'77°- tween the 25th and 26th, fuch rain November.. ' . . „as we had feldom feen..
v--- ------ for near four hours without in te ran ikon. Mr. B.anks’s houfe
* ‘ admitted the water in every part like a fieve, and. it ran
through the lower rooms in a bream that would have turned
a mill: he was by this time fuffieiently recovered to go out,
and upon his entering Batavia the next morning, he was
much furprifed to fee die bedding every where hung out
to dry.
The wet feafon was now fet in, though we had fome intervals
of fair weather. The frogs in the ditches, which,
croak ten times louder than any frogs in Europe, gave notice-
of rain by an mediant noife that was almoft intolerable, and
the gnats and mufquitos, which had been very troublefome
..even during the. dry weather, were now become innumerable,
fwarming from every plafli of water like bees
from a hive; they did not, however, much incommode us
in the day, and the flings, however trouble fome at firft,
never continued to itch above .half an hour,, ib.thatmoog of
us felt in the day, the effects of the.wounds they had received
in the night.
December. On the 8th of December, the fhip being perfectly refitted,
Saturday 8. an{j having taken in mpft of her water and ft ores, and received
her fick on board, we ran up to Batavia Road, and
anchored in four fathom and an half of water.
Monday 24. From this time, to the 24th, we were employed in getting
onboard the remainder of our water and provifions, with
fome new pumps, and in feveral other operations that were
neceffary to fit the fhip for the fea, all which would have
been effected much fooner, if ficknefs and death had not .dif-
abled or carried off a great number of our men.
While we lay here, the Earl of Elgin, Captain Cook, a fhip
belonging to the Englifh Eaft India Company, came to an
7 anchor
anchor in .the Road. She was bound from Madrafs to China, ’7 "°-.. 5 . December.
but having loft her paffage, put in here to wait for the next 1— —,
fe&fon. The Phsenix, i -Captain Black, an Englifh country Mo*4v ■ •
fhip, from Bencoolen, alfo came to an anchor at this-place.
' In the afternoon of Chriftmas eVe, the 24th, I took leave
of the Governor, and feveral of the principal gentlemen of
the place, with whom I had formed connedlionsy'and
from whom I received every poffible civility and- affiffance
but in the tnedn time an dcadent happened, which might
have produced difagreeable eonfequeh'ces., A feaman had
run away from one of the Dutch fhips in the Road, and
entered on hoard of mine:' the Captain had applied to the
Governor, to reclaim hirnas a< fubjedl of Holland, and an-
order for that purpofe Was procured: this order was brought
to me foon after I returned from my laft vifit, and I faid,.
that if the man appeared to be a Dutchman, he fhould certainly
be delivered up. Mr., Hicks commanded on board,,
and I gave the Dutch, offieer an order to him, to, deliver.the
man up under that condition.; I flept; myfelf this night on
fhore, and in the morning, the Captain of the Dutch Com- Tueflay 2;
modore came and told me that he had carried my order, on
board, but that the'officer had refufed to deliver up the man,
alleging, not only that' he Was not a Dutchman, but that
he was a fubjedl of Great Britain, horn in Ireland; I replied,
that the officer had perfectly executed my orders, and.
that if the man was an Englifh fubjedl, it‘could not be ex-
pedled that I fhould deliver him up. The Captain then faid, ,
that he was juft come from the Governor, to demand the
man of me in his name, as a fubjedl of Denmark, alleging,,
that he flood in the fhip’s books as bom at Elfineur. The
claim of this man as a fubjedl of Holland, being now given
up, I obferved to the Captain, that there appeared to be fome-
. miftake.-