found a great many of the natives; I do believe there were forty on one island, men, women, and children. The men, at our first coming ashore, threatened us with their lances and swords; but they were frighted by firing one gun, which we fired purposely to scare them. The island was so small, that they could not hide themselves; but they were much disordered at our landing, especially the women and children: for we went directly to their camp. The lustiest of the women, snatching up their infants, ran away howling, and the little children ran after squeaking and bawling; but the men stood still. Some of the women, and such people as could not go from us, lay still by a fire, making a doleful noise, as if we had been coming to devour them. But when they saw we did not intend to harm them, they were pretty quiet; and the rest, that fled from us at our first coming, returned again. This their place of dwelling was only a fire, with a few boughs before it, set up on that side the wind was off. After we had been here a little while, the men began to be familiar, and we clothed some of them, designing to have had some service of them for it; for we found some wells of water here, and intended to carry two or three barrels of it aboard. But it being somewhat troublesome to carry to the canoes, we thought to have made these men to have carried it for us, and therefore we gave them some clothes; to one an old pair of breeches, to another a ragged shirt, to a third a jacket that was scarce worth owning: which yet would have been very acceptable at some places where we had been, and so we thought they might have been with these people. We put them on them, thinking that this finery would have brought them to work heartily for us; and our water being filled in small long barrels, about six gallons in each, which were made purposely to carry water in, we brought these our new servants to the wells, and put a barrel on each of their shoulders for them to carry to the canoe. But all the signs we could make were to no

purpose, for they stood like statues, without motion, but grinned like so many monkeys, staring one upon another: for these poor creatures seem not accustomed to carry burthens: and I believe that one of our shipboys of ten years old would carry as much as one of them. So we were forced to carry our water ourselves; and they very fairly put the clothes off again, and laid them down, as if clothes were only to work in. I did not perceive that they had any great liking to them at first; neither did they seem to admire anything that we had.

At another time our canoe being among these islands seeking for game, espied a drove of these men swimming from one island to another; for they have no boats, canoes, or bark-logs. They took up four of them, and brought them aboard; two of them were middle. aged, the other two were young men about eighteen or twenty years old. To these we gave boiled rice, and with it turtle and manatee boiled. They did greedily devour what we gave them, but took no notice of the ship, or anything in it; and when they were set on land again, they ran away as fast as they could. At our first coming, before we were acquainted with them, or they with us, a company of them who lived on the main came just against our ship, and, standing on a pretty high bank, threatened us with their swords and lances, by shaking them at us: at last the Captain ordered the drum to be beaten, which was done of a sudden with much vigour, 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

1 Wonder, be surprised at.

1688.]

235

When we had been here about a week, we hauled our ship into a small sandy cove, at a spring-tide, as far as she would float: and at low water she was left dry. All the neap-tides we lay wholly aground, for the sea did not come near us by about a hundred yards. We had therefore time enough to clean our ship's 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 persuade 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 hence, to bear down towards Cape Comorin. In their way thither they designed also to visit the Island Cocos, which lies in Lat. 12° 12′ N. by our draughts hoping there to find of that fruit, the island having its name from thence.1

:

At

wind was now at SW.: therefore we did rather choose 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, besides the catching two great sharks, till the 28th. Then we fell in with a small woody island, in Lat. 10° 30'. Its Longitude from New Holland, whence we came, was by my account 12° 6' W. It was deep water about the island, and therefore no anchoring; but we sent two canoes ashore-one of them with the carpenters, to cut a tree to make another pump-the other canoe went to search for fresh water, and found a fine, small brook near the SW. point of the island; but there the sea fell in on the shore so high, that they could not get it off. noon both our canoes returned aboard, and the carpenters brought aboard a good tree, which they afterwards made a pump with, such as they made at Mindanao. The other canoe brought aboard as many boobies and men-ofwar birds as sufficed all the ship's company, when they were boiled. They got also a sort of land animal somewhat resembling a large crawfish 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.1 They were very good sweet meat, and so large that two of them were more than a man could eat, being almost as thick as one's leg. Their shells were of a dark brown, but red when boiled.

About 1 o'clock in the afternoon we made sail from this island, with the wind at SW., and we steered NW. We met nothing of remark till the 7th of April, and then, being in Lat. 7° S., we saw the land of

2 See page 91.

Sumatra at a great distance, bearing north. The 8th we saw the east end of the Island Sumatra very plainly, we being then in Lat. 6° S. The 10th, being in Lat. 5° 11', and about seven or eight leagues from the Island Sumatra, on the west side of it, we saw abundance of cocoa-nuts swimming in the sea, and we hoisted out our boat and took up some of them, as also a small hatch, or scuttle rather, belonging to some bark. The nuts were very sound, and the kernel sweet; and in some the milk or water was yet sweet and good. The 13th we came to a small island called Triste, in Lat. (by observation) 4° S. It is about fourteen or fifteen leagues to the west of the Island Sumatra. From hence to the northward there are a great many small uninhabited islands lying much at the same distance from Sumatra. This Island Triste is not a mile round, and so low, that the tide flows clear over it. It is of a sandy soil, and full of cocoa-nut trees. The nuts are but small, yet sweet enough, full, and more ponderous than I ever felt any of that bigness, notwithstanding that every spring-tide the salt water goes clear over the island. We sent ashore our canoes for cocoanuts, and they returned aboard laden with them three times. Our strikers also went out and struck some fish, which was boiled for supper. They also killed two young alligators, which we salted for the next day.

I had no opportunity at this place to make my escape, as I would have done, and gone over hence to Sumatra, could I have kept a boat with me. But there was no compassing this; and so on the 15th we went from hence, steering to the northward on the west side of Sumatra. Our food now was rice and the meat of the cocoa-nuts rasped and steeped in water, which made a sort of milk, into which we put our rice, making a pleasant mess enough. After we parted from Triste, we saw other small islands that were also full of cocoa-nut trees. The 19th, being in Lat. 3° 25' S., the SW. point of the Island Nassau bore N. about five miles distant. This is

The

a pretty large uninhabited island, in Lat. 3° 20′ S., and is full of high trees. About a mile from the Island Nassau, there is a small island full of cocoa-nut trees. There we anchored the 20th to replenish our stock of cocoa-nuts. A reef of rocks lies almost round this island, so that our boats could not go ashore, nor come aboard at low water, yet we got aboard four boat loads of nuts. 21st we went from hence, and kept to the northward, coasting still on the west side of the Island Sumatra. The 25th we crossed the Equator, still coasting to the northward between the Island Sumatra and a range of small islands lying fourteen or fifteen leagues off it. Among all these islands, Hog Island is the most considerable. It lies in Lat. 3° 40′ N. It is pretty high even land, clothed with tall, flourishing trees; we passed by it on the 28th.

The 29th we saw a sail to the north of us, which we chased; but it being little wind, we did not come up with her till the 30th. Then, being within a league of her, Captain Reed went in a canoe and took her, and brought her aboard. She was a proa with four men in her, belonging to Achin,1 whither she was bound. She came from one of these cocoa-nut islands that we passed by, and was laden with cocoa-nuts and cocoa-nut oil. Captain Reed ordered his men to take aboard all the nuts, and as much of the oil as he thought convenient, and then cut a hole in the bottom of the proa, and turned her loose, keeping the men prisoners. It was not for the lucre of the cargo that Captain Reed took this boat, but to hinder me and some others from going ashore; for he knew that we were ready to make our escape if an opportunity presented itself, and he thought that by his abusing and robbing the natives, we should be afraid to trust ourselves among them. But yet this

1 Or Acheen, a native town at the extreme north point of Sumatra, which now carries on an extensive trade with Hindostan.

after.

May the 1st we ran down by the north-west end of the Island Sumatra, within seven or eight leagues of the shore. All this west side of Sumatra which we thus coasted along, our Englishmen at Fort St George call the West Coast, simply without adding the name of Sumatra. The prisoners who were taken the day before showed us the islands that lie off Achin harbour, and the channels through which ships go in, and told us also that there was an English factory at Achin. I wished myself there, but was forced to wait with patience till my time was come. We were now directing our course towards the Nicobar Islands, intending there to clean the ship's bottom, in order to make her sail well. The 4th, in the evening, we had sight of one of the Nicobar Islands. The southernmost of them lies about forty leagues NNW. from the NW. end of the Island Sumatra. This most southerly of them is Nicobar itself,' but all the cluster of islands lying south of the Andaman Islands are called by our seamen the Nicobar Islands.

The inhabitants of these islands have no certain converse with any nation; but as ships pass by them they will come aboard in their proas, and offer their commodities for sale, never inquiring of what nation they are for all white people are alike to them. Their chief commodities are ambergris and fruits. Ambergris is often found by the native Indians of these islands, who know it very well, as also know how to cheat ignorant strangers with a certain mixture like it. Several of our men bought such of them for a small purchase. Captain Weldon also about this time touched at some of these islands to the north of the island where we lay, and I saw a great deal of such ambergris that one of his men bought there, but it was not good, having no smell at all. Yet I saw some there very

1 Great Nicobar.

287

good and fragrant. At that island where Captain Weldon was, there were two friars sent thither to convert the Indians. One of them came away with Captain Weldon, the other remained there still. He that came away with Captain Weldon gave a very good character of the inhabitants of that island, that they were very honest, civil, harmless people; that they were not addicted to quarrelling, theft, or murder; that they did marry, or at least live as man and wife, one man with one woman, never changing till death made the separation; that they were punctual and honest in performing their bargains; and that they were inclined to receive the Christian religion. This relation I had afterwards from the mouth of a priest at Tonquin, who told me that he received this information by a letter from the friar that Captain Weldon brought away from thence. But to proceed.

The 5th of May we ran down on the west side of the Island Nicobar properly so called, and anchored at the NW. end of it, in a small bay, in eight fathoms water, not half-a-mile from the shore. The body of this island is in 7° 30′ N. Lat.; it is about twelve leagues long, and three or four 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 mould of it is black and deep, and it is very well watered with small running streams. It produces 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 cocoa-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 woodland. As the cocoanut 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 back side of the cocoa 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 has a blackish rind, and a pretty broad leaf. The fruit is as big as the breadfruit at Guam, or a large penny loaf. It is shaped like a pear, and has 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 these trees anywhere but here.

The natives of this island are tall, well-limbed 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 skin of a dark copper colour. The women have no hair on their eyebrows. I do believe it is plucked up by the roots; for the men had hair growing on their eyebrows, as other people. [The men all go naked, save a long, narrow strip of cloth round their waist. The women wear a short petticoat reaching from their waist to the knee. Their houses are described as small, square, and low, and curiously thatched with palmetto leaves. Their canoes are commonly manned by twenty or thirty natives, and seldom fewer than nine or ten.]

But to proceed with our affairs. It was, as I said, before the 5th of May, about ten in the morning, when we anchored at this island. Captain Reed 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 filled, they intending to go to sea at night; for the winds being yet at NNE., 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 now was my time to make my escape, by getting leave, if possible, to stay here. For it seemed not very feasible to do it by stealth; and I had no reason to despair of getting leave, this being a place where my stay could probably do our crew no harm,

should I design it. Indeed, one reason that put me on the thoughts of staying at this particular place, besides the present opportunity of leaving Captain Reed, which I did always intend to do as soon as I could, was, that I had here also a prospect of advancing a profitable trade for ambergris with these people, and of gaining a considerable fortune for myself; for in a short time I might have learned their language, and by accustoming myself to row with them in their proas or canoes, especially by conforming myself to their customs and manners of living, I should have seen how they got their ambergris, and have known what quantities they got, and the time of the year when most is found. And then afterwards, I thought it would be easy for me to have transported myself from thence, either in some ship that passed this way, whether English, Dutch, or Portuguese, or else to have got some of the young men of the island to have gone with me in one of their canoes to Achin, and there to have furnished myself with such commodities as I found most coveted by them; and therewith, at my return, to have bought their ambergris.

I had, till this time, made no open show of going ashore here. But now, the water being filled, and the ship in readiness to sail, I desired Captain Reed to set me ashore on this island. He, supposing that I could not go ashore in a place less frequented by ships than this, gave me leave, which probably he would have refused, if he thought I should have got from hence in any short time; for fear of my giving an account of him to the English or Dutch. soon got up my chest and bedding, and immediately got some to row me ashore, for fear lest his mind should change again. The canoe that brought me ashore landed me on a small sandy bay, where there were two houses, but no person in them. For the inhabitants were removed to some other house, probably for fear of us, because the ship was close by; and yet both men and women came

I