M l in the afternoon of the next day,' we anchored in the Road,
---- - which is fo good that it may well be confidered as an harnday
3- bour. We had now great reafon to congratulate ourfelves
upon our fituation, for during the whole of our palTage from
Celebes, the fliip admitted fo much water by her leaks, that
it was all we could do to keep her from linking, with two
pumps conflantly going.
We found here eleven large Dutch (hips, befides feveral
that wete lefs, one Spanifh fliip, a Portuguefe fnow, and
Satorda; 4. feveral Chinefe junks. The next morning we faluted the
town with eleven guns, and the fame number was returned.
As this was the_birth-day of his Britannick Majefty, our So-:
vereign, we afterwards fired one and twenty guns more bn
that occafion. We found the variation here to be lefs than
half a degree to the weftward.
In the afternoon, I waited upon the Governor, and acquainted
him with the condition of the (hip, defiring liberty
to repair her defects, to which he replied, that I muft petition
the Council.
Monday 6. On the 6th therefore, which was Council-day, I addrefled
a letter to the Governor and Council, fetting forth more particularly
the condition o f the fhip; and after requeuing leave
to repair her, I added, that I hoped they would allow me
the ufe o f fuch wharfs and ftore-houfes as fliould be ne-
Tnefday 7. ceffary. In the afternoon o f the next day, the fhebander,
with Mr. Garrifon, a merchant o f the place, as interpreter,
and another perfon, came to me. After the firft compliments,
the fhebander faid, that he was fent by the Governor
and Council for a letter which they had heard I had received
when I was at Bonthain, acquainting me, that a defign had
been formed to cut off my lhip, that the author o f it, who
had injured both me, and their nation, in the perfon of the
Governor
R O U N D T H E W O RL D .
Governor o f that place, might be punilhed. I readily ac- 1768.
knowledged that I had received fuch information, but faid, 1 ^une'
that I had never told any body it was by letter. The fhe- TueHay v
bander then afked me i f I would take an oath that I had received
no fuch letter as he had been directed to demand ; to
which I anfwered, that I was furprifed at the queftion, and
defiied, that if the Council had any fuch uncommon requi-
fition to make o f me, it might be in writing, and I would
give fuch reply, as, upon mature'confideration, I fliould
think proper. I then defired to know what anfwer he had
been inftruffed to give to my letter, concerning the refitting
o f the lhip; upon which he told me, that the Council had
taken offence at my having ufed the word hope, and not
written in the ftile o f requeft, which had been invariably
adopted by all merchants upon the like occafion: I replied,
that no offence was intended on my part, and that I had ufed
the firft words which occurred to me, as proper to exprefs
my meaning. Thus we parted, and I heard nothing more,
o f them till the afternoon of the 9th, when the fhebander, Tharfifeyg.
and the fame two gentlemen, came to me a fecond time.
The fhebander faid, that he was then commiflioned from
the Council, to require a writing under my hand, fignifying
that I believed the report o f an intention formed at the ifland
o f Celebes to cut off my fhip, was falfe and malicious, faying
that he hoped I had a better opinion of the Dutch nation
than to fuppofe them capable of fuffering fo execrable a faff
to be perpetrated under their government. Mr. Garrifon
then read me a certificate, which, by order of the Council,
had been drawn up for me to fign; as, whatever was my
Opinion, I did not think it advifable to fign fuch a certificate,
efpecially as it appeared to be made a condition of
complying with my requeft by the delay of an anfwer
during this folicitation, I defired the fhebander to fliew me
1 V°L. I. 3 K his