jaSSs
November.
T uefday ig.
"Wednef. 20.
Toefday 27.
On the 19th, we fpoke with an Englilh fnow, belonging
to the Eaft India Company, which was bound from Bencoo-
len to Malacca and Bengal. We had now nothing to eat
but the flop's provifions, which were, become very bad, for
all our beef and pork flunk intolerably, and our bread was
rotten and full o f worms; but as foon as the Matter of
this fnow learnt our fituation, he generoufly fent me a
Iheep, a dozen.fowls, and a turtle, which I verily believe
was half his flock, befides two gallons o f arrack, and would
accept nothing but our thanks in return. It is with great
pleafure that I pay this tribute to his liberality, and am very
forry that. I cannot recoiled! his name, or the name of his
yefiel. In the afternoon, we worked round the Firft Point
o f Sumatra, and our foundings on the north-fide, at the dif-
rance o f about a mile and a half from the fhore, were fourteen
fathom. At half an hour after three we anchored, and
fent a boat to found for the Ihoals which lie to the northward
o f the ifland called Lafipara, which bore from us
S. E. by S. diftant about fix leagues. Little wind, and a ftrong
tide o f flood to the northward, prevented our working between
thefe Ihoals and the coaft o f Sumatra till the afternoon
o f the twentieth: the foundings were very regular
being nine or ten fathom as we flood over to the ifland, and
five or fix when we flood over to Sumatra. As this Streight
has been often navigated, and is well known, It is not ne-
cefiary to infert all the particulars o f our pafiage through i t ;
I fliall therefore only fay, that at fix o’clock in the evening
of Tuefday the 27th, we .fleered between the iflands Edam
and Horn, and entered the road o f Batavia. At eight, we
anchored without the Ihips, Onruft bearing W. N. W. diftant
five or fix miles.
C H A P .
C H A P . XIII.
Tranfa&ions at Batavia, and Departure from that Place.
T HE next day, which by our account was the s8th, , 76j.
but by the account o f the Dutch at this place, was the .November-,
29th, we having loft a day by having fleered weftward a Wedner- *8-
year, we anchored nearer to the town, and faluted the water
fort with eleven guns, which were returned. We found
here' above a hundred fail great and fmall, and among
others, a large Englifh Ihip belonging to Bombay, which
faluted us with thirteen guns.
There is always lying here a Dutch Commodore belonging
to the Company, who, among his countrymen, is a perfon
o f very great confequence. This gentleman thought fit to
fend his boat on board o f me, with only the cockfwain in
her, who was a very dirty ragged fellow: as foon as he was
brought to me, he afked whence I came, whither I was
bound, and many other queftions, which I thought equally
impertinent, at the fame time pulling out a book, and pen
and ink, that he might fet down the anfwers ; but as I was
impatient to fave him this trouble, he was defired immediately
to walk over the fliip’s fide, and put off his boat, with
which he was gracioufly pleafed to comply.
When we came to this place, we had not one man fick in
either of the Ihips; but as I knew it to be more unhealthy
than any other part of the Eaft Indies, as the rainy feafon
was at hand, and arrack was to be procured in great plenty,
I determined to make my flay here as fhort as poflible. I
went on Ihore to wait upon the Dutch Governor, but was
S 2 told