaping one of which was one of the Privateers and so that design perished Wherefore not driving a bargain for our Sugar with the Governour of Querisao we went from thence to Bon-Airy another Dutch Island where we met a Dutch Sloop come from Europe laden with Irish Beef which we bought in exchange for some of our Sugar Bon-Airy is the Eastermost of the Dutch Islands and is the largest of the three tho not the most considerable The middle of the Island is laid
himself very well for here lay driven on the Island Masts Yards Timbers and many things that he wanted therefore he hal'd into the Harbour close to the Island and unrigg'd his Ship Before he had done a Dutch Ship of 20 Guns was sent from Querisao to take up the Guns that were lost on the Riff But seeing a Ship in the Harbour and knowing her to be a French Privateer they thought to take her first and came within a mile of her and began to fire at her intending to warp in the next day for it is very narrow going in Captain Pain got ashore some of his Guns and did what he could to resist them tho he did in a manner conclude he must be taken But while his men were thus busied he spy'd a Dutch Sloop turning to get into the Road and saw her in the evening anchor at the West end of the Island This gave him some hope of making his escape which he did by sending two Canoas in the night aboard the Sloop who took her and got considerable purchase in her and he went away in her making a good Reprizal and leaving his own empty Ship to the Dutch Man of War There is another Island to the Eastward of the Isle of Aves about 4 leagues called by Privateers the littleIsle of Aves which is overgrown with Mangrove-trees I have seen it but was never on it There are no Inhabitants that I could learn on either of these Islands but Boobies and a few other Birds While we were at the Isle of Aves we careen'd Captain Wright s Bark and scrubb'd the Sugar-prize and got 2 Guns out of the Wrecks continuing here till the beginning of Feb. 1681 2. We went from hence to the Isles Roca's to careen the Sugar-prize which the Isle of Aves was not a place so convenient for Accordingly we haled close to one of the small Islands and got our Guns ashore the first thing we did and built a Breastwork on the point and planted all our Guns there to hinder an Enemy from coming to us while we lay on the Careen Then we made a House and cover d it with our Sails to put our goods and provisions in While we lay here a French Man of War of 36 Guns came thro the Keys or Little Islands to whom we sold about 10 Tun of Sugar I was aboard twice or thrice and very kindly welcomed both by the Captain and his Lieutenant who was a Cavalier of Malta and they both offer d me great encouragement in France if I would go with them but I ever design'd to continue with those of my own Nation The Islands Roca s are a parcel of small uninhabited Islands lying about the Lat. of 11 d. 40 〈◊〉 about 15 or 16 leagues from the Main and about 20 leagues N. W. b. W. from Tortuga and 6 or 7 leagues to the Westward of Orchilla another Island lying about the same distance from the Main which Island I have seen but was never at it Roca's stretch themselves East and West about 5 leagues and their breadth is about 3 leagues The northernmost of these Islands is the most remarkable by reason of a high white rocky Hill at the West end of it which may be seen a great way and on it there are abundance of Tropick Birds Men of War Booby and Noddys which breed there The Booby and Man of War I have described already The Noddy is a small Black Bird much about the bigness of the English Black-bird and indifferent good meat They build in Rocks We never find them far off from Shore I have seen of them in other places but never saw any of their Nests but in this Island where there is great plenty of them The Tropick Bird is as big as a Pigeon but round and plump like a Partridge They are all white except two or three Feathers in each Wing of a light grey Their Bills are of a yellowish colour thick and short They have one long Feather or rather a Quill about 7 inches long grows out at the Rump which is all the Tail they have They are never seen far without either Tropick for which reason they are called Tropick-birds They are very good food and we meet with them a great way at Sea and I never saw of them any where but at Sea and in this Island where they build and are found in great plenty By the Sea on the South side of that high Hill there is fresh Water comes out of the Rocks but so slowly that it yields not above 40 gallons in 24 hours and it tastes so copperish or aluminous rather and rough in the mouth that it seems very unpleasant at first drinking but after 2 or 3 days any other Water will seem to have no taste The middle of this Island is low plain Land overgrown with long Grass where there are multitudes of small grey Fowls no bigger than a Black-bird yet lay Eggs bigger than a Magpy's and they are therefore by Privateers called Egg-birds The East end of the Island is overgrown with black Mangrove Trees There are three sorts of Mangrove-Trees black red and white The black Mangrove is the largest Tree the body about as big as an Oak and about 20 feet high It is very hard and serviceable Timber but extraordinary heavy therefore not much made use of for building The red Mangrove groweth commonly by the Sea side or by Rivers or Creeks The body is not so big as that of the black Mangrove but always grows out of many roots about the bigness of a Mans Leg some bigger some less which at about 6 8 or 10 foot above the ground joyn into one trunk or body that seems to be supported by so many artificial Stakes Where this sort of Tree grows it is impossible to march by reason of these Stakes which grow so mixt one among another that I have when forced to go through them gone half a mile and never set my foot on the ground stepping from root to root The Timber is hard and good for many uses The inside of the Bark is red and it is used for tanning of Leather very much all over the West Indies The white Mangrove never groweth so big as the other two sorts neither is it of any great use Of the young Trees Privateers use to make Looms or Handles for their Oars for it is commonly strait but not very strong which is the fault of them Neither the black nor white Mangrove grow towering up from stilts or rising roots as the red doth but the body immediately out of the ground like other Trees The Land of this East end is light Sand which is sometimes overflown with the Sea at Spring-tides The Road for Ships is on the South side against the middle of the Island The rest of the Islands of Roca's are low The next to this on the South side is but small flat and even without Trees bearing only Grass On the South side of it
and discovered also another Island about the same bigness 20 leagues to the Westward of this From those Goats these were propogated and the Island hath taken its name from this its first Discoverer who when he returned to Lima desired a Patent for it designing to settle here and it was in his second Voyage hither that he set ashore 3 or 4 Goats which have since by their increase so well stocked the whole Island But he could never get a Patent for it therefore it lies still destitute of Inhabitants though doubtless capable of maintaining 4 or 500 Families by what may be produced off the Land only I speak much within compass for the Savanahs would at present feed 1000 head of Cattle besides Goats and the Land being cultivated would probably bear Corn or Wheat and good Pease Yams or Patatoes for the Land in their Valleys and sides of the Mountains is of a good black fruitful mould The Sea about it is likewise very productive of its Inhabitants Seals swarm as thick about this Island as if they had no other place in the World to live in for there is not a Bay nor Rock that one can get ashore on but is full of them Sea Lyon's are here in great Companys and Fish particularly Snappers and Rock-fish are so plentiful that 2 men in an hours time will take with Hook and Line as many as will serve 100 men The Seals are a sort of Creatures pretty well known yet it may not be amiss to describe them They are as big as Calves the head of them like a Dog therefore call'd by the Dutch the Sea-hounds Under each Shoulder grows a long thick Fin These serve them to swim with when in the Sea and are instead of Legs to them when on the Land for raising their Bodies up on end by the help of these Fins or Stumps and so having their Tail-parts drawn close under them they rebound as it were and throw their bodies forward drawing their hinder-parts after them and then again rising up and springing forward with their fore-parts alternately they lie tumbling thus up and down all the while they are moving on Land From their Shoulders to their Tails they grow tapering like Fish and have two small Fins on each side the Rump which is commonly covered with their Fins These Fins serve instead of a Tail in the Sea and on Land they sit on them when they give suck to their young Their hair is of divers colours as black grey dun sported looking very sleek and pleasant when they come first out of the Sea For these at John Fernando s have fine thick short Furr the like I have not taken notice of any where but in these Seas Here are always thousands I might say possibly millions of them either sitting on the Bays or going and coming in the Sea round the Island which is covered with them as they lye at the top of the Water playing and sunning themselves for a mile or two from the Shore When they come out of the Sea they bleat like Sheep for their young and tho they pass through hundreds of others young ones before they come to their own yet they will not suffer any of them to suck The young ones are like Puppies and lie much ashore but when beaten by any of us they as well as the old ones will make toward the Sea and swim very swift and nimble tho on shore they lye very sluggishly and will not go out of our ways unless we beat them but snap at us A blow on the Nose soon kills them Large Ships might here load themselves with Seals skins and Trane-oyl for they are extraordinary fat Seals are found as well in cold as hot Climates and in the cold places they love to get on Lumps of Ice where they will lie and sun themselves as here on the Land They are frequent in the Northern parts of Europe and America and in the Southern parts of Africa as about the Cape of Good Hope and at the Streights of Magellan and though I never saw any in the West Indies but in the Bay of Campeachy at certain Islands called the Alceranes and at others called the Desartes yet they are over all the American Coast of the South Seas from Terra del Fuego up to the Equinoctial Line but to the North of the Equinox again in these Seas I never saw any till as far as 21 North Lat. Nor did I ever see any in the East Indies In general they seem to resort where there is plenty of Fish for that is their food and Fish such as they feed on as Cods Groopers c. are most plentiful on rocky Coasts and such is mostly this Western Coast of the South America as I shall further relate The Sea Lion is a large creature about 12 or 14 foot long The biggest part of his body is as big as a Bull it is shaped like a Seal but 6 times as big The Head is like a Lion's Head it hath a broad Face with many long Hairs growing about its Lips like a Cat. It has a great goggle Eye the Teeth inches long about the bigness of a Mans Thumb In Capt. Sharp's time some of our Men made Dice with them They have no Hair on their Bodies like the Seal they are of a dun colour and are all extraordinary fat one of them being cut up and boil'd will yeild a Hogshed of Oil which is very sweet and wholesome to fry Meat withal The lean Flesh is black and of a course grain yet indifferent good food They will lye a week at a time ashore if not disturbed Where 3 or 4 or more of them come ashore together they huddle one on another like Swine and grunt like them making a hideous noise They eat Fish which I believe is their common food The Snapper is a Fish made much like a Roach but a great deal bigger It hath a large Head and Mouth and great Gills The Back is of a bright Red the Belly of a Silver-colour The Scales are as broad as a Shilling The Snapper is excellent meat They are in many places in the West-Indies and the South-Seas I have not seen them any where beside The Rock-fish is called by Sea-men a Grooper the Spaniards call it a Baccalao which is the name for Cod because it is much like it It is rounder than the Snapper of a dark brown colour and hath small Scales no bigger than a Silver-penny This Fish is good sweet meat and is found in great plenty on all the Coast of Peru and Chili There are only two Bays in the whole Island where Ships may Anchor these are both at the East end and in both of them is a Rivolet of good fresh Water Either of these Bays may be fortified with little charge to that degree that 50 men in each may be able to keep off 1000 and there is no coming into these Bays from the West end but with great
difficulty over the Mountains where if 3 men are placed they may keep down as many as come against them on any side This was partly experienced by 5 Englishmen that Captain Davis left here who defended themselves against a great body of Spaniards who landed in the Bays and came here to destroy them and though the second time one of their Consorts deserted and fled to the Spaniards yet the other 4 kept their ground and were afterward taken in from hence by Captain Strong of London We remained at John Fernando's 16 days our sick men were ashore all the time and one of Captain Eaton's Doctors for he had 4 in his Ship tending and feeding them with Goat and several Herbs whereof here is plenty growing in the Brooks and their Diseases were chiefly Scorbutick CHAP. V. The Author departs from John Fernando's Of the Pacifick Sea Of the Andes or high Mountains in Peru and Chili A Prize taken Isle of Lobos Penguins and other Birds there Three Prizes more The Islands Gallapago's The Dildo tree Burton wood Mammet trees Guanoes Land Tortoise their several kind Green Snakes Turtle-Doves Tortoise or Turtle-grass Sea Turtle their several kinds The Air and Weather at the Gallapago's Some of the Islands describ'd their Soil c. The Island Cocos describ'd Cape Blanco and the Bay of Caldera the Sevanahs there Captain Cook dies Of Nicoya and a Red Wood for Dying and other Commodities A narrow Escape of 12 Men. Lance-wood Volean Vejo a burning Mountain on the Coast of Ria Lexa A Tornado The Island and Harbor of Ria Lexa The Gulph of Amapalla and Point Casivina Isles of Mangera and Amapalla The Indian Inhabitants Hog-plumb tree Other Islands in the Gulph of Amapalla Captain Eaton and Captain Davis careen their Ships here and afterwards part THE 8th of April 1684. we sailed from the Isle of John Fernando with the Wind at S. E. We were now 2 Ships in Company Captain Cook 's whose Ship I was in and who here took the Sickness of which he dy'd a while after and Captain Eaton's Our passage lay now along the Pacifick Sea properly so called For though it be usual with our Map-makers to give that Name to this whole Ocean calling it Mare Australe Mar del Zar or Mare Pacificum yet in my opinion the Name of the Pacifick Sea ought not to be extended from South to North farther than from 30 to about 4 degrees South Latitude and from the American Shore Westward indefinitely with respect to my Observation who have been in these parts 250 Leagues or more from Land and still had the Sea very quiet from Winds For in all this Tract of Water of which I have spoken there are no dark rainy Clouds though often a thick Horizon so as to hinder an Observation of the Sun with the Quadrant and in the morning hazy weather frequently and thick Mists but scarce able to wet one Nor are there in this Sea any Winds but the Trade-wind no Tempests no Tornado's or Hurricans though North of the Equator they are met with as well in this Ocean as in the Atlantick yet the Sea it self at the new and full of the Moon runs with high large long Surges but such as never break out at Sea and so are safe enough unless that where they fell in and break upon the shore they make it bad landing In this Sea we made the best of our way toward the Line till in the lat of 24. S. where we fell in with the main Land of the South America All this course of the Land both of Chili and Peru is vastly high therefore we kept 12 or 14 leagues off from shore being unwilling to be seen by the Spaniards dwelling there The Land especially beyond this from 24 deg S. Lat. to 17 and from 14 to 10 is of a most prodigious heighth It lies generally in ridges parallel to the Shore and 3 or 4 ridges one within another each surpassing other in heighth and those that are farthest within Land are much higher than the others They always appear blue when seen at Sea sometimes they are obscured with Clouds but not so often as the high Lands in other parts of the world for here are seldom or never any Rains on these Hills any more than in the Sea near it neither are they subject to Fogs These are the highest Mountains that ever I saw far surpassing the Pike of Tenariffe or Santa Martha and I believe any Mountains in the world I have seen very high Land in the Lat. of 30 South but not so high as in the Latitudes before described In Sir John Narborough's Voyage also to Baldivia a City on this Coast mention is made of very high Land seen near Baldivia and the Spaniard with whom I have discoursed have told me that there is very high Land all the way between Coquimbo which lies in about 30 deg S. Lat. and Baldivia which is in 40 South so that by all likelihood these ridges of Mountains do run in a continued Chain from one end of Peru and Chili to the other all along this South Sea Coast called usually the Andes or Sierra Nuevada des Andes The excessive heighth of these Mountains may possibly be the reason that there are no Rivers of note that fall into these Seas Some small Rivers indeed there are but very few of them for in some places there is not one that comes out into the Sea in 150 or 200 Leagues and where they are thickest they are 30 40 or 50 Leagues asunder and too little and shallow to be navigable Besides some of these do not constantly run but are dry at certain seasons of the year as the River of Ylo runs flush with a quick Current at the latter end of January and so continues till June and then it decreaseth by degrees growing less and running slow till the latter end of September when it fails wholly and runs no more till January again This I have seen at both seasons in two former Voyages I made hither and have been informed by the Spaniards that other Rivers on this Coast are of the like nature being rather Torrents or Land-floods caused by their Rains at certain seasons far within Land than Perennial Streams We kept still along in sight of this Coast but at a good distance from it encountring with nothing of Note till in the lat of 9 deg 40 min. South on the 3d of May we descried a Sail to the Northward of us She was plying to Windward we chaced her and Captain Eaton being a head soon took her she came from Guiaquil about a month before laden with Timber and was bound to Lima. Three days before we took her she came from Santa whither she had gone for Water and where they had news of our being in these Seas by an Express from Baldivia for as we afterwards heard Captain Swan had been at Baldivia to seek a Trade there and he having met Captain
Seas is among these Gallapago Islands for here is plenty of Grass There is another sort of Green Turtle in the South Seas which are but small yet pretty sweet These lye Westward on the Coast of Mexico One thing is very strange and remarkable in these Creatures that at the breeding time they leave for 2 or 3 Months their common haunts where they feed most of the Year and resort to other places only to lay their Eggs And 't is not thought that they eat any thing during this Season So that both He 's and She 's grow very lean but the He 's to that degree that none will eat them The most remarkable places that I did ever hear of for their breeding is at an Island in the West Indies called Caimanes and the Isle Ascention in the Western Ocean and when the breeding time is past there are none remaining Doubtless they swim some hundreds of Leagues to come to those two places For it hath been often observed that at Caimanes at the breeding time there are found all those sorts of Turtle before described The South Keys of Cuba are above 40 Leagues from thence which is the nearest place that these Creatures can come from and it is most certain that there could not live so many there as come here in one Season Those that go to lay at Ascention must needs travel much farther for there is no Land nearer it than 300 Leagues And it is certain that these Creatures live always near the shore In the South Sea likewise the Gallapagos is the place where they live the biggest part of the Year yet they go from thence at their Season over to the Main to lay their Eggs which is 100 Leagues the nearest place Altho multitudes of these Turtles go from their common places of feeding and abode to those laying places yet they do not all go And at the time when the Turtlè resort to these places to lay their Eggs they are accompanied with abundance of Fish especially Sharks the places which the Turtle then leave being at that time destitute of Fish which follow the Turtle When the She 's go thus to their places to lay the Male accompany them and never leave them till their return Both Male and Female are Fat the begining of the Season but before they return the Male as I said are so lean that they are not fit to eat but the Female are good to the very last Yet not so Fat as at the beginning of the Season It is reported of these Creatures that they are 9 days engendring and in the Water the Male on the Females back It is observable that the Male while engendring do not easily forsake their Female For I have gone and taken hold of the Male when ingendring and a very bad striker may strike them then for the Male is not shie at all but the Female seeing a Boat when they rise to blow would make her escape but that the Male grasps her with his 2 fore Fins and holds her fast When they are thus coupled it is best to strike the Female first then you are sure of the Male also These Creatures are thought to live to a great Age and it is observed by the Jamaica Turtlers that they are many years before they come to their full growth The air of these Islands is temperate enough considering the Clime Here is constantly a fresh Sea breze all Day and cooling refreshing winds in the Night Therefore the heat is not so violent here as in most places near the Equator The time of the Year for the Rains is in November December and January Then there is oftentimes excessive dark Tempestuous weather mixt with much Thunder and Lightning Sometimes before and after these Months there are moderate refreshing Showers but in May June July and August the weather is alway very fair We staid at one of these Islands which lies under the Equator but one Night because our Prizes could not get into an Anchor We refresht our selves very well both with Land and Sea Turtles and the next day we failed from thence The next Island of the Gallapagos that we came to is but 2 Leagues from this 'T is Rocky and barren like this it is about 5 or 6 Leagues long and 4 broad We Anchored in the Afternoon at the North side of the Island a quarter of a Mile from the shore in 16 fathom water It is steep all round this Island and no Anchoring only at this place Here it is but ordinary riding for the ground is so steep that if an Anchor starts it never holds again and the wind is commonly off from the Land except in the Night when the Land-wind comes more from the West for there it blows right along the shore though but faintly Here is no water but in Ponds and holes of the Rocks That which we first Anchored at hath water on the North end falling down in a stream from high steep Rocks upon the Sandy Bay where it may be taken up As soon as we came to an Anchor we made a Tent ashore for Captain Cook who was sick Here we found the Sea Turtle lying ashore on the Sand this is not customary in the West Indies We turned them on their backs that they might not get away The next day more came up when we found it to be their custom to lye in the Sun so we never took care to turn them afterwards but sent ashore the Cook every morning who kill'd as many as served for the day This custom we observed all the time we lay here feeding sometimes on Land Turtle sometimes on Sea Turtle there being plenty of either sort Captain Davis came hither again a second time and then he went to other Islands on the West side of these There he found such plenty of Land Turtle that he and his Men eat nothing else for 3 Months that he staid there They were so Fat that he saved 60 Jars of Oyl out of those that he spent This Oyl served instead of Butter to eat with Dough-boys or Dumplin's in his return out of these Seas He found very convenient places to Careen and good Channels between the Islands and very good Anchoring in many places There he found also plenty of brooks of good fresh water and fire wood enough there being plenty of Trees fit for many uses Captain Harris one that we shall speak of hereafter came hither likewise and found some Islands that had plenty of Mammee-trees and pretty large Rivers The Sea about these Islands is plentifully stored with Fish such as are at John Fernando's They are both large and Fat and as plentiful here as at John Fernando's Here are particularly abundance of Sharks The North part of this second Isle we anchor'd at lyes 28 minutes North of the Equator I took the heighth of the Sun with an Astrolabe These Isles of the Gallapago's have plenty of Salt We stay'd here but 12 days in which
always go before the Wind being unable to ply against it and therefore are fit only for these Seas where the Wind is always in a manner the same not varying above a point or two all the way from Lima till such time as they come into the Bay of Panama and even there they meet with no great Sea but sometimes Northerly winds and then they lower their Sails and drive before it waiting a change All their care then is only to keep off from Shore for they are so made that they cannot sink at Sea These Rafts carry 60 or 70 Tuns of Goods and upwards their Cargo is chiefly Wine Oyl Flower Sugar Quito-cloath Soap Goat-skins drest c. The Float is manag'd usually by 3 or 4 Men who being unable to return with it against the Trade-wind when they come to Panama dispose of the goods and bottom together getting a passage back again for themselves in some Ship or Boat bound to the Port they came from and there they make a new Bark-log for their next Cargo The smaller sort of Bark-logs described before which lye flat on the Water and are used for Fishing or carrying Water to Ships or the like half a Tun or a Tun at a time are more governable than the other tho they have Masts and Sails too With these they go out at night by the help of the Land-wind which is seldom wanting on this Coast and return back in the day time with the Sea-wind This sort of Floats are used in many places both in the East and West Indies On the Coast of Coromandel in the East Indies they call them Catamarans These are but one Log or two sometimes of a sort of light Wood and are made without Sail or Rud der and so small that they carry but one Man whose legs and breech are always in the Water and he manages his Log with a Paddle appearing at a distance like a Man sitting on a Fish's back The Country about Payta is mountainous and barren like all the rest of the Kingdom of Peru. There is no Towns of consequence nearer it than Piura which is a large Town in the Country 40 miles distant It lieth by report of our Spanish Prisoners in a Valley which is watered with a small River that disembogues it self into the Bay of Chirapce in about 7d of North latitude This Bay is nearer to Piura than Payta yet all Goods imported by Sea for Piura are landed at Payta for the Bay of Chirapee is full of dangerous sholes and therefore not frequented by shipping The Road of Payta is one of the best on the Coast of Peru. It is sheltered from the South-west by a point of Land which makes a large Bay and smooth Water for Ships to ride in There is room enough for a good Fleet of Ships and good anchoring in any depth from 6 fathom water to 20 fathom Right against the Town the nearer the Town the shallower the water and the smoother the riding it is clean Sand all over the Bay Most Ships passing either to the North or the South touch at this place for water for tho here is none at the Town yet those Indian Fishermen of Colan will and do supply all Ships very reasonably and good water is much prized on all this Coast through the scarcity of it November the 3d at 6 a clock in the morning our Men landed about 4 miles to the South of the Town and took some Prisoners that were sent thither to watch for fear of us and these Prisoners said that the Governor of Piura came with 100 armed Men to Payta the night before purposely to oppose our landing there if we should attempt it Our Men marched directly to the Fort on the Hill and took it without the loss of one Man Hereupon the Governor of Piura with all his Men and the Inhabitants of the Town ran away as fast as they could Then our Men entered the Town and found it emptied both of Money and Goods there was not so much as a Meal of Victuals left for them The Prisoners told us a Ship had been here a little before and burnt a great Ship in the Road but did not land their Men and that here they put ashore all their Prisoners and Pilots We knew this must be Captain Eaton's Ship which had done this and by these circumstances we supposed he was gone to the East Indies it being always designed by him The Prisoners told us also that since Captain Eaton was here a small Bark had been off the Harbor and taken a pair of Bark-logs a fishing and made the Fishermen bring aboard 20 or 30 Jars of fresh water This we supposed was our Bark that was sent to the Lobos to seek Captain Eaton In the evening we came in with our Ships and anchored before the Town in 10 fathom water near a mile from the shore Here we staid till the sixth day in hopes to get a Ransom for the Town Our Captains demanded 300 Packs of Flower 3000 pound of Sugar 25 Jars of Wine and 1000 Jars of Water to be brought off to us but we got nothing of it Therefore Captain Swan ordered the Town to be fir'd which was presently done Then all our Men came aboard and Captain Swan ordered the Bark which Captain Harris commanded to be burnt because she did not sail well At night when the Land Wind came off we sailed from hence towards Lobos The 10th day in the evening we saw a Sail bearing N. W. by N. as far as we could well discern her on our Deck We immediately chased separating our selves the better to meet her in the night but we mist her Therefore the next morning we again trimb'd sharp and made the best of our way to the Lobos de la Mar. The 14th day we had sight of the Island Lobos de Terra it bore East from us we stood in towards it and betwixt 7 and 8 a clock in the night came to an anchor at the N. E. end of the Island in 14 fathom water This Island at Sea is of an indifferent height and appears like Lobos de la Mar. About a quarter of a mile from the North end there is a great hollow Rock and a good Channel between where there is 7 fathom water The 15th day we went ashore and found abundance of Penguins and Boobies and Seal in great quanties We sent aboard of all these to be drest for we had not tasted any flesh in a great while before therefore some of us did eat very heartily Captain Swan to encourage his Men to eat this course flesh would commend it for extraordinary good food comparing the Seal to roasting Pig the Boobies to Hens and the Penguins to Ducks this he did to train them to live contentedly on course Meat not knowing but we might be forced to make use of such food before we departed out of these Seas for it is generally seen among Privateers that nothing imboldens them
sooner to mutiny than want which we could not well suffer in a place where there are such quantities of these Animals to be had if Men could be perswaded to be contented with them In the afternoon we sailed from Lobos de Terra with the Wind at S. by E. and arrived at Lobos de la Mar on the 19th day Here we found a Letter left by our Bark that was sent to seek Captain Eaton by which we understood that Captain Eaton had been there but was gone before they arriv'd and had left no Letter to advise us which way he was gone and that our Bark was again returned to Plata in hopes to find us there or meet us by the way else resolving to stay for us there We were sorry to hear that Captain Eaton was gone for now we did not expect to meet with him any more in these Seas The 21st day we sent out our Moskito Strikers for Turtle who brought aboard enough to serve both Ships Companies and this they did all the time that we abode here While we lay at this Island Captain Swan made new yards squarer than those he had before and made his Sails larger and our Ships Company in the mean time split plank for Fire-wood and put aboard as many plank as we could conveniently stow for other uses Here being plank enough of all sorts which we had brought hither in the first Prize that we took and left here The 26th day in the evening we saw a small Bark about 3 leagues N. N. W. from the Island but we supposing her to be our own Bark did not go after her The next morning she was 2 leagues South of the Island standing off to Sea but we did not now chace her neither although we knew she was not our Bark for being to Windward of us she could have made her escape if we had chased her This Bark as we were afterward informed was sent out purposely to see if we were at this Island Her orders were not to come too near only to appear in sight they supposing that if we were here we should soon be after her as indeed it was a wonder we had not chaced her but our not doing so and lying close under the Island undiscern d by them was a great occasion of our coming upon Puna afterwards unexpectedly they being now without fear of any Enemy so near them The 28th day we scrubb d our Ships bottoms intending to sail the next day towards Guiaquil it being concluded upon to attempt that Town before we returned again to Plata Accordingly on the 29th day in the morning we loosed from hence steering directly for the Bay of Guiaquil This Bay runs in between Cape Blanco on the South side and Point Chandy on the North. About 25 leagues from Cape Blanco near the bottom of the Bay there is a small Island called Santa Clara which lies East and West It is of an indifferent length and it appears like a dead Man stretched out in a Shroud The East end represents the Head and the West end the Feet Ships that are bound into the Riveâ—… of Guiaquil pass on the South side to avoid the sholes which lie on the North side of it whereon formerly Ships have been lost It is reported by the Spaniards that there is a very rich Wreck lies on the North side of that Island not far from it and that some of the Plate hath been taken up by one who came from Old Spain with a Patent from the King to fish in those Seas for Wrecks but he dying the Project ceas'd and the Wreck still remains as he left it only the Indians by stealth do sometimes take up some of it and they might have taken up much more if it were not for the Catfish which swarm hereabouts The Catfish is much like a Whiting but the Head is flatter and bigger It hath a great wide Mouth and certain small Strings pointing out from each side of it like Cats Whiskers and for that reason it is called a Catfish It hath three Fins one growing on the top of his back and one on either side Each of these Fins hath a stiff sharp bone which is very venemous if it strikes into a mans flesh therefore it is dangerous diving where many of these Fish are The Indians that adventured to search this wreck have to their sorrow experienc'd it some having lost their lives others the use of their limbs by it this we were informed by an Indian who himself had been fishing on it by stealth I my self have known some white men that have lost the use of their hands only by a small prick with the fin of these Fish therefore when we catch them with a Hook we tread on them to take the Hook out of their mouths for otherwise in flurting about as all Fish will when first taken they might accidentally strike their sharp Fins into the hands of those that caught them Some of these Fish are 7 or 8 pound weight some again in some particular places are none of them bigger than a Man's Thumb but their Fins are all alike venemous They use to be at the mouths of Rivers or where there is much Mud and Oaze and they are found all over the American Coast both in the North and South Seas at least in the hot Countreys as also in the East Indies where sailing with Captain Minchin among certain Islands near the Streights of Malacca he pointed to an Island at which he told me he lost the use of his hand by one of these only in going to take the Hook out of its mouth The wound was scarce visible yet his Hand was much swoln and the pain lasted about 9 weeks during most part of which the raging heat of it was almost ready to distract him However though the bony Fins of these Fish are so venemous yet the Bones in their bodies are not so at least we never perceived any such effect in eating the Fish and their Flesh is very sweet delicious and wholesome Meat From the Island Santa Clara to Punta Arena is 7 leagues E. N. E. This Punta Arena or Sandy Point is the westermost point of the Island Puna Here all Ships bound into the River of Guiaquil anchor and must wait for a Pilot the entrance being very dangerous for Strangers The Island Puna is a pretty large flat low Island stretching East and West about 12 or 14 leagues long and about 4 or 5 leagues wide The Tide runs very strong all about this Island but so many different ways by reason of the Branches Creeks and Rivers that run into the Sea near it that it casts up many dangerous sholes on all sides of it There is in the Island only one Indian Town on the South side of it close by the Sea and 7 leagues from Point Arena which Town is also called Puna The Indians of this Town are all Seamen and are the only Pilots in these Seas especially for
here being as I have said neither Boats Barks nor Ships that I could ever see unless only what come hither from other parts and some Boats near the S. E. end of California as I guess by the intercourse between that and the Main for Pearl-fishing The Ships that Trade hither are only 3 two that constantly go once a year between this and Manila in Luconia one of the Phillipine Islands and one Ship more every year to and from Lima. This from Lima commonly arrives a little before Christmas she brings them Quick-silver Cacao and pieces of Eight Here she stays till the Manila Ship arrives and then takes in a Cargo of Spices Silks Callicoes and Muzlins and other East India Commodities for the use of Peru and then returns to Lima. This is but a small Vessel of 20 Guns but the 2 Manila Ships are each said to be above 1000 Tun. These make their Voyages alternately so that one or other of them is always at the Manillas When either of them sets out from Acapulco it is at the latter end of March or the beginning of April she alwas touches to refresh at Guam one of the Ladrone Islands in about 60 days space after she sets out There she stays but 2 or 3 days and then prosecutes her Voyage to Manila where she commonly arrives some time in June By that time the other is ready to sail from thence laden with East India Commodities She stretcheth away to the North as far as 36 or sometimes into 40 degrees of North lat before she gets a wind to stand over to the American shore She falls in first with the Coast of California and then Coasts along the shore to the South again and never misses of a wind to bring her away from thence quite to Acapulco When she gets the length of Cape St. Lucas which is the Southermost point of California she stretcheth over to Cape Cortientes which is in about the 20th degree of North lat from thence she Coasts along till she comes to Sallagua and there she sets ashore Passengers that are bound to the City of Mexico From thence she makes her best way coasting still along shore till she arrives at Acapulco which is commonly about Christmas never more than 8 or 10 days before or after Upon the return of this Ship to the Manila the other which stayeth there till her arrival takes her turn back to Acapulco Sir John Narborough therefore was imposed on by the Spaniards who told him that there were 6 sail or more that used this Trade The Port of Acapulco is very commodious for the reception of Ships and so large that some hundreds may safely ride there without damnifying each other There is a small low Island crossing the mouth of the Harbour it is about a mile and a half long and half a mile broad stretching East and West It leaves a good wide deep Channel at each end where Ships may safely go in or come out taking the advantage of the Winds they must enter with the Sea-wind and go out with the Land-wind for these Winds seldom or never fail to succeed each other alternately in their proper seasons of the day or night The Westermost Channel is the narrowest but so deep there is no anchoring and the Manila Ships pass in that way but the Ships from Lima enters on the S. W. Channel This Harbour runs in North about 3 miles then growing very narrow it turns short about to the West and runs about a mile farther where it ends The Town stands on the N. W. side at the mouth of this narrow passage close by the Sea and at the end of the Town there is a Platform with a great many Guns Opposite to the Town on the East side stands a high strong Castle said to have 40 Guns of a very great bore Ships commonly ride near the bottom of the Harbour under the Command both of the Castle and the Platform Captain Townly who as I said before with 140 men left our Ships on a design to fetch the Lima Ship out of the Harbour had not rowed above 3 or 4 leagues before the Voyage was like to end with all their Lives for on a sudden they were encountered with a violent Tornado from the shore which had like to have foundered all the Canoas but they escaped that danger and the second night got safe into Port Marquis Port Marquis is a very good Harbour a league to the East of Acapulco Harbour Here they staid all the next day to dry themselves their Cloaths their Arms and Ammunition and the next night they rowed softly into Acapulco Harbour and because they would not be heard they hal'd in their Oars and paddled as softly as if they had been seeking Manatee They paddled close to the Castle then struck over to the Town and found the Ship riding between the Brestwork and the Fort within about 100 yards of each When they had well viewed her and considered the danger of the design they thought it not possible to accomplish it therefore they paddled softly back again till they were out of command of the Forts and then they went to land and fell in among a company of Spanish Soldiers for the Spaniards having seen them the day before had set Guards along the Coast who immediately fired at them but did them no damage only made them retire farther from the shore They lay afterwards at the mouth of the Harbour till it was day to take a view of the Town and Castle and then returned aboard again being tired hungry and sorry for their disappointment The 11th day we made sail again further on to the Westward with the Land-wind which is commonly at N. E. but the Sea Winds are at S. W. We passed by a long sandy Bay of above 20 leagues All the way along it the Sea falls with such force on the shore that it is impossible to come near it with Boat or Canoa yet it is good clean ground and good anchoring a mile or two from the shore The Land by the Sea is low and indifferent fertile producing many sorts of Trees especially the spreading Palm which grows in spots from one end of the Bay to the other The Palm-tree is as big as an ordinary Ash growing about 20 or 30 foot high The body is clear from boughs or branches till just at the head there it spreads forth many large green branches not much unlike the Cabbage-tree before described These branches also grow in many places as in Jamaica Darien the Bay of Campeachy c. from a stump not above a foot or two high which is not the remains of a Tree cut down for none of these sort of Trees will ever grow again when they have once lost their head but these are a sort of Dwarf-palm and the branches which grow from the stump are not so large as those that grow on the great Tree These smaller branches are used both in the East
their Banks and drown the low Land carrying great Trees into the Sea Thus it continues sometimes a week together before the Sun or Stars appear The fiercest of this weather is in the latter end of July and in August for then the Towns seem to stand in a great Pond and they go from one house to another in Canoas At this time the Water carries away all the filth and nastiness from under their Houses Whilst this tempestuous season lasts the weather is cold and chilly In September the weather is more moderate and the Winds are not so fierce nor the Rain so violent The Air thence-forward begins to be more clear and delightsome but then in the morning there are thick Fogs continuing till 10 or 11 a clock before the Sun shines out especially when it has rained in the night In October the Easterly Winds begin to blow again and bring fair weather till April Thus much concerning the natural state of Mindanao CHAP. XII Of the Inhabitants and Civil State of the Isle of Mindanao The Mindanayans Hilanoones Sologues and Alfoorees Of the Mindanayans properly so called Their Manners and Habits The Habits and Manners of their Women A Comical Custom at Mindanao Their Houses their Diet and Washings The Languages spoken there and transactions with the Spaniards Their fear of the Dutch and seeming desire of the English Their Handy crafts and peculiar sort of Smiths Bellows Their Shipping Commodities and Trade The Mindanao and Manila Tobacco A sort of Leprosie there and other Distempers Their Marriages The Sultan of Mindanao his Poverty Power Family c. The Proes or Boats here Raja Laut the General Brother to the Sultan and his Family Their way of fighting Their Religion Raja Laut's Devotion A Clock or Drum in their Mosques Of their Circumcision and the Solemnity then used Of other their Religious Observations and Superstitions Their abhorrence of Swines Flesh c. THis Island is not subject to one Prince neither is the Language one and the same but the People are much alike in colour strength and stature They are all or most of them of one Religion which is Mahometanism and their customs and manner of living are alike The Mindanao people more particularly so called are the greatest Nation in the Island and trading by Sea with other Nations they are therefore the more civil I shall say but little of the rest being less known to me but so much as hath come to my knowledge take as follows There are besides the Mindanayans the Hilanoones as they call them or the Mountaniers the Sologues and Alfoorees The Hilanoones live in the heart of the Country They have little or no commerce by Sea yet they have Proe's that row with 12 or 14 Oars apiece They enjoy the benefit of the Gold Mines and with their Gold buy foreign Commodities of the Mindanao people They have also plenty of Bees Wax which they exchange for other Commodities The Sologues inhabit the N. W. end of the Island They are the least Nation of all they Trade to Manila in Proe's and to some of the neighbouring Islands but have no commerce with the Mindanao people The Alfoorees are the same with the Mindanayans and were formerly under the subjection of the Sultan of Mindanao but were divided between the Sultan's Children and have of late had a Sultan of their own but having by Marriage contracted an alliance with the Sultan of Mindanao this has occasioned that Prince to claim them again as his Subjects and he made War with them a little after we went away as I afterwards understood The Mindanayans properly so called are men of mean statures small Limbs streight Bodies and little Heads Their Faces are oval their Fore heads flat with black small Eyes short low Noses pretty large Mouths their Lips thin and red their Teeth black yet very sound their Hair black and straight the colour of their Skin rawney but inclining to a brighter yellow than some other Indians especially the Women They have a custom to wear their Thumb-nails very long especially that on their left Thumb for they do never cut it but scrape it often They are indued with good natural Wits are ingenious nimble and active when they are minded but generally very lazy and thievish and will not work except forced by hunger This laziness is natural to most Indians but these people's laziness seems rather to proceed not so much from their natural inclinations as from the severity of their Prince of whom they stand in great awe For he dealing with them very arbitrarily and taking from them what they get this damps their industry so they never strive to have any thing but from hand to mouth They are generally proud and walk very stately They are civil enough to strangers and will easily be acquainted with them and entertain them with great freedom but they are implacable to their Enemies and very revengeful if they are injured frequently poisoning secretly those that have affronted them They wear but few Cloaths their Heads are circled with a short Turbat fringed or laced at both ends it goes once about the head and is tied in a knot the laced ends hanging down They wear Frocks and Breeches but no Stockings nor Shooes The Women are fairer than the Men and their Hair is black and long which they tie in a knot that hangs back in their poles They are more round vifaged than the Men and generally well featured only their Noses are very small and so low between their Eyes that in some of the Female Children the rising that should be between the Eyes is scarce discernable neither is there any sensible rising in their Foreheads At a distance they appear very well but being nigh these Impediments are very obvious They have very small Limbs They wear but two Garments a Frock and a sort of Petticoat the Petticoat is only a piece of Cloth sowed both ends together but it is made 2 foot too big for their Wastes so that they may wear either end uppermost that part that comes up to their Wastes because it is so much too big they gather it in their Hands and twist it till it sits close to their Wastes tucking in the twisted part between their Waste and the edge of the Petticoat which keeps it close The Frock sits loose about them and reaches down a little below the Waste The Sleeves are a great deal longer than their Arms and so small at the end that their Hands will scarce go through Being on the Sleeve sits in folds about the wrist wherein they take great pride The better sort of people have their garments made of long Cloath but the ordinary sort wear Cloth made of Plantain-tree which they call Saggen by which Name they call the Plantain They have neither Stocking nor Shooe and the Women have very small Feet The Women are very desirous of the company of Strangers especially of White Men and doubtless would be very
strength it had how they were afraid of us there and of the accident that happen'd to them as is before mentioned in the 10th Chapter We took these two Vessels within 7 or 8 leagues of Manila Luconia I have spoken of already but I shall now add this further account of it It is a great Island taking up between 6 and 7 degrees of Lat. in length and its breadth near the middle is about 60 leagues but the ends are narrow The North end lies in about 19 d. North Lat. and the S. end in about 12 d. 30 m. This great Island hath abundance of small Keys or Islands lying about it especially at the North end The South side fronts towards the rest of the Philippine Islands of these that are its nearest Neighbours Mindora lately mentioned is the chief and gives name to the Sea or Streight that parts it and the other Islands from Luconia being called the Streights of Mindora A Prospect of y e Coast of y e I. Luconia near Manila at 6 L. off Shore y e highest Pike bearing East Thus the Islands Pulo Condor appear at 8 L. distance bearing South It is pretty well inhabited with Indians most of them if not all under the Spaniards who now are masters of it The Native Indians do live together in Towns and they have Priests among them to instruct them in the Spanish Religion Manila the chief or perhaps only City lies at the foot of a ridge of high Hills facing upon a spacious harbour near the S. W. point of the Island in about the Lat. of 14 d. North. It is environ'd with a high strong Wall and very well fortify'd with Forts and Breastworks The Houses are large strongly built and covered with Pan-tile The Streets are large and pretty regular with a Parade in the midst after the Spanish fashion There a great many fair Buildings besides Churches and other Religious houses of which there are not a few The Harbour is so large that some hundreds of Ships may ride here and is never without many both of their own and strangers I have already given you an account of the two Ships going and coming between this place and Acapulco Besides them they have some small Vessels of their own and they do allow the Portuguese to Trade here but the Chinese are the chiefest Merchants and they drive the greatest Trade for they have commonly 20 or 30 or 40 Jonks in the Harbour at a time and a great many Merchants constantly residing in the City beside Shop-keepers and Handy-crafts men in abundance Small Vessels run up near the Town but the Acapulco Ships and others of greater burthen lye a league short of it where there is a strong Fort also and Store-houses to put Goods in I had the major part of this relation 2 or 3 years after this time from Mr. Coppinger our Surgeon for he made a Voyage hither from Porta Nova a Town on the Coast of Coromandel in a Portugueze Ship as I think Here he found 10 or 12 of Captain Swan's men some of those that we left at Mindanao For after we came from thence they bought a Proe there by the instigation of an Irish-man who went by the name of John Fitz-Gerald a person that spoke Spanish very well and so in this their Proe they came hither They had been here but 18 months when Mr. Coppinger arrived here and Mr. Fitz-Gerald had in this time gotten a Spanish Mustesa Woman to Wife and a good Dowry with her He then professed Physick and Surgery and was highly esteemed among the Spaniards for his supposed Knowledge in those Arts For being always troubled with sore Shins while he was with us he kept some Plaisters and Salves by him and with these he set up upon his bare natural stock of knowledge and his Experience in Kibes But then he had a very great stock of confidence withal to help out the other and being an Irish Roman Catholick and having the Spanish Language he had a great advantage of all his Consorts and he alone lived well there of them all We were not within sight of this Town but I was shewn the Hills that over-looked it and drew a draft of them as we lay off at Sea which I have caused to be ingraven among a few others that I took my self See the Table The time of the year being now too far spent to do any thing here it was concluded to sail from hence to Pulo Condore a little parcel of Islands on the Coast of Cambodia and carry this prize with us and there careen if we could find any convenient place for it designing to return hither again by the latter end of May and wait for the Acapulco Ship that comes about that time By our Drafts which we were guided by being strangers to these parts this seemed to us then to be a place out of the way where we might lye snug for a while and wait the time of returning for our prey For we avoided as much as we could the going to lye by at any great place of Commerce lest we should become too much exposed and perhaps be assulted by a force greater than our own So having set our Prisoners ashore we sailed from Luconia the 26th day of Feb. with the Wind E. N. E. and fair weather and a brisk gale We were in lat 14d N. when we began to steer away for Pulo Condore and we steered S. by W. In our way thither we went pretty near the Shoals of Pracel and other Shoals which are very dangerous We were very much afraid of them but escaped them without so much as seeing them only at the very South end of the Pracel Shoals we saw 3 little sandy Islands or Spots of Sand standing just above water within a mile of us It was the 13th day of March before we came in sight of Pulo Condore or the Island Condore as Pulo signifies The 14th day about noon we anchored on the North side of the Island against a sandy Bay 2 mile from the shore in 10 fathom clean hard Sand with both Ship and Prize Pulo Condore is the principal of a heap of Islands and the only inhabited one of them They lye in lat 8 d. 40. m. North and about 20 leagues South and by East from the mouth of the River of Cambodia These Islands lye so near together that at a distance they appear to be but one Island Two of these Islands are pretty large and of a good heighth they may be seen 14 or 15 leagues at Sea the rest are but little Spots The biggest of the two which is the inhabited one is about 4 or 5 leagues long and lies East and West It is not above 3 mile broad at the broadest place in most places not above a mile wide The other large Island is about 3 mile long and half a mile wide This Island stretcheth N. and S. It is so conveniently placed at the West end
of the biggest Island that between both there is formed a very commodious Harbour The entrance of this Harbour is on the North side where the two Islands are near a mile asunder There are 3 or 4 small Keys and a good deep Channel between them and the biggest Island Towards the South end of the Harbour the two Islands do in a manner close up leaving only a small passage for Boats and Canoas There are no more Islands on the North side but 5 or 6 on the South side of the great Island See the Table The Mold of these Islands for the biggest part is blackish and pretty deep only the Hills are somewhat stony The Eastern part of the biggest Island is sandy yet all cloathed with Trees of divers sorts The Trees do not grow so thick as I have seen them in some places but they are generally large and tall and fit for any uses There is one sort of Tree much larger than any other on this Island and which I have not seen any where else It is about 3 or 4 foot diameter in the Body from whence is drawn a sort of clammy juice which being boiled a little becomes perfect Tar and if you boil it much it will become hard as Pitch It may be put to either use we used it both ways and found it to be very serviceable The way that they get this juice is by cutting a great gap horizontally in the body of the Tree half through and about a foot from the ground and then cutting the upper part of the body aslope inwardly downward till in the middle of the Tree it meet with the traverse cutting or plain In this plain horizontal semicircular stump they make a hallow like a Bason that may contain a quart or two Into this hole the juice which drains from the wounded upper part of the Tree falls from whence you must empty it every day It will run thus for some months and then dry away and the Tree will recover again The Fruit-trees that nature hath bestowed on these Isles are Mangoes and Trees bearing a sort of Grape and other Trees bearing a kind of wild or bastard Nutmegs These all grow wild in the Woods and in very great plenty The Mangoes here grow on Trees as big as Apple-trees Those at Fort St. George are not so large The fruit of these is as big as a small Peach but long and smaller towards the top It is of a yellowish colour when ripe it is very juicy and of a pleasant smell and delicate taste When the Mango is young they cut them in two pieces and pickle them with Salt and Vineger in which they put some Cloves of Garlick This is an excellent sawce and much esteemed it is called Mango Achar Achar I presume signifies Sawce They make in the East Indies especially at Siam and Pegu several sorts of Achar as of the young tops of Bamboes c. Bambo Achar and Mango Achar are most used The Mangoes were ripe when we were there as were also the rest of these Fruits and they have then so delicate a fragrancy that we could smell them out in the thick Woods if we had but the wind of them while we were a good way from them and could not see them and we generally found them out this way Mangoes are common in many places of the East Indies but I did never know any grow wild only at this place These though not so big as those I have seen at Achin at Maderas and Fort St. George are yet every whit as pleasant as the best sort of their Garden Mangoes The Grape-tree grows with a strait body of a Diameter about a foot or more and hath but few Limbs or Boughs The Fruit grows in Clusters all about the body of the Tree like the Jack Durian and Cacao Fruits There are of them both red and white They are much like such Grapes as grow on our Vines both in shape and colour and they are of a very pleasant Winy taste I never saw these but on the two biggest of these Islands the rest had no Tar-trees Mango's Grape-trees nor Wild Nutmegs The Wild Nutmeg-tree is as big as a Walnut-tree but it does not spread so much The Boughs are gross and the Fruit grows among the Boughs as the Wallnut and other Fruits This Nutmeg is much smaller than the true Nutmeg and longer also It is inclosed with a thin Shell and a sort of Mace encircling the Nut within the Shell This bastard Nutmeg is so much like the true Nutmeg in shape that at our first arrival here we thought it to be the true one but it has no manner of smell nor taste The Animals of these Islands are some Hogs Lizards and Guanoes and some of those Creatures mentioned in Chap. XI which are like but much bigger than the Guano Here are many sorts of Birds as Parrots Parakites Doves and Pigeons Here are also a sort of wild Cocks and Hens They are much like our tame Fowl of that kind but a great deal less for they are about the bigness of a Crow The Cocks do crow like ours but much more small and shrill and by their crowing we do first find them out in the Woods where we shoot them Their flesh is very white and sweet There are a great many Limpits and Muscles and plenty of green Turtle And upon this mention of Turtle again I think it not amiss to add some reasons to strengthen the opinion that I have given concerning these Creatures removing from place to place I have said in Chapter 5th that they leave their common feeding places and go to places a great way from thence to lay as particularly to the Island Ascention Now I have discoursed with some since that subject was printed who are of opinion that when the laying time is over they never go from thence but lye some where in the Sea about the Island which I think is very improbable for there can be no food for them there as I could soon make appear as particularly from hence that the Sea about the Isle of Ascention is so deep as to admit of no anchoring but at one place where there is no sign of Grass and we never bring up with our sounding Lead any Grass or Weeds out of very deep Seas but Sand or the like only But if this be granted that there is food for them yet I have a great deal of reason to believe that the Turtle go from hence for after the laying time you shall never see them and where ever Turtle are you will see them rise and hold their Head above water to breath once in 7 or 8 minutes or at longest in 10 or 12. And if any man does but consider how Fish take their certain seasons of the year to go from one Sea to another this would not seem strange even Fowls also having their seasons to remove from once place to another These Islands are pretty well watered
Besides this present from the Governour there was a Captain of a Jonk sent two Jars of Arack and abundance of Pine-apples and Water-melons Captain Read sent ashore as a Present to the Governour a curious Spanish Silver-hilted Rapier an English Carbine and a Gold Chain and when the Officer went ashore three Guns were fired In the afternoon the Governour sent off the same Officer again to complement the Captain for his civility and promised to retaliate his kindness before we departed but we had such blustring weather afterward that no Boat could come aboard We stayed here till the 29th day and then sailed from hence with the wind at S. W. and pretty fair weather We now directed our course for some Islands we had chosen to go to that lye between Formosa and Luconia They are laid down in our plots without any name only with a figure of 5 denoting the number of them It was supposed by us that these Islands had no Inhabitants because they had not any name by our Hydographers Therefore we thought to lye there secure and be pretty near the Island Luconia which we did still intend to visit In going to them we sailed by the South West end of Formosa leaving it on our larboard side This is a large Island the South end is in lat 21 d. 20 m. and the North end in 25 d. 10 m. North lat the longitude of this Isle is laid down from 142 d. 5 m. to 143 d. 16 m. reckoning East from the pike of Tenariffe so that 't is but narrow and the Tropick of Cancer crosses it It is a high and woody Island and was formerly well inhabited by the Chinese and was then frequently visited by English Merchants there being a very good Harbour to secure their Ships But since the Tartars have conquered China they have spoiled the Harbour as I have been informed to hinder the Chinese that were then in Rebellion from fortifying themselves there and ordered the foreign Merchants to come and trade on the Main The 6th day of August we arrived at the five Islands that we were bound to and anchored on the East side of the Northermost Island in 15 fathom a Cables length from the shore Here contrary to our expectation we found abundance of Inhabitants in sight for there were 3 large Towns all within a league of the Sea and another larger Town than any of the three on the back side of a small hill close by also as we found afterwards These Islands lye in lat 20 d. 20 m. North lat by my observation for I took it there and I find their Longitude according to our Drafts to be 141 d. 50 m. These Islands having no particular Names in the Drafts some or other of us made use of the Seamens priviledge to give them what names we pleased Three of the Islands were pretty large the Westermost is the biggest This the Dutch men who were among us called the Prince of Orange's Island in honour of his present Majesty It is about 7 or 8 leagues long and about 2 leagues wide and it lies almost N. and S. The other two great Islands are about 4 or 5 leagues to the Eastward of this The Northermost of them where we first anchored I called the D. of Grafton's Isle as soon as we landed on it having married my Wife out of his Dutchess's Family and leaving her at Arlington house at my going aboard This Isle is about 4 leagues long and one league and a half wide stretching North and South The other great Isle our Seamen called the Duke of Monmouth's Island This is about a league to the Southward of Grafton Isle It is about 3 leagues long and a league wide lying as the other Between Monmouth and the South end of Orange Island there are two small Islands of a roundish form lying East and West The Eastermost Island of the two our men unanimously called Bashee Island 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 Island 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 Sea for which reason we could not go ashore there as we did on all the rest I have made it my general observation that where the Land is fenced with steep Rocks and Cliffs against the Sea there the Sea is very deep and seldom affords anchor ground and on the other side where the Land falls away with a declivity into the Sea altho the Land be exrraordinary high within yet there are commonly good soundings and consequently anchoring and as the visible declivity of the Land appears near or at the edge of the Water whether pretty steep or more sloping so we commonly find our anchor ground to be more or less deep or steep therefore we came nearer the shore or anchor farther off as we see 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 lye intermixt with the high Land They are these subsidings of Valleys or low Lands that make dents in the shore and Creeks small Bays and Harbours or little Coves c. which afford good anchoring the surface of the Earth being there lodged deep under Water Thus we find many good Harbours on such Coasts where the Land bounds the Sea with steep Clifs by reason of the Declivities or subsiding of the Land between these Cliffs But where the Declension from the Hills or Cliffs is not within Land between Hill and Hill but as on the Coast of Chili and Peru the Declivity is toward the Main Sea or into it the Coast being perpendicular or very steep from the neighbouring Hills as in those Countries from the Andes that run along the shore there is a deep Sea and few or no Harbours or Creeks All that Coast is too steep for anchoring and hath the fewest Roads fit for Ships of any Coast I know The Coasts of Gallicia Portugal Norway and Newfoundland c. are Coasts like the Peruvian and the high Islands of the Archipelago but yet not so scanty of good Harbours for where there are short Ridges of Land there are good Bays at the extremities of those Ridges where they plunge into the Sea as on the Coast of Caraccos c. The Island of John Fernando and the Island St. Helena c. are such high Land with deep shore and in general the plunging of any Land under Water seems to be in proportion to the rising of its continuous part above Water more or less steep and it must be a bottom almost level or very gently declining that affords good anchoring Ships being soon driven from their Moorings on
over-board some into their Boats others into the Sea and they all made away for the shore But when we perceived their fright we made much of him that was in hold who stood trembling all the while and at last we gave him a small piece of Iron with which he immediately leapt overboard and swam to his Consorts who hovered about our Ship to see the issue Then we beckned to them to come aboard again being very loth to lose a commerce with them Some of the Boats came aboard again and they were always very honest and civil afterwards We presently after this sent a Canoa ashore to see their manner of living and what Provision they had The Canoas Crew were made very welcom with Bashee drink and saw abundance of Hogs some of which they bought and returned aboard After this the Natives brought aboard both Hogs and Goats to us in their own Boats and every day we should have 15 or 20 Hogs and Goats in Boats aboard by our side These we bought for a small matter we could buy a good fat Goat for an old Iron Hoop and a Hog of 70 or 80 pound weight for 2 or 3 pound of Iron Their Drink also they brought off in Jars which we bought for old Nails Spikes and Leaden Bullets Beside the forementioned Commodities they brought aboard great quantities of Yams and Potatoes which we purchased for Nails Spikes or Bullets It was one Man's work to be all day cutting out Bars of Iron into small pieces with a cold Chisel and these were for the great purchases of Hogs and Goats which they would not sell for Nails as their Drink and Roots We never let them know what store we have that they may value it the more Every morning assoon as it was light they would thus come aboard with their Commodities which we bought as we had occasion We did commonly furnish our selves with as many Goats and Roots as served us all the day and their Hogs we bought in large quantities as we thought convenient for we salted them Their Hogs were very sweet but I never saw so many meazled ones We filled all our Water at a curious Brook close by us in Graftons Isle where we first anchored We stayed there about 3 or 4 days before we went to other Islands We sailed to the Southward passing on the East side of Grafton Island and then passed thro between that and Monmouth Island but we found no anchoring till we came to the North end of Monmouth Island and there we stopt during one Tide The Tide runs very strong here and sometimes makes a short chopping Sea Its course amongst these Islands is S. by E. and N. by W. The flood sets to the North and ebb to to the South and it riseth and falleth 8 foot When we went from hence we coasted about 2 leagues to the Southward on the West side of Monmouth Island and finding no anchor ground we stood over to Bashee Island and came to an anchor on the North East part of it against a small sandy Bay in 7 fathom clean hard sand and about a quarter of a mile from the shore Here is a pretty wide Channel between these two Islands and anchoring all over it The depth of Water is 12 14 and 16 fathom We presently built a Tent ashore to mend our Sails in and stay'd all the rest of our time here viz. from the 13th day of August till the 26 day of September In which time we mended our Sails and scrubbed our Ships bottom very well and every day some of us went to their Towns and were kindly entertained by them Their Boats also came aboard with their Merchandise to sell and lay aboard all day and if we did not take it off their hands one day they would bring the same again the next We had yet the Winds at S. W. and S. S. W. mostly fair weather In October we did expect the Winds to shift to the N. E. and therefore we provided to sail as soon as the Eastern Monsoon was settled to cruise off of Manila Accordingly we provided a stock of Provision We salted 70 or 80 good fat Hogs and bought Yams and Potatoes good store to eat at Sea About the 24th day of September the Winds shifted about to the East and from thence to the N. E. fine fair weather The 25th it came at N. and began to grow fresh and the Sky began to be clouded and the Wind freshned on us At 12 a clock at night it blew a very fierce storm We were then riding with our best Bower a head and though our Yards and Top-mast were down yet we drove This obliged us to let go our Sheet Anchor veering out a good scope of Cable which stopt us till 10 or 11 a clock the next day Then the Wind came on so fierce that she drove again with both Anchors a head The Wind was now at N. by W. and we kept driving till 3 or 4 a clock in the afternoon and it was well for us that there were no Islands Rocks or Sands in our way for if there had we must have been driven upon them We used our utmost endeavours to stop her being loath to go to Sea because we had 6 of our Men ashore who could not get off now At last we were driven out into deep Water and then it was in vain to wait any longer Therefore we hove in our Sheet Cable and got up our Sheet Anchor and cut away our best Bower for to have heav'd her up then would have gone near to have foundred us and so put to Sea We had very violent weather the night ensuing with very hard Rain and we were forced to scud with our bare poles till 3 a clock in the morning Then the Wind slacken'd and we brought our Ship to under a mizen and lay with our head to the Westward The 27th day the Wind abated much but it rained very hard all day and the night ensuing The 28th day the Wind came about to the N. E. and it cleered up and blew a hard gale but it stood not there for it shifted about the Eastward thence to the S. E. then to the South and at last it settled at S. W. and then we had a moderate gale and fair weather It was the 29th day when the Wind came to the S. W. Then we made all the sail we could for the Island again The 30th day we had the Wind at West and saw the Islands but could not get in before night Therefore we stood off to the Southward till 2 a clock in the morning then we tackt and stood in all the morning and about 12 a clock the 1st day of October we anchored again at the place from whence we were driven Then our 6 men were brought aboard by the Natives to whom we gave 3 whole bars of Iron for their kindness and civility which was an extraordinary Present to them Mr. Robert Hall was one of the
Mindanaian make for our own use which our Carpenters afterwards altered and made a delicate Boat fit for any service She was sharp at both ends but we saw'd off one and made that end flat fastening a Rudder to it and she rowed and sailed incomparably We stayed here but till the 12th day because it was a bad Harbour and foul ground and a bad time of the year too for the Tornadoes began to come in thick and strong When we went to weigh our Anchor it was hooked in a Rock and we broke our Cable and could not get our Anchor though we strove hard for it so we went away and left it there We had the Wind at N. N. E. and we steered towards the S. E. and fell in with 4 or 5 small Islands that lye in 5 d. 40 m. South lat and about 5 or 6 leagues from Callasusung Harbour These Islands appeared very green with Coco-nut Trees and we saw two or three Towns on them and heard a Drum all night for we were got in among shoals and could not get out again till the next day We know not whether the Drum were for fear of us or that they were making merry as 't is usual in these parts to do all the night singing and dancing till morning We found a pretty strong Tide here the flood setting to the Southward and the ebb to the Northward These shoals and many other that are not laid down in our Drafts lye on the South West side of the Islands where we heard the Drum about a league from them At last we past between the Islands and tried for a passage on the East side We met with divers shoals on this side also but found Channels to pass through so we steered away for the Island Timor intending to pass out by it We had the Winds commonly at W. S. W. and S. W. hard gales and rainy weather The 16th day we got clear of the shoals and steered S. by E. with the Wind at W. S. W. but veering every half hour sometimes at S. W. and then again at W. and sometimes at N. N. VV. bringing much Rain with Thunder and Lightening The 20th day we passed by the Island Omba which is a pretty high Island lying in lat 8 d. 20 m. and not above 5 or 6 leagues from the N. E. part of the Island Timor It is about 13 or 14 leagues long and five or six leagues wide About 7 or 8 leagues to the VVest of Omba is another pretty large Island but it had no name in our plats yet by the situation it should be that which in some Maps is called Pentare We saw on it abundance of smoaks by day and fires by night and a large Town on the North side of it nor far from the Sea but it was such bad weather that we did not go ashore Between Omba and Pentare and in the mid Channel there is a small low sandy Island with great shoals on either side but there is a very good Channel close by Pentare between that and the shoals about the small Isle We were three days beating off and on not having a wind for it was at South South West The 23d day in the evening having a small gale at North we got through keeping close by Pentare The Tide of ebb here set out to the Southward by which we were helped through for we had but little wind But this Tide which did us a kindness in setting us through had like to have ruined us afterwards for there are two small Islands lying at the South end of the Channel we came through and towards these Islands the Tide hurried us so swiftly that we very narrowly escaped being driven ashore for the little wind we had before at North dying away we had not one breath of wind when we came there neither was there an anchor ground But we got out our Oars and rowed yet all in vain for the Tide set wholly on one of the small Islands that we were forced with might and main strength to bear off the Ship by thrusting with our Oars against the shore which was a steep bank and by this means we presently drove away clear of Danger and having a little wind in the night at North we steered away S. S. W. In the morning again we had the wind at W. S. W. and steered S. and the wind coming to the W. N. W. we steered S. W. to get clear of the S. W. end of the Island Timor The 26th day we saw the N. W. point of Timor S. E. by E. distant about 8 leagues Timor is a long high mountainous Island stretching N. E. and S. VV. It is about 70 leagues long and 15 or 16 wide the middle of the Island is in Lat. about 9 d. South I have been informed that the Portuguese do trade to this Island but I know nothing of its produce besides Coire for making Cables of which there is mention Chap. X. The 27th day we saw two small Islands which lye near the S. W. end of Timor They bear from us S. E. We had very hard gales of wind and still with a great deal of Rain the wind at W. and W. S. W. Being now clear of all the Islands we stood off South intending to touch at New Holland a part of Terra Australis Incognita to see what that Country would afford us Indeed as the Winds were we could not now keep our intended course which was first Westerly and then Northerly without going to New Holland unless we had gone back again among the Islands but this was not a good time of the year to be among any Islands to the South of the Equator unless in a good Harbour The 31st day we were in lat 13 d. 20 m. still standing to the Southward the wind bearing commonly very hard at W. and we keeping upon it under 2 courses and our Mizen and sometimes a Main-top-sail rift About 10 a clock at night we tackt and stood to the Northward for fear of running on a shoal which is laid down in our Drafts in lat 13 d. 50 m. or thereabouts it bearing S. by W. from the East end of Timor and so the Island bore from us by our judgments and reckoning At 3 a clock we tackt again and stood S. by W. and S. S. W. In the morning assoon as it was day we saw the shoal right ahead it lies in 13 d. 50 m. by all our reckonings It is a small spit of hand just appearing above the waters edge with several Rocks about it 8 or 10 foot high above water It lies in a triangular form each side being about a league and half We stemm'd right with the middle of it and stood within half a mile of the Rocks and sounded but found no ground Then we went about and stood to the North 2 hours and then tackt and stood to the Southward again thinking to weather it but could not So
us at last the Captain ordered the Drum to be beaten which was done of a sudden with much vigor purposely to scare the poor Creatures They hearing the noise ran away as fast as they could drive and when they ran away in haste they would cry Gurry Gurry speaking deep in the Throat Those Inhabitants also that live on the Main would always run away from us yet we took several of them For as I have already observed they had such bad Eyes that they could not see us till we came close to them We did always give them victuals and let them go again but the Islanders after our first time of being among them did not stir for us When we had been here about a week we hal'd our Ship into a small sandy Cove at a Spring-tide as far as she would sloat and at low Water she was left dry and the sand dry without us near half a mile for the Sea riseth and falleth here about 5 fathom The Flood runs North by East and the Ebb South by West All the Neep-tides we lay wholly a ground for the Sea did not come near us by about a hundred yards We had therefore time enough to clean our Ships bottom which we did very well Most of our Men lay ashore in a Tent where our Sails were mending and our Strikers brought home Turtle and Manatee every day which was our constant food While we lay here I did endeavour to perswade our men to go to some English Factory but was threatened to be turned ashore and left here for it This made me desist and patiently wait for some more convenient place and opportunity to leave them than here Which I did hope I should accomplish in a short time because they did intend when they went from hence to bear down towards Cape Comorin In their way thither they design'd also to visit the Island Cocos which lyeth in Lat. 12 d. 12 m. North by our Drafts hoping there to find of that Fruit the Island having it name from thence CHAP. XVII Leaving New-Holland they pass by the Island Cocos and touch at another Woody Island near it A Land Animal like large Craw-fish Coco-Nuts floating in the Sea The Island Triste bearing Coco's yet over-flown every Spring-tide They anchor at a small Island near that of Nassaw Hog Island and others A Proe taken belonging to Achin Nicobar Island and the rest called by that Name Ambergrease good and bad The manners of the Inhabitants of these Islands They anchor at Nicobar Isle It s Situation Soil and pleasant Mixture of its Bays Trees c. The Melory tree and Fruit used for bread The Natives of Nicobar Island their Form Habit Language Habitations no form of Religion or Government Their Food and Canoas They clean the Ship The Author projects and gets leave to stay ashore here and with him two Englishmen more the Portuguese and 4 Malayans of Achin Their first Rencounters with the Natives Of the common Traditions concerning Cannibals or Man-Eaters Their Entertainment ashore They buy a Canoa to transport them over to Achin but overset her at first going cut Having recruited and improved her they set out again for the East side of the Island They have a War with the Islanders but Peace being re-established they lay in stores and make Preparations for their Voyage MArch the 12th 1688. we sailed from New Holland with the Wind at N. N. W. and fair weather We directed our course to the Northward intending as I said to touch at the Island Cocos but we met with the Winds at N. W. W. N. W. and N N. W. for several days which obliged us to keep a more Easterly course than was convenient to find that Island We had soon after our setting out very bad weather with much Thunder and Lightning Rain and high blustring Winds It was the 26th day of March before we were in the lat of the Island Cocos which is in 12 d. 12 m. and then by judgment we were 40 or 50 leagues to the East of it and the Wind was now at S. W. Therefore we did rather chuse to bear away towards some Islands on the West side of Sumatra than to beat against the Wind for the Island Cocos I was very glad of this being in hopes to make my escape from them to Sumatra or some other place We met nothing of remark in this Voyage beside the catching two great Sharks till the 28th day Then we fell in with a small woody Island in Lat. 10 d. 30 m. Its Longitude from New Holland from whence we came was by my account 12 d. 6 m. West It was deep water about the Island and therefore no anchoring but we sent 2 Canoas ashore one of them with the Carpenters to cut a Tree to make another Pump the other Canoa went to search for fresh water and found a fine small Brook near the S. W. point of the Island but there the Sea fell in on the ashore so high that they could not get it off At noon both our Canoas returned aboard and the Carpenters brought aboard a good Tree which they afterwards made a Pump with such a one as they made at Mindanao The other Canoa brought aboard as many Boobies and Men of War Birds as sufficed all the Ships Company when they were boiled They got also a sort of Land Animal somewhat resembling a large Craw-fish without its great Claws These creatures lived in holes in the dry sandy ground like Rabbits Sir Francis Drake in his Voyage round the world makes mention of such that he found at Ternate or some other of the Spice Islands or near them They were very good sweet Meat and so large that 2 of them were more than a Man could eat being almost as thick as ones Leg. Their Shells were of a dark brown but red when boiled This Island is of a good heighth with steep Cliffs against the S. and S. W. and a sandy Bay on the North side but very deep water steep to the shore The Mold is blackish the Soil fat producing large Trees of divers sorts About one a clock in the Afternoon we made sail from this Island with the wind at S. W. and we steered N. W. Afterwards the winds came about at N. W. and continued between the W. N. W. and the N. N. W. several days I observed that the winds blew for the most part out of the West or N. W. and then we had always rainy weather with Tornadoes and much Thunder and Lightning but when the wind came any way to the Southward it blew but faint and brought fair weather We met nothing of remark till the 7th day of April and then being in Lat. 7 d. S. we saw thâ—… Land of Sumatra at a great distance bearing North. The 8th day we saw the East end of the Island Sumatra very plainly we being then in Lat. 6 d. S. The 10th day being in Lat. 5 d. 11 m. and about 7
scarce kill a man purposely to eat him I know not what barbarous Customs may formerly have been in the world and to sacrifice their Enemies to their Gods is a thing hath been much talkt of with relation to the Savages of America I am a stranger to that also if it be or have been customary in any Nation there and yet if they sacrifice their Enemies it is not necessary they should eat them too After all I will not be peremptory in the Negative but I speak as to the compass of my own knowledge and know some of these Cannibal stories to be false and many of them have been disproved since I first went to the West Indies At that time how barbarous were the poor Florida Indians accounted which now we find to be civil enough What strange stories have we heard of the Indians whose Islands where called the Isles of Cannibals Yet we find that they do Trade very civilly with the French and Spaniards and have done so with us I do own that they have formerly endeavoured to destroy our Plantations at Barbadoes and have since hindred us from settling the Island Santa Lucia by destroying 2 or 3 Colonies successively of those that were settled there and even the Island Tabago has been often annoyed and ravaged by them when settled by the Dutch and still lies waste though a delicate fruitful Island as being too near the Caribbees on the Continent who visit it every year But this was to preserve their own right by endeavouring to keep out any that would settle themselves on those Islands where they had planted themselves yet even these people would not hurt a single person as I have been told by some that have been Prisoners among them I could instance also in the Indians of Bocca Toro and Bocca Drago and many other places where they do live as the Spaniards call it wild and salvage yet there they have been familiar with Privateers but by abuses have withdrawn their friendship again As for these Nicobar people I found them affable enough and therefore I did not fear them but I did not much care whether I had gotten any more Company or no. But however I was very well satisfied and the rather because we were now men enough to row our selves over to the Island Sumatra and accordingly we presently consulted how to purchase a Canoa of the Natives It was a fine clear Moon-light Night in which we were left ashore Therefore we walked on the sandy Bay to watch when the Ship would weigh and be gone not thinking our selves secure in our new gotten liberty till then About 11 or 12 a clock we saw her under sail and then we returned to our Chamber and so to sleep This was the 6th of May. The next morning betimes our Landlord with 4 or 5 of his friends came to see his new guests and was somewhat surprized to see so many of us for he knew of no more but my self Yet he seemed to be very well pleased and entertained us with a large Calabash of Toddy which he brought with him Before he went away again for wheresoever we came they left their Houses to us but whether out of fear or superstition I know not we bought a Canoa of him for an Ax and we did presently put our Chests and Cloaths in it designing to go to the South end of the Island and lye there till the Monsoon shifted which we expected every day When our things were stowed away we with the Achinese entered with joy into our new Frigot and launched off from the shore We were no sooner off but our Canoa overset bottom upwards We preserved our lives well enough by swimming and dragg'd also our Chests and Cloaths ashore but all our things were wet I had nothing of value but my Journal and some Drafts of Land of my own taking which I much prized and which I had hitherto carefully preserved Mr. Hall had also such another Cargo of Books and Drafts which were now like to perish But we presently opened our Chests and took out our Books which with much ado we did afterwards dry but some of our Drafts that lay loose in our Chests were spoiled We lay here afterwards 3 days making great fires to dry our Books The Achinese in the mean time fixt our Canoa with Outlagers on each side and they also cut a good Mast for her and made a substantial sail with Mats The Canoa being now very well fixt and our Books and Cloaths dry we launched out the second time and rowed towards the East side of the Island leaving many Islands to the North of us The Indians of the Island accompanied us with 8 or 10 Canoas against our desire for we thought that these men would make Provision dearer at that side of the Island we were going to by giving an account what rates we gave for it at the place from whence we came which was owing to the Ships being there for the Ships crew were not so thrifty in bargaining as they seldom are as single persons or a few men might be apt to be who would keep to one bargain Therefore to hinder them from going with us Mr. Hall scared one Canoas crew by firing a shot over them They all leapt over board and cried out but seeing us row away they got into their Canoa again and came after us The firing of that Gun made all the Inhabitants of the Island to be our Enemies For presently after this we put ashore at a Bay where were four Houses and a great many Canoas but they all went away and came near us no more for several days We had then a great Loaf of Melory which was our constant food and if we had a mind to Coco-nuts or Toddy our Malayans of Achin would climb the Trees and fetch as many Nuts as we would have and a good pot of Toddy every morning Thus we lived till our Melory was almost spent being still in hopes that the Natives would come to us and sell it as they had formerly done But they came not to us nay they opposed us where ever we came and often shaking their Lances at us made all the shew of hatred that they could invent At last when we saw that they stood in opposition to us we resolved to use force to get some of their food if we could not get it other ways With this resolution we went in our Canoa to a small Bay on the North part of the Island because it was smooth water there and good landing but on the other side the wind being yet on that quarter we could not land without jeopardy of oversetting our Canoa and wetting our Arms and then we must have lain at the mercy of our Enemies who stood 2 or 300 men in every Bay where they saw us coming to keep us off When we set out we rowed directly to the North end and presently were followed by 7 or 8 of their Canoas
detestation on actions which before I disliked but now I trembled at the remembrance of I had long before this repented me of that rovingcourse of life but never with such concern as now I did also call to mind the many miraculous acts of Gods Providence towards me in the whole course of my life of which kind I believe few men have met with the like For all these I returned thanks in a peculiar manner and this once more desired Gods assistance and composed my mind as well as I could in the hopes of it and as the event shew'd I was not disappointed of my hopes Submitting our selves therefore to Gods good providence and taking all the care we could to preserve our lives Mr. Hall and I took turns to steer and the rest took turns to heave out the Water and thus we provided to spend the most doleful night I ever was in About 10 a clock it began to Thunder Lighten and Rain but the Rain was very welcom to us having drank up all the Water we brought from the Island The Wind at first blew harder than before but within half an hour it abated and became more moderate and the Sea also asswaged of its fury and then by a lighted Match of which we kept a piece burning on purpose we looked on our Compass to see how we steered and found our course to be still East We had no occasion to look on the Compass before for we steered right before the Wind which if it had shifted we had been obliged to have altered our couse accordingly But now it being abated we found our Vessel lively enough with that small sail which was then aboard to hale to our former course S. S. E. which accordingly we did being now in hopes again to get to the Island Sumatra But about 2 a clock in the morning of the 19th day we had another gust of Wind with much Thunder Lightening and Rain which lasted till day and obliged us to put before the Wind again steering thus for several hours It was very dark and the hard Rain soaked us so throughly that we had not one dry thread about us The Rain chill'd us extreamly for any fresh water is much colder than that of the Sea For even in the coldest Climates the Sea is warm and in the hottest Climates the Rain is cold and unwholesome for mans body In this wet starveling plight we spent the tedious night Never did poor Mariners on a Lee-shore more earnestly long for the dawning light than we did now At length the day appeared but with such dark black Clouds near the Horizon that the first glimpse of the Dawn appeared 30 or 40 degrees high which was dreadful enough for it is a common saying among Sea-men and true as I have experienced that a high dawn will have high winds and a low dawn small winds We continued our course still East before Wind and Sea till about 8 a clock in the morning of this 19th day and then one of our Malayan friends cryed out Pulo Way Mr. Hall and Ambrose and I thought the fellow had said Pull away an expression usual among English Sea-men when they are Rowing And we wonder'd what he meant by it till we saw him point to his consorts and then we looking that way saw Land appearing like an Island and all our Malayans said it was an Island at the N. W. end of Sumatra called Way for Pulo Way is the Island Way We who were dropping with wet cold and hungry were all overjoyed at the sight of the Land and presently marked its bearing It bore South and the Wind was still at West a strong gale but the Sea did not run so high as in the night Therefore we trimmed our small Sail no bigger than an Apron and steered with it Now our Outlagers did us a great kindness again for although we had but a small sail yet the Wind was strong and prest down our Vessels side very much but being supported by the Outlagers we could brook it well enough which otherwise we could not have done About noon we saw more Land beneath the supposed Pulo Way and steering towards it before night we saw all the Coast of Sumatra and found the errours of our Achinese for the high Land that we first saw which then appeared like an Island was not Pulo Way but a great high Mountain on the Island Sumatra called by the English the Golden Mountain Our Wind continued till about 7 a clock at night then it abated and at 10 a clock it died away and then we stuck to our Oars again though all of us quite tired with our former fatigues and hardships The next morning being the 20th day we saw all the low Land plain and judged our selves not above 8 leagues off About 8 a clock in the morning we had the Wind again at West a fresh gale and steering in still for the Shore at 5 a clock in the afternoon we run to the mouth of a River on the Island Sumatra called Passange Jonca It is 34 leagues to the Eastward of Achin and 6 leagues to the West of Diamond Point which makes with 3 Angles of a Rhombus and is low Land Our Malayans were very well acquainted here and carried us to a small fishing Village within a mile of the Rivers mouth called also by the name of the River Passange Jonca The hardships of this Voyage with the scorching heat of the Sun at our first setting out and the cold Rain and our continuing wet for the last two days cast us all into Fevers so that now we were not able to help each other nor so much as to get our Canoa up to the Village but our Malayans got some of the Townsmen to bring her up The news of our arrival being noised abroad one of the Oramkai's or Noblemen of the Island came in the night to see us We were then lying in a small Hut at the end of the Town and it being late this Lord only viewed us and having spoken with our Malayans went away again but he returned to us again the next day and provided a large house for us to live in till we should be recovered of our sickness ordering the Towns-people to let us want for nothing The Achinese Malayans that came with us told them all the circumstances of our Voyage how they were taken by our Ship and where and how we that came with them were Prisoners aboard the Ship and had been set ashore together at Nicobar as they were It was for this reason probably that the Gentlemen of Sumatra were thus extraordinary kind to us to provide every thing that we had need of nay they would force us to accept of Presents from them that we knew not what to do with as young Buffaloes Goats c. for these we would turn loose at night after the Gentlemen that gave them to us were gone for we were prompted by our Achinese Consorts to
it was to bring us into a true Trade wind yet we could not get thither under a fortnight and if we should meet calms as we might probably expect it might be much longer Besides we should lose our passage about the Cape till October or November this being about the latter end of March for after the 10th of May 't is not usual to beat about the Cape to come home All circumstances therefore being weighed and considered we at last unanimously agreed to prosecute our Voyage towards the Cape and with patience wait for a shift of Wind. But Captain Heath having thus far sounded the inclination of his weak men told them that it was not enough that they all consented to beat for the Cape for our desires were not sufficient to bring us thither but that there would need a more than ordinary labour and management from those that were able And withal for their encouragement he promised a months pay Gratis to every man that would engage to assist on all occasions and be ready upon call whether it were his turn to watch or not and this money he promised to pay at the Cape This offer was first imbraced by some of the Officers and then as many of the men as found themselves in a capacity listed themselves in a Roll to serve theit Commander This was wisely contrived of the Captain for he could not have compell'd them in their weak condition neither would fair words alone without some hopes of a reward have engag d them to so much extraordinary work for the Ship Sail and Rigging were much out of repair For my part I was too weak to enter my self in that list for else our common safety which I plainly saw lay at stake would have prompted me to do more than any such reward would do In a short time after this it pleased God to favour us with a fine Wind which being improved to the best advantage by the incessant labour of these new listed men brought us in a short time to the Cape The night before we entered the Harbour which was about the beginning of April being near the land we fired a Gun every hour to give notice that we were in distress The next day a Dutch Captain came aboard in his Boat who seeing us so weak as not to be able to trim our Sails to turn into the Harbour though we did tollerably well at Sea before the Wind and being requested by our Captain to assist him sent ashore for a hundred lusty men who immediately came aboard and brought our Ship in to an anchor They also unbent our Sails and did every thing for us that they were required to do for which Captain Heath gratified them to the full These men had better stomachs than we and eat freely of such food as the Ship afforded and they having the freedom of our Ship to go to and fro between Decks made prize of what they could lay their hands on especially salt Beef which our men for want of stomachs in the Voyage had hung up 6 8 or 10 pieces in a place This was conveyed away before we knew it or thought of it besides in the night there was a Bale of Muzlins broke open and a great deal conveyed away but whether the Muslins were stoln by our own men or the Dutch I cannot say for we had some very dexterous Thieves in our Ship Being thus got safe to an anchor the sick were presently sent ashore to quarters provided for them and those that were able remained aboard and had good fat Mutton or fresh Beef sent aboard every day I went ashore also with my painted Prince where I remained with him till the time of sailing again which was about 6 weeks In which time I took the opportunity to inform my self of what I could concerning this Country which I shall in this next place give you a brief account of and so make what haste I can home The Cape of Good Hope is the utmost bounds of the continent of Africa towards the South lying in 34 d. 30 m S. lat in a very temperate Climate I look upon this latitude to be one of the mildest and sweetest for its temperature of any whatsoever and I cannot here but take notice of a common prejudice our European Seamen have as to this Country that they look upon it as much colder than places in the same lat to the North of the the Line I am not of their opinion as to that and their thinking so I believe may easily be accounted for from hence that whatever way they come to the Cape whether going to the East Indies or returning back they pass thro a hot Climate and coming to it thus out of an extremity of heat 't is no wonder if it appear the colder to them Some impute the coldness of the South Wind here to its blowing off from Sea On the contrary I. have always observ d the Sea Winds to be warmer than Land Winds unless it be when a bloom we call it or hot b'ast blow from thence Such an one we felt in this very Voyage as we went from Cape Verd Islands towards the South Seas which I forgot to mention in its proper place Chap. 4th For one afternoon about the 19th of Jan. 1683 in the lat of 37 South we felt a brisk gale coming from off the Coast of America but so violently hot that we thought it came from some burning Mountain on the shore and was like the heat from the mouth of an Oven Just such another gleam I felt one afternoon also as I lay at anchor at the Groin in July 1694. it came with a Southerly Wind both these were followed by a Thunder-shower These were the only great blooms I ever met with in my Travels But setting these aside which are exceptions I have made it my general observation that the Sea Winds are a great deal warmer than those which blow from Land unless where the Wind blows from the Poles which I take to be the true cause of the coldness of the South Wind at the Cape for it is cold at Sea also And as for the coldness of Land-Winds as the South-West parts of Europe are very sensible of it from the Northern and Eastern Winds so on the opposite Coast of Virginia they are as much pinch d with the North-West Winds blowing excessively cold from over the Continent though its lat be not much greater than this of the Cape But to proceeed This large Promontory consists of high and very remarkable Land and off at Sea it affords a very pleasant and agreeable prospect And without doubt the prospect of it was very agreeable to those Portuguese who first found out this way by Sea to the East-Indies when after coasting along the vast Continent of Africk towards the South Pole they had the comfort of seeing the Land and their course end in this promontory which therefore they called the Cape de Bon
Esperance or of Good Hope finding that they might now proceed Eastward There is good Sounding off this Cape 50 or 60 leagues at Sea to the Southward and therefore our English Seamen standing over as they usually do from the Coast of Brazil content themselves with their Soundings concluding thereby that they are abrest of the Cape they often pass by without seeing it and begin to shape their course Northward They have several other signs whereby to know when they are near it as by the Sea-Fowl they meet at Sea especially the Algatrosses a very large long-winged Bird and the Mangovolucres a smaller Fowl But the greatest dependance of our English Seamen now is upon their observing the variation of the Compass which is very carefully minded when they come near the Cape by taking the Suns Amplitude mornings and evening This they are so exact in that by the help of the Azimuth Compass an Instrument more peculiar to the Seamen of our Nations they know when they are abrest of the Cape or are either to the East or the West of it and for that reason though they should be to Southward of all the Soundings or fathomable ground they can shape their course right without being obliged to make the Land But the Dutch on the contrary having settled themselves on this Promontory do always touch here in their East India Voyages both going and coming The most remarkable Land at Sea is a high Mountain steep to the Sea with a flat even top which is called the Table Land On the West side of the Cape a little to the Northward of it there is a spacious Harbour with a low flat Island lying off it which you may leave on either hand and pass in or out securely at either end Ships that anchor here ride near the Main Land leaving the Island at a farther distance without them The Land by the Sea against the Harbour is low but backt with high Mountains a little way in to the Southward of it The Soil of this Country is of a brown colour not deep yet indifferently productive of Grass Herbs and Trees The Grass is short like that which grows on our Wiltshire or Dorsetshire Downs The Trees hereabouts are but small and few the Country also farther from the Sea does not much abound in Trees as I have been informed The Mould or Soyl also is much like this near the Harbour which though it cannot be said to be very fat or rich Land yet it is very fit for cultivation and yields good Crops to the industrious Husbandman and the Country is pretty well settled with Farms Dutch Families and French Refugees for 20 or 30 leagues up the Country but there are but few Farms near the Harbour Here grows plenty of Wheat Barly Pease c. Here are also Fruits of many kinds as Apples Pears Quinces and the largest Pomgranats that I did ever see The chief Fruits are Grapes These thrive very well and the Country is of late years so well stockt with Vineyards that they make abundance of Wine of which they have enough and to spare and do sell great quantities to Ships that touch here This Wine is like a French High Country White Wine but of a pale yellowish colour it is sweet very pleasant and strong The tame Animals of this Country are Sheep Goats Hogs Cows Horses c. The Sheep are very large and fat for they thrive very well here This being a dry Country and the short pasturage very agreeable to these Creatures but it is not so proper for great Cattle neither is the Beef in its kind so sweet as the Mutton Of wild Beasts 't is said here are several sorts but I saw none However it is very likely there are some wild Beasts that prey on the Sheep because they are commonly brought into the Houses in the night and penn'd up There is a very beautiful sort of wild Al 's in this Country whose body is curiously striped with equal lists of white and black the stripes coming from the ridge of his Back and ending under the Belly which is white These stripes are two or three Fingers broad running parallel with each other and curiously intermixt one white and one black over from the Shoulder to the Rump I saw two of the Skins of these Beasts dried and preserved to be sent to Halland as a rarity They seemed big enough to inclose the Body of a Beast as big as a large Colt of a twelvemonth old Here are a great many Ducks Dunghil Fowls c. and Ostriges are plentifully found in the dry Mountains and Plains I eat of their Eggs here and those of whom I bought them told me that these creatures lay their Eggs in the Sand or at least on dry ground and so leave them to be hatch'd by the Sun The meat of one of their Eggs will suffice two men very well The Inhabitants do preserve the Eggs that they find to sell to strangers They were pretty scarce when I was here it being the beginning of their Winter whereas I was told they lay their Eggs about Christmas which is their Summer The Sea hereabouts affords plenty of Fish of divers sorts especially a small sort of Fish not so big as a Herring whereof they have such great plenty that they pickle great quantities yearly and send them to Europe Seales are also in great numbers about the Cape which as I have still observed is a good sign of the plentifulness of Fish which is their food The Dutch have a strong Fort by the Sea side against the Harbour where the Governour lives At about 2 or 300 paces distance from thence on the West side of the Fort there is a small Dutch Town in which I told about 50 or 60 Houses low but well built with Stone-walls there being plenty of Stone drawn out of a Quarry close by On the backside of the Town as you go towards the Mountains the Dutch East-India Company have a large House and a stately Garden walled in with a high Stone Wall This Garden is full of divers sorts of Herbs Flowers Roots and Fruits with curious spacious Gravel-walks and Arbors and is watered with a Brook that descends out of the Mountains which being cut into many channels is conveyed into all parts of the Garden The Hedges which make the Walks are very thick and 9 or 10 foot high They are kept exceeding neat and even by continual pruning There are lower Hedges within these again which serve to separate the Fruit-trees from each other but without shading them and they keep each sort of Fruit by themselves as Apples Pears abundance of Quinces Pomgranats c. These all prosper very well and bear good Fruit especially the Pomgranat The Roots and Garden-herbs have also their distinct places hedged in apart by themselves and all in such order that it is exceeding pleasant and beautiful There are a great number of Negro Slaves brought from other parts of the
this means is at least 3 months within 4 degrees of the Zenith so that they have the Sun in a manner over their heads from the beginning of May till the latter end of July Whereas when the Sun comes under the Line in March or September it immediately posts away to the North or the South and is not 20 days in passing from 3 degrees on one side to 3 degrees on the other side the Line So that by his small stay there the heat cannot be answerable to what it is near the Tropick where he so long continues in a manner Vertical at Noon and is so much longer above the Horizon each paaticular day with the intervening of a shorter night But to return to Tonquin During the wet months there 't is excessive hot especially whenever the Sun breaks out of the Clouds and there is then but little Wind stirring And I have been told by a Gentleman who liv'd there many years that he thought it was the hottest place that ever he was in tho he had been in many other parts of India And as to the Rains it has not the least share of them tho neither altogether the greatest of what I have met with in the Torrid Zone and even in the same Latitude and on the same side of the Equator The wet season begins here the latter end of April or the beginning of May and holds till the latter end of August in which time are very violent Rains some of many hours others of 2 or 3 days continuance Yet are not these Rains without some considerable intervals of fair weather especially toward the beginning or end of the season By these Rains are caus'd those Land-floods which never fail in these Countries between the Tropicks at their annual periods all the Rivers then overflowing their Banks This is a thing so well known to all who are any way acquainted with the Torrid Zone that the cause of the overflowing of the Nile to find out which the Ancients set their wits so much upon the rack and fancied melting of Snows and blowing of Etesiae and I know not what is now no longer a secret For these floods must needs discharge themselves upon such low Lands as lie in their way as the Land of Egypt does with respect to the Nile coming a great way from within the Torrid Zone and falling down from the higher Ethiopia And any one who will be at the pains to compare the time of the Land flood in Egypt with that of the Torrid Zone in any of the parts of it along which the Nile runs will find that of Egypt so much later than the other as 't will be thought reasenable to allow for the daily progress of the Waters along so vast a tract of Ground They might have made the same wonderment of any other Rivers which run any long course from out the Torrid Zone but they knowing only the North Temperate Zone and the Nile being the only great River known to come thither a great way from a Country near the Line they made that only the subject of their enquiry but the same effect must also follow from any great River that should run from out of the Torrid Zone into the South Temperate Zone And as to the Torrid Zone the yearly floods and their cause are every where as well known by people there as the Rivers themselves In America particularly in Campeachy Rivers in Rio Grande and others 't is a vast havock is made by these floods bringing down sometimes Trees of an incredible bigness and these floods always come at the stated season of the year In the dry part of Peru along the coasts of Pacifick Sea where it never rains as it seldom does in Egypt they have not only Floods but Rivers themselves made by the annual falling of Rain on the Mountains within Land the Channels of which are dry all the rest of the year This I have observ'd concerning the River Ylo on the Coast of Peru in my former Volume p. 95. But it has this difference from the Floods of Egypt that besides its being a River in the Torrid Zone 't is also in South Latitude and so overflows at a contrary season of the year to wit at such time as the Sun being in Southern Signs causes the Rains and Floods on that side the Line But to return from this digression in August the weather at Tonquin is more moderate as to heat or wet yet not without some showers and September and October are more temperate still yet the worst weather in all the year for Seamen is in one of the 3 months last mentioned for then the violent Storms called Tuffoons Typhones are expected These winds are so very fierce that for fear of them the Chinese that Trade thither will not stir out of Harbour till the end of October after which month there is no more danger of any violent Storms till the next year Tuffoons are a particular kind of violent Storms blowing on the Coast of Tonquin and the neighboring Coasts in the months of July August and September They commonly happen near the full or change of the Moon and are usually preceded by very fair weather small winds and a clear Sky Those small winds veer from the common Trade of that time of the year which is here at S. W. and shuffles about to the N. and N. E. Before the Storm comes there appears a boding Cloud in the N. E. which is very black near the Horizon but towards the upper edge it looks of a dark copper colour and higher still it is brighter and afterwards it fades to a whitish glaring colour at the very edge of the Cloud This appears very amazing and ghastly and is sometimes seen 12 hours before the Storm comes When that Cloud begins to move apace you may expect the Wind presently It comes on fierce and blows very violent at N. E. 12 hours more or less It is also commonly accompanied with terrible claps of Thunder large and frequent flashes of Lightning and excessive hard rain When the Wind begins to abate it dyes away suddenly and falling flat calm it continues so an hour more or less then the wind comes about to the S. W. and it blows and rains as fierce from thence as it did before at N. E. and as long November and December are 2 very dry wholesom warm and pleasant months January February and March are pretty dry but then you have thick fogs in the morning and sometimes drisling cold rains the Air also in these 3 months particularly in January and February is very sharp especially when the wind is at North East or North North East whether because of the Quarter it blows from or the Land it blows over I know not for I have elsewhere observ'd such Winds to be Colder where they have come from over Land April is counted a moderate month either as to heat or cold driness or moisture This is ordinarily the
to these Moors are obliged to joyn Stock with them and they first make an offer of it to them as a kindness and the Moors being generally desirous to Trade frequently accept of it almost on any terms but should they be unwilling yet dare they not refuse for fear of disobliging the Danes who are Lords of the place In this Ship I found Mr Coppenger and he was the first that I had seen of all the Company that left me at the Nicobar Islands The next morning we filled our water and weigh'd again the Dane being gone a little before He was bound to Jihore to load Pepper but intended to touch at Malacca as most Ships do that pass these Streights He also sailed better than we and therefore left us to follow him We stood on yet nearest to the Sumatra shore till we came in sight of Pulo Arii in Lat 3 d 2 m. N. These are several Islands lying S. E. by E. l Easterly from Pulo Verero about 32 leagues distant These Islands are good marks for Ships bound thro the Streights for when they bear S. E. at 3 or 4 leagues distance you may steer away E. by S. for the Malacca Shore from whence you then may be about 20 leagues The first Land you will see is Pulo Parselore which is a high peeked Hill in the Country on the Malacca Coast which standing by it self amidst a low Country it appears like an Island tho I know not whether it is is really one for it stands some miles within the shoar of the Continent of Malacca It is a very remarkable Hill and the only Sea mark for Seamen to guide themselves through certain Sands that lye near the Main and if it is thick hazy Weather and the hill is obscur'd Pilots unless they are very knowing in the Soundings will hardly venture in for the Channel is not above a league wide and there are large shoals on each side These shoals lye ten leagues from Pulo Arii and continue till within 2 or 3 of the Malacca shoar In the Channel there is 12 or 14 fathom water but you may keep in 7 or 8 fathom on either side and sounding all the way you may pass on without danger We had a good gale at West which brought us in sight of Pulo Parsalore and so we kept sounding till we came within the shoar and then we had the Town of Malacca about 18 leagues distant from us to the S. E. and by E. Being shot over to the Malacca shore there is good wide Channel to sail in you having the shoals on one side and the Land on the other to which last you may come as nigh as you see convenient for there is water enough and good anchoring The Tide runs pretty strong here the Flood sets to the Eastward and the Ebb to the West and therefore when there is little wind and Ships cannot stem the Tide they commonly anchor But we being in with the Malacca shoar had a westerly Wind which brought us before Malacca Town about the middle of October and here I first heard that King William and Queen Mary were Crowned King and Queen of England The Dane that left us at Pulo Verero was not yet arrived for as we afterwards understood they could not find the way through the Sands but were forc'd to keep along without them and fetch a great Compass about which retarded their Passage Malacca is a pretty large Town of about 2 or 300 Families of Dutch and Portuguese many of which are a mixt breed between those Nations There are also many of the Native Malayans inhabiting in small Cottages on the skirts of the Town The Dutch Houses are built with Stone and the Streets are wide and straight but not paved At the N. West of the Town there is a Wall and Gate to pass in and out and a small Fort always guarded with Soldiers The Town stands on a level low ground close by the Sea The Land on the backside of the Town seems to be morassy and on the West side without the Wall there are Gardens of Fruits and Herbs and some fair Dutch Houses but that quarter is chiefly the habitation of the Malayans On the East side of the Town there is a small River which at a Spring Tide will admit small Barks to enter About 100 paces from the Sea there is a Draw bridge which leads from the midst of the Town to a strong Fort built on the East side of the River This is the chief Fort and is built on a low level ground close by the Sea at the foot of a little steep Hill Its form is semicircular according to the natural position of the adjacent Hill It fronts chiefly to the Sea and having its foundation on firm Rocks the Walls are carried up to a good heighth and of a considerable thickness The lower part of is washed by the Sea every Tide On the back of the Hill the Land being naturally low there is a very large Moat cut from the Sea to the River which makes the whole an Island and that back part is stockadoed round with great Trees set up an end so that there is no entring when once the Draw-bridge is haled up On the Hill within the Fort stands a small Church big enough to receive all Towns people who come hither on Sundays to hear Divine service and on the Main beyond the Fort the Malayans are also seated close by the Sea The first Europeans who settled here were the Portuguese They also built the great Fort but whether they moted round the Hill and made an Island of that spot of ground I know not nor what charges have been bestowed on it since to make it defenceable nor what other alterations have been made but the whole building seems to be pretty antient and that part of it which fronts to the Sea was in all probability built by the Portuguese for there are still the marks of the Conquerors shot in the Walls It is a place so naturally strong that I even wonder how they could be beaten out but when I consider what other places they then lost and their mismanagements I am the less surprized at it The Portuguese were the first discoverers by Sea of the East Indies and had thereby the Advantage of Trade with these 〈◊〉 Eastern people as also an opportunity thro their weakness to settle themselves where they pleased Therefore they made Settlements and Forts among them in divers places of India as here for one and presuming upon the strength of their Forts they insulted over the Natives and being grown rich with Trade they fell to all manner of looseness and debauchery the usual concomitant of Wealth and as commonly the fore runner of Ruin The Portuguese at this place by report made use of the Native Women at their pleasure whether Virgins or Married Women luch as they liked they took without controle and it is probable they as little restrained their lust in
Yams Potatoes c. to carry aboard with us on which we fed commonly all our Voyage But after six or seven Months I left that employ also and shipt my self aboard one Capt. Hudsel who was bound to the Bay of Campeachy to load Logwood We sailed from Port-Royal about the beginning of August in 1675. in Company with Capt. Wren in a small Jamaica Bark and Capt. Johnson Commander of a Ketch belonging to New-England This Voyage is all the way before the Wind and therefore Ships commonly sail it in 12 or 14 Days Neither were we longer in our Passage for we had very fair Weather and touch'd no where till we came to Trist Island in the Bay of Campeachy which is the only place they go to In our way thither we first sailed by little Caimanes leaving it on our Larboard side and Key Monbrack which are two small Islands lying South of Cuba The next Land we saw was the Isle of Pines and steering still Westerly we made Cape Corienes And sailing on the South side of Cuba till we came to Cape Antonio which is the West end of it we stretched over towards the Peninsula of Jucatan and fell in with Cape Catoch which is in the Extream part of that Promontory towards the East The Land trends from this Cape one way South about 40 Leagues till you come to the Island Cozumel and from thence it runs S. W. down into the Bay of Honduras About 10 Leagues from Cape Catoch between it and Cozumel lies a small Island called by the Spaniards Key-Muger or Womens-Island because 't is reported that when they went first to settle in these parts they left their Wives there while they went over on the main to find some better Habitation Tho' now they have no settlement near it whatever they have had formerly About 3 Leagues from Cape Catoch and just against it is a small Island called Loggerhead-Key probably because it is frequently visited by a sort of Turtle so called near this Island we always find a great ripling which Seamen call the Rip-raps This Cape tho' it appears to be part of the Main yet is divided from it by a small Creek scarce wide enough for a Canoa to pass through though by it 't is made an Island This I have been credibly informed of by some who yet told me that they made a shift to pass it in a Canoa The Cape is very low Land by the Sea but somewhat higher as you go further from the shore It is all over-grown with Trees of divers sorts especially Logwood and therefore was formerly much frequented by the Jamaica Men who came thither in Sloops to load with it till all the Logwoodtrees near the Sea were cut down but now 't is wholly abandoned because the Carriage of it to the shore requires more labour than the cutting logging and chipping Besides they find better Wood now in the Bays of Campeachy and Honduras and have but little way to carry it not above 300 Paces when I was there whereas at Cape Catoch they were forc'd to carry it 1500 Paces before they left that Place From Cape Catoch we coasted along by the shore on the North side of Jucatan towards Cape Condecedo The Coast lies nearest West The distance between these two Capes is about 80 Leagues The shore lies pretty level without any visible Points or Bendings in the Land It is woody by the shore and full of sandy Bays and lofty Mangroves The first place of Note to the West of Cape Catoch is a small Hill by the Sea call'd the Mount and is distant from it about 14 Leagues It is very remarkable because there is no other High-Land on all this Coast. I was never ashore here but have met with some well acquainted with the Place who are all of opinion that this Mount was not natural but the Work of Men And indeed it is very probable this Place has been inhabited for here are a great many large Cisterns supposed to have been made for the receiving of Rain-water for there are no fresh Springs to be found here the Soil being all sandy and very salt So that as I have been credibly informed by an intelligent Person the Spaniards do fetch of it to make Salt-Petre He also told me that being once there in a Privateer and landing some Men on the Bay they found about 100 Packs of this Earth bound up in Palmeto-leaves and a Spanish Mulatto to guard it The Privateers at first sight of the Packs were in hopes there had been Maiz or Indian Corn in them which they then wanted but opening them they found nothing but Earth and examining the Mulatto for what use it was he said to make Powder and that he expected a Bark from Campeachy to fetch it away He further told me that tasting of it he found it very salt as all the Earth thereabouts was So that 't is not improbable that those Cisterns were made for the carrying on a Salt-Petre-Work But whatever was the design at first it is now wholly laid aside for there is no use made of them neither are there any Inhabitants near this Place Between the Mount and Cape Condecedo close by the Sea are many little Spots of Mangrove-trees which at a distance appear-like Islands but coming nearer when other lower Trees appear it shews like ragged and broken Ground but at last all the Land presents it self to your view very even The next Place of Note on this Coast is Rio de la Gartos almost in the Mid-way between Cape Catoch and Cape Condecedo This also is a very remarkable Place for here are 2 Groves of High Magnroves one on each side the River by which it may be known very well The River is but small yet deep enough for Canoas The Water is good and I know not any other Brook or fresh River on all the Coast from Cape Catoch till within 3 or 4 Leagues of Campeachy Town A little to the East of this River is a Fish-Range and a small Indian Hutt or two within the Woods where the Indian Fishers who are subject to the Spaniards lye in the Fishing-Seasons their Habitations and Familes being farther up in the Country Here are Poles to hang their Nets on and Barbecues to dry their Fish When they go off to Sea they fish with Hook and Line about 4 or 5 Leagues from the shore for Snappers and Gropers which I have already described in my Voyage round the VVorld Chap. 4. Pag. 91. Since the Privateers and Logwood-ships have sailed this way these Fisher-men are very shy having been often snap'd by them So that now when they are out at Sea if they see a Sail they presently sink their Canoas even with the edge of the Water for the Canoas when they are full of Water will sink no lower and they themselves lye just with their heads above Water till the Ship which they saw is pass'd by or comes Night I have seen them under
which places I have travelled over from Sea to Sea yet because these are but small Tracts of Land in comparison with the two main Bodies of Land of Mexico and Peru and those vast Regions in Asia and Africa lying within the Tropicks I cannot determine whether the Land-Winds are there as I have found them in my small Travels therefore I shall only confine this particular Discourse to these and other Places within my own Observations I shall begin first with the Isthmus of Darien there I have found the Land-Winds in the middle of the Country blowing all Night and till 10 or 11 a Clock in the Morning before I could perceive the Sea-Breeze to arise and that not discernable many times but by the flying of the Clouds especially if I was in a Valley and it was in Vallies that I did chiefly perceive the Land-Winds which blew in some places one way in others contrary or side ways to that according as the Vallies lay pend up between the Mountains and that without any respect to either the North or the South Seas but indeed near either side of the Land they always bent their course towards the nearest Sea unless there was any Hill between them and the Sea and then they took their Course along in the Vallies but from both shores as well from the North as the South they blow right forth into the Sea In the Island of Jamaica these Land-Winds are in the middle of the Country also I have found them so as I travelled from one side of the Island to the other having lain 2 Nights by the way as I had before observed them when I liv'd at 16 Miles Walk where I continued about 6 Months but there and in other Islands the Land-Winds do blow towards the nearest shores and so from thence off to Sea whether the shore's lye East West North or South These Winds blow off to Sea a greater or less distance according as the Coast lies more or less exposed to the Sea-Winds For in some Places we find them brisk 3 or 4 Leagues off shore in other Places not so many Miles and in some Places they scarce peep without the Rocks or if they do sometimes in very fair Weather make a sally out a Mile or 2 they are not lasting but suddenly vanish away though yet there are every Night as fresh Land-Winds ashore at those Places as in any other part of the World Places most remarkable for the fewest or faintest Land-Winds are those that lye most open to the Common Trade-Winds as the East ends of any Islands where the Trade-Winds do blow in upon the Shore or the Head-Lands on Islands or Continents that are open to the Sea-Breez especially where the Trade-Wind blows down side-ways by the Coast for there such Head-Lands as stretch farthest out to Sea are most exposed to Winds from the Sea and have the less benefit of the Land-Breezes I shall give a few Instances of either And first of all begin with the N. E. and S. E. Points of the Island of Jamaica These Points are at the East end of the Island one is at the very Extreme of the North side towards the East the other on the South Extreme towards the same Point at these two Places we seldom light of a Land-Wind nor very often at the end of the Island between them except near the shore For that Reason the Sloop-men of Jamaica that Trade round the Island are commonly put to their Trumps when they come there in their Voyages For if they meet no Land-Wind they are obliged to beat about by turning to wind-ward against the Sea-Breez in the Day time they then curse these Points of Land and are foolishly apt to believe that some Daemon haunts there And if they are 2 or 3 Days in beating about as sometimes they are when they return to Port Royal they will talk as much of their Fatigues as if they had been beating a Month to double the Cape of good Hope though indeed the Men are brisk enough and manage their sloops very well which also are generally very good Boats to sail on a Wind. I think they are the best small Trading-Boats in the King's Dominions Point Pedro on the South-side of the Island is another very bad Point to double if a Ship come from the West-end of the Island This Point runs out far into the Sea and is not only destitute of the Common Land-Winds But if there is any Current setting to Leeward here the Sloop-men meet it Therefore they are many times longer beating about it then about the two former Points of the South East and the North East and not without bestowing some Curses upon it Nay some Captains of Privateers when they have been beating about it have stood close in to the Point and fired their Guns to kill the old Daemon that they say inhabits there to disturb poor Seamen I have related these odd Passages to shew how ignorant Men are that cannot see the Reason of it And because I am not willing to leave my Reader in the dark I shall give a few Instances more on this subject The North side of Jucatan at the entrance into the Bay of Campeachy gives us another Instance of bad Land-Winds and commonly where the Land-Winds are scanty the Sea-Breezes are but indifferent neither This will partly appear by what I have observed of them on this Coast between Cape Catoach and Cape Condeseado at the entrance of the Bay of Campeachey which two places are about Eighty Leagues distant for there the Land trends East and West It is a streight Coast and lies all of it equally exposed to the Trade-VVind which is commonly there at E. N. E. To the W. of these Places the Sea and Land-VVinds do as duly succeed each other as on any other Coast but here they are each of them of a Bastard kind for the Sea-Breezes are at N. E. by E. which is no better than a Coast Trade-VVind and the Land-VVind is at E. S. E. or S. E. by E. whereas if the VVinds were as true there as on other Coasts the Sea-Breez would be at N. N. E. sometimes at N. and the Land-VVinds would be at S. S. E. and S. as they are indeed close under the shore which if they do at any time come off from they are very faint The Land on this Coast is low and even and the Land-VVinds ashore are pretty brisk The Capes on the Peruvian Coast in the South Seas will more fully make it appear that Head-Lands do seldom afford any Land-VVinds I shall only Instance in Cape Passao in Lat. 8 Minutes South Cape St. Laurence in Lat. 1 d. South and Cape Blanco in 3 d. South I have pass'd by them all several times and at different Seasons yet did never find any Land-winds there though between these Places there are very good Land-winds Therefore Ships that sail to the Southward against the Breez must beat it about by hard Labour
my Course for Jamaica and found the N. E. Corner to lye in Lat. 18 d. North and in Longi West from Tobago 13 d. The Meridian distance from Tobago is 749 Miles VVest In our passage we saw no Land or Island till we made the N. E. end of Jamaica which lyeth in Longi VVest from the Meridian of Lundy 64 d. 10 m. and VVest from the City of Loango 82 d. 18 m. I shall only add that I am of Opinion that the Gallopagos Islands do lye a great deal further to the VVestward than our Hydrographers do place them according as Mr. Dampier hints p. 100 of his Voyage round the World I am Portbury Octob. 20. 1698. SIR Your most humble Servant John Covant Part of a second Letter from Captain Covant dated from Bristol Decemb. 10. 1697. LETTER II. SIR YOurs of the 6th Instant came to my Hands with the enclosed Queries which I shall endeavour to answer in part as far as my memory will assist me being now from home and at a distance from my Journals c. 1. The Common Trade-Winds on the Coast of Angola blow from the S. VV. to South till about 12 d. Long. from the Meridian of the Isle of Lundy 2. I have found them always in the same Quarter and not subject to shift in all the time I have used this Coast except that at a small distance off the shore they are sometimes a Point more to the VVestward 3. The Dry Season on this Coast I observed to be from the latter end of April to September tho' sometimes intermix'd with some pleasant showers of Rain I cannot be so punctual as to the time of the Wet Seasons 4. The true Sea-Breez I have commonly found here to be from W. S. W. to VV. by S. if it be fair Weather and the Land Breez is at E. by N. But if a Tornado happens it causes the Winds to shift all round the Compass and at last it settles at S. VV. which is the former true Trade Wind. I am yours John Covant CHAP. VI. Of Storms Storms less frequent but more fierce between the Tropicks Presages of their coming Of Norths the Times and Places where they blow Signs of their approach N. Banks A Chocolatta North. A North beneficial to Ships going from Campeachy to Jamaica A very uncommon way of wearing a Ship in a North. Of Souths the Times and Places where they Blow A Description of a South at Jamaica and at the Bay of Campeachy Much Fish kill'd by that Storm Of Hurricanes A Description of a terrible one at Antegoe where abundance of Fish and Sea Fowles were destroyed by it The difference between North Banks and the Clouds before an Hurricane the latter adorned with radiant Colours Tuffoons in the East-Indies the same with Hurricanes in the West Of Monsoons in the East-Indies A Storm called by the Portuguese the Elephanta which is the violentest Monsoon of that Season STorms within the Tropicks are generally known to us by some Name or other to distinguish them from other common Winds and though Storms are not so frequent there as they are in Latitudes nearer the Poles yet are they nevertheless expected yearly in their proper Months and when they do come they blow exceeding fierce though indeed some years they do not come at all or at least do not blow with that fierceness as at other times And as these Winds are commonly very fierce so are they but of a short continuance in comparison with Storms that we meet with in higher Latitudes In the West Indies there are three sorts viz. Norths Souths and Hurricanes In the East-Indies there are only two sorts viz. Monsoones and Tuffoones All these sorts of violent Storms except the Norths are expected near one time of the year and this is taken notice of by those that have been in any of them that they give certain Presages of their being at hand several hours before they come Norths are violent Winds that frequently blow in the Bay of Mexico from October till March They are chiefly expected near the full or change of the Moon all that time of the year but they are most violent in December and January These Winds are not confined to the Bay of Mexico only but there they are most frequent and rage with the greatest Violence They blow on the North side of Cuba very fierce too and in the Gulph of Florida as also about Hispaniola Jamaica c. and in the Channel between Jamaica and Portabel and in all the West Indian Sea between the Islands and the Main as high as the Island Trinidado But from Jamaica Eastward except on the North side of the Island Hispaniola they blow no harder than a pretty brisk Sea Wind. They are here at W. N. W. or N. W. though in the Bay of Mexico they blow strongest at N. N. W. and this is the Season of Westerly Winds in these East parts of the West-Indies as I have before noted in the third Chapter of this Discourse I shall be most particular of them that blow in the Bay of Mexico and what Signs they give us before hand Commonly before a North the Weather is vety serene and fair the Sky clear and but little Wind and that too veering from its proper Point or the common Trade Wind of the Coast and breathing gently at S. at S. W. and West a Day or two before the North comes The Sea also gives notice of a Storm by an extraordinary and long Ebb. For a Day or two before a North there will be hardly any discernable Flood but a constant ebbing of the Sea And the Sea Fowls also before a Storm do commonly hover over the Land which they do not at other times use to do in such great flights and numbers All these Signs concurring may give any Man notice of an approaching Storm but the greatest and most remarkable Sign of a North is a very black Cloud in the N. W. rising above the Horizon to about 10 or 12 degrees the upper edge of the Cloud appears very even and smooth and when once the upper part of the Cloud is 6 8 10 or 12 degrees high there it remains in that even form parallel to the Horizon without any motion and this sometimes 2 or 3 Days before the Storm comes At other times not above 12 or 14 hours but never less This Cloud lying so near the Horizon is not seen but in the Mornings or Evenings at least it does not appear so black as then this is called by English Seamen a North Bank and when ever we see such a Cloud in that part of the World and in the Months before mentioned we certainly provide for a Storm and though sometimes it may happen that such a Cloud may appear several Mornings and Evenings and we may not feel the effects of it or but very little yet we always provide against it for a North never comes without such a foreboding Cloud But if the VVinds
of the Trade Winds I shall instance Barbadoes for one and all the Carribbes may as well be included The greater Islands as Hispaniola Jamaica and Cuba have only some particular Capes or Head-Lands exposed to Currents as Cape Tiberoon on Hispaniola Point Pedro and the N. E. Point of Jamaica Cape de Cruz Cape Corientes and Cape Antonios on Cuba But of all the Islands in the West Indies there are none more sensible of Currents than Corrisao Aruba nor any Capes on the Continent so remarkable for Currents as Cape Roman which shoots out against the Sea betweenthose two Places as also Cape Coquibaco and Cape La Vela to Leeward all three on the same Head-Land which shoots forth far without any other Land on the Coast. There is no such Head-Land till you come to Cape Gratia de Dios which is about 260 Leagues to Leeward Indeed to the East-ward there is Land that trends out almost so far within 150 Leagues of it Viz. The Island Trinidado and the Land against it and there also are great Currents But I shall first speak of the Currents between Cape La Vela and Cape Gratia de Dios. The Currents at Cape La Vela do seldom shift therefore Ships that ply to Wind-ward to get about it do not ply near the shore but stand off to Sea till they come in sight of Hispaniola and then back again till within about 6 or 8 Leagues of the Cape but not nearer But in the Westerly Wind-Season which is from October till March Ships often meet Westerly Winds that last two or three Days with which they may run to the Eastward without any trouble Between Cape La Vela and Cape Gratia de Dios the Currents are much different from what they are against the Cape and this seems to proceed from the make of the Land for the shore between the two Capes runs into the Southward making a great Bay And this Bay affords more varieties of Winds and Currents than any one part of the West Indies besides Here in the Westerly Wind-Season the Current sets to the Westwards constantly but sometimes stronger than at other times At about four Leagues off shore you find it and so it continues till you are 20 25 or 30 Leagues off Beyond that you meet with an Easterly Wind and if there is any Current it runs also to the Westward therefore Ships that are bound to the Westward must run off to Sea Thirty or Forty Leagues to get a Wind or else if they have but a little way to go they must ply close under the shore that so they may Anchor when they please Otherwise they will be carried away to the Eastward Fourteen or Sixteen Leagues in a Nights time and that too though they have a faint Easterly Wind as frequently they meet with though 't is the Westerly Wind-Season To the East of Cape Roman as high as the Island Trinidado you meet only a soaking faint Current setting to the Westward except only near such places as shoot out farthest into the Sea as about the Testegos which are small Islands lying to Wind-ward of the Island Margarita Between those Islands and the Main you meet with a pretty strong Current therefore it is hard getting to the East-ward there but on all the Coast between Cape Roman and the head-Head-Land shooting out towards the Testegos you may ply up with the Land and Sea-Breezes From thence till you come as high as the east-East-end of Trinidado Isle you meet with an extraordinary strong Current From the East-end of Trinidado till you come to Surinam though you meet an Easterly Current yet 't is possible to beat it up with the Land and Sea-Breezes From Surianam also to Cape Blanco you may turn it up though to be sure you 'l meet with Currents setting to the West except near the Full of the Moon and then on all the Coasts before-mentioned we commonly meet with Currents setting to the Eastward at least then it slackens and stands still if it doth not run to the East-ward But when you are come as far to the East as Cape Blanco on the North of Brazil you meet with a Current always against you and so from thence Southerly as far as Cape St. Augustine There is no dealing with this Promontory for it shoots out so far into the Sea and thereby lies so exposed to the Sea-Breezes and the Currents that soak down between Africa and Brazil that it is quite contrary to reason to think there should not always be a strong Current setting to the N. W. I have before hinted That in all places where the Trade blows we find a Current setting with the Wind which is not so perceptible in the wide Sea as nearer the Shores yet even there the force of the Winds constantly blowing one way may and probably does move the surface of the Water along with it From hence it may be inferred that the Southerly Winds on the Coast of Africa and the true Trade between it and Brazil gently move the surface of the Sea with it and the Trade being mostly at S. E. drives the Sea to the Northward slanting in on the Coast of Brazil which being there stop'd by the Land bends its Course Northerly towards Cape St. Augustine And after it has doubled that great Promontory it falls away more gently towards the Coast of Suranam and from thence towards the West Indies For after it has doubled that Promontory it has more room to spread it self and thereby becomes weaker in motion being agitated by the Trade-winds which to the North of the Line we find commonly blowing at E. N. E. and this still bears the Sea slanting down along the Coast to the Westward And probably 't is for this Reason that we find the Current setting strongest near those Head-Lands before-mentioned Whereas at Barbadoes and other of the Caribee Islands we find only a soaking Current such as seems to arise only from the constancy of the Trade-winds blowing there and not from an original Current from the South part of the Atlantick which as I said before doubles about Cape St. Augustine and so Coasts along pretty nigh the shore The Currents about the Island Trinidado and at Currisao and Aruba as also between them and Cape Roman seem to indicate as much The Currents also between Cape Roman and Cape La Vela indicate the same From Cape La Vela the Currents set still to the Westward towards Cape Gratia de Dios but in a direct Line and not borrowing or slanting in towards the shore For as I said before it is a large Bay and Currents commonly set from one Head-Land to another so that Bays have seldom any or if they have they are only Counter Currents And these Counter Currents too do set from one Point to another without interfering with the little Bays between And 't is also very probable that these Counter Currents such as we meet with in this Bay in their Seasons after they have
surrounded the Bay and are got as far to the East as Cape La Vela wheel off there and turn about again with the Stream to the Westward like an Eddy in a River From Cape Gratia de Dios the Current sets away N. W. towards Cape Catoch and so passes away to the Northward between Cape Catoch on Jucatan and Cape Antonio on Cuba In the Channel between those two Capes we commonly find a strong Current setting to the Northward And here I have found them extraordinary strong On the North side of Jucatan as you pass into the Bay of Campeachy you meet with a small soaking Current to the Westward even down to the bottom of the Bay of Mexico but on the North side of the Bay of Mexico the Current sets to the Eastward And 't is probable that is the reason that the Spaniards coming from La Vera Cruz keep that shore aboard And 't is as probable that the Current which sets to Leeward on all the Coast from Cape St. Agustine to Cape Catoch never enters the Bay of Mexico but bends still to the Northward till 't is check'd by the Florida shore and then wheels about to the East till it comes nearer the Gulphs Mouth and there joyning with the soaking Current that draws down on the North sides of Hispaniola and Cuba passes altogether with great strength through the Gulph of Florida which is the most remarkable Gulph in the World for its Currents because it always sets very strong to the North. Yet near the shores on each side this Gulph there are Tides especially on the Florida shore and Ships may pass which way they please if they are acquainted It has formerly been accounted very dangerous to meet with a North in this Gulph and for that Reason our Jamaica Ships to avoid them have rather chosen to go to the Eastward and pass through the Cacuses in the Season that the Norths do blow The Cacuses are Sands that lye off the N. W. end of Hispaniola Those that went from Port Royal in Jamaica had good reason for this for if a North took them at their going out it would help them forward in their way which should they have been going towards the Gulph it would obstruct them Then besides if a North take a Ship in the Gulph the Wind blowing against the Current makes an extraordinary Sea and so thick come the Waves one after another that a ship can't possibly live in it yet of late they go through at all times of the Year and if a North takes them in the Gulph they put away right before the Wind Sea with a small head Sail yet the Current is then as strong or stronger than at other times and forces them back stern formost against both Wind and Sea For tho' the surface of the Sea is raised in Waves and driven violently with the Winds to the Southward yet the Current underneath runs still to the Northward neither is it any strange thing to see two different Currents at one place and time the superficial Water running one way and that underneath running a quite contrary For sometimes at an Anchor I have seen the Cable carryed thus by two different Streams the under part having been doubled one way and the upper part the contrary But 't is certain in all other parts of the World the Current shifts at certain times of the Year As in the East Indies they run from East to West one part of the Year and from West to East the other part Or as in the West Indies and Guinea where they shift only near a Full Moon This is meant of parts of the Sea near any Coast yet there are strong Currents in the wide Ocean also setting contrary to the Rules before-going I mean against the Trade but 't is not common On the Coast of Guinea the Current sets East except at or near a Full Moon but to the South of the Line from Loango to 25 or 30 d. the Current sets with the Wind from S. to N. except near the Full. To the Eastward of the Cape of Good Hope from 30 d. South to 24 d. South the Currents from May till Oct. set E. N. E. and the Winds then are at W. S. W. or S. W. but from Oct. till May when the Winds are between the E. N. E. and E. S. E. the Currents run to the West These Currents are thus found from 5 or 6 Leagues off the shore to about 50. Within 5 Leagues off the shore you have the Tide and not a Current and being past 50 Leagues off shore the Current either ceaseth quite or is imperceptible On the Coast of India North of the Line the Current sets with the Monsoon but does not shift altogether so soon sometimes not by 3 Weeks or more and then never shifts again till after the Moonsoon is settled in the contrary way As for Example the West Monsoon sets in the middle of April but the Current does not shift till the beginning of May So when the East Monsoon sets in about the middle of September the Current does not shift till October In the South Seas on the Coast of Peru the Current sets from South to North even from 30 d. to the Line and to 3 or 4 d. North of it At the Gallapagos Islands we found a soaking Current not very strong but so strong that a ship could get very little by turning and 't is probable that nearer the Main they are stronger because of the constant Southerly Winds The most remarkable Places for Currents in the South Seas are Cape St. Francis Cape Passao Cape St. Laurence and Cape Blanco This last has commonly very strong Currents setting to the N. W. which hinders ships mightily and the more because it is a very windy place so that many times ships are not able to carry their Top-sails and then it is but bad plying to Wind-ward against a Current I had not so much Experience of the Mexican Coast because we commonly kept within the Verge of the Tides But on the Coast of Guatamala in the Lat. of 12 d. 50 m. and 13 d. we had a Current setting S. W. and it is probable that here also the Current sets with the Winds For as it is before noted the Currents on all Coasts sets as the coasting Trade does And thus have I finished what my own Experience or Relations from my Friends have furnished me with on this useful Subject of Winds Tides Currents c. which I humbly offer not as a compleat and perfect Accouut but as a rude and imperfect Beginning or Specimen of what may better be done by abler Hands hereafter And I hope this may be useful so far as to give a few hints to direct the more accurate Observations of others The following Paper containing a short Description of a part of Africk that is not well known to Europeans I thought would not be unacceptable to the curious Reader I have therefore annexed
Savannah with some large Palmeto-Trees growing in it The North side of the VVest end is full of Coco-Plum-Bushes and some Grapes The Coco-Plum-Bush is about 8 or 9 Foot high spreading out into many Branches It s Rind black and smooth the Leaves oval and pretty large and of a dark Green The Fruit is about the bigness of a Horse-Plum but round some are black some white others redish The Skin of the Plum is very thin and smooth the inside white soft and woolly rather fit to suck than bite inclosing in the middle a large soft Stone This Fruit grows commonly in tho Sand near the Sea and I have tasted some that have been saltish but they are commonly sweet and pleasant enough and accounted very wholsom The Body of the Grape-Tree is about two or three Foot in Circumference growing 7 or 8 Foot high then sends forth many Branches whose Twigs are thick and gross the Leaves are shaped much like an Ivy Leaf but broader and more hard the Fruit is as big as an ordinary Grape growing in Bunches or Clusters among the Twigs all over the Tree it is black when ripe and the inside redish with a large hard Stone in the middle This Fruit is very pleasant and wholsom but of little substance the Stones being so large The Body and Limbs of the Tree are good Fewel making a clear strong fire therefore often used by the Privateers to harden the Steels of their Guns when faulty The Animals of this Island are Lizards Guanoes Snakes and Dear Beside the Common small Lizard there is another sort of a large kind called a Lyon-Lizard This Creature is shaped much like the other but almost as big as a Man's Arm and it has a large Comb on its head when it is assaulted it sets its Comb up an end but otherways it lyes down flat Here are two or three sorts of Snakes some very large as I have been told At the West end of the Island close by the Sea you may dig in the Sand 5 or 6 Foot deep and find good fresh Water There are commonly VVells ready made by Seamen to water their Ships but they soon fill up if not cleared and if you dig too deep your VVater will be salt This Island was seldom clear of Inhabitants when the English visited the Bay for Logwood for the biggest Ships did always ride here in 6 or 7 Fathom Water close by the Shore but smaller Vessels ran up 3 Leagues farther to One-Bush-Key of which in my former Chapter The second Mouth or Entrance into this Lagune is between Trist and Beef-Island and is about 3 Mile wide It is shoal without and only two Channels to come in The deepest Channel on a Spring Tide has 12 Foot Water It lyes near the middle of the Mouth hard Sand on the Barr the West Channel is about 10 Foot Water and lies pretty near Beef-Island You run in with the Sea-Breez and sound all the way taking your Sounding from Beef-Island shore The bottom is soft Oaz and it shoots gradually Being shot in within Beef-Island Point you will have three fathom then you may stand over towards Trist till you come near the Shore and there Anchor as you please There is good Anchoring any where within the Bar between Trist and Beef-Island but the Tide is much stronger than at Port-Royal This is the other Mouth or opening to the Salt Lagune before-mentioned This Lagune is call'd by the Spaniards Laguna Termina or the Lagune of Tides because they run very strong here Small Vessels as Barks Periagoes or Canoas may sail thro' this Lagune from one Mouth to the other or into such Creeks Rivers or smaller Lagunes as empty themselves into this of which here are many The first of Note on the East part of this Lagune as you come in at Port-Royal is the River Summasenta This River though but small yet it is big enough for Pereagoes to enter It disembogues on the South side near the middle of the Lagune There was formerly an Indian Village named Summasenta near the Mouth of the River and another large Indian Town called Chucquebul 7 or 8 Leagues up in the Country This latter was once taken by the Privateers by whom I have been informed that there were about 2000 Families of Indians in it and two or three Churches and as many Spanish Friers though no white Men beside The Land near this River yields plenty of Logwood From Summasenta River to One-Bush-Key is 4 or 5 Leagues the shore running West I have described One-Bush-Key and the Creek against it which as I said is very narrow and not above a Mile long before it opens into another wide Lake lying nearest N. and S. called the East Lagune It is about a League and half wide and 3 Leagues long encompassed with Mangrove-Trees At the S. E. corner of it there is another Creek about a Mile wide at the Mouth running 6 or 7 Mile into the Country on both sides of it grows plenty of Logwood therefore it was inhabited by Englishmen who lived in small Companies from three to ten in a Company and settled themselves at their best Convenience for Cutting At the Head of the Creek they made a path leading into a large Savanah full of black Cattle Horses and Deer which was often visited by them upon occasion At the North end and about the middle of the East Lagune there is another small Creek like that which comes out against One-Bush-Key but less and shallower which dischargeth it self into Laguna Termina against a small sandy Key called by the English Serles's Key from one Captain Serles who first carried his Vessel here and was afterwards killed in the Western Lagune by one of his company as they were cutting Logwood together This Captain Serles was one of Sir Henry Morgans Commanders at the Sacking of Panama who being sent out to cruise in a small Vessel in the South Seas happened to surprize at Toboca the Boatswain and most of the Crew belonging to the Trinity a Spanish Ship on Board which were the Friers and Nuns with all the old Gentlemen and Matrons of the Town to the number of 1500 Souls besides an immense Treasure in Silver and Gold as I was informed by Captain Peralta who then Commanded her as he did afterwards when she was taken by Captain Sharp all which he might have taken in the Ship had he pursued her On the West side of the East Lagune there is a small Skirt of Mangroves that separates it from another running Parallel with it called the East Lagune which is about the bigness of the former Towards the North end of this Laguue runs a small Creek coming out of the East Lagune deep enough for small Barks to pass through At the South end of this Lagune there is a Creek about a Mile wide at its Mouth and half a Mile from thence it divides into two Branches one called the East the other the West Branch both deep