A V O Y A G E TT>
jthe governor, to know at what time I could be permittee!
to fee him; which was fixed to be at eleven o’clock.
I now defeed my- people to come on fhore, which waslas-
much as fome of them could do, being fearee able to walk 5
they, however,were helped to thehoufe, and found tea with
bread and butter provided for-their breakfaft.
The abilities' of a painter, perhaps, could feldom ‘ have
been difplayetf to moreadvantage, than in the delineation
Of the two groups of figures, which at this, time prefented
the’mfelves to each other. An indifferent fpedtator would
have been at a lofs whieh moft toadmire v<heeyes of fa-
piihe Iparkling at immediate relief,, or the horror-of their
prefervers at the fight of fo many fpedtres, whofe, ghaftly
countenances, i f the eaufe had been unknown „would rather
have excited terror thaa pity^ Our bodies were nothing,
-hiit fkin and bones, our limbs were full o£ forces, and we-
were clothed in rags: in this condition, with the.tears; of
joy -and gratitude flowing clown our cheeks, the people of
Timor beheld us with, a mixture o f horror, furprife, and*
pity.
The governor, Mr. William Adrian Van Efte; notwrtli-
flanding extreme ill-health, became fb anxious about us»
that I law him before the appointed time. He received* me
with great affe&ron, and gave me the fulleff. proofs that- he:
was poffeffed of every feeling of a humane and^gpod man.
.Sorry as hejvasi he faid, that fueh a-calamity could even
have happened to us, yet he confideFed k as the greatefi:
bleffing o f his life that we had fallen-under his protection ;;
and» though his infirmity was-fo great that he could not do
the office of a friend himfelf,* he would give foch* orders
as I might be certain would procure us* every - fupply
we wanted. A houfe fhould be immediately prepared for
; 8 1 |H H 1 • W
THE - S O U T H S E A Sx fee.
foe, and, with refpeCt to my5 people, he fold; that I might tfig.
have’ -’Morn for them either at the hofpital or on board Of . ^ u w c’ .
Captain Spikerm^ns fliip, which lay in the road; and he
exprefled mueh‘ Tu.Beafinefs that-Coupang could not afford
Them better accommodations, the hovtfe- affigned to me
beifigThe onlybne uninhabited,’ and the fituation of the
few families that lived'at this placefuch, that they could not
cbh ven ienfl^Jrei?fei%e ftr angerk. For the prefent, fill matters
could be properly4 fegiilated, he'gave directions that -victuals'
for my people fhoitld be drefffed at his own houfe.
On returning to Captain SpikermanVhoufe, I found that
every kind relief had been given to my people. The furgebh
liad dreffed their fores,1 and the cleaning of their perfons
had not' been1 iefs- attended to, feveral friendly gifts of apparel
having been prefented to them.-
I defiredtO be . fhewn to the houfe that Was intended
for me, which I found ready, with fervants to attend. $ It
'corififted o f a hall, with a room at each eiid-, and a left
over-head; atid was furrounded by*a piazza, with an outer
apartment in one corner, arid a corhmuMfcation from the
hack part "of the' houfe* to| the ffreeti I ft-hefefore ' determined;
inftead of feparating from my people, to lodge them
all with me; and I divided the houfe as- follows : One room
I4 took tomyfelf, the other I allotted to the mailer, furgebh,
Mr. W^lfon*, and the gunner’;? the loft- to »the- other Officers;
hhd the differ apartment to the menv; The hall was» common
to the officers,' and the men had the back;piazza. Of
this difpofition I informed the governor, and he- fenbdown
chairs, tables, and- benches, with betiding and other necef-
faries for the ufe of every one.
'The govteffior, when; I tbok my leaVe, had defined me to *
acquaint him with every thing'of which I ftobd-in' neetl; ft
II h 2 but