A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 11 | Page 7

Rogers, who makes 105° of longitude
between Cape St Lucas and Guam, while we made not quite 100°.[2]
We passed through between Guam and Serpana, and saw several flying
proas, but none came near us that day. We had heavy and squally
weather, which obliged me to keep the deck in the rain, by which I
caught a cold, which threw me into a worse condition than before, in
which I continued all the time I was in China. Guam seemed very green
and of moderate height, and the sight of land was so pleasant after our
long run, that we would gladly have stopped to procure some
refreshments, but durst not venture in, though on the point of perishing,
lest the inhabitants should take advantage of our weakness. From Guam
I shaped our course for the island of Formosa, to which we had a long

and melancholy voyage, as our sickness daily increased; so that, on the
3d November, when we got sight of that island, both ship and company
were almost entirely worn out. Next day we doubled the south Cape of
Formosa, passing within a league of the rocks of _Vele-Rete_, where
we were sensible of a very strong current. As we passed in sight, the
inhabitants of Formosa made continual fires on the coast, as inviting us
to land; but we were so weak that we did not deem it prudent to venture
into any of their harbours.
[Footnote 2: Rogers is however nearer the truth, the difference of
longitude being 106° 42' between these two places.--E.]
We directed our course from Formosa for the neighbouring coast of
China, and found ourselves on the 6th at the mouth of the river Loma,[3]
in twelve fathoms water, but the weather was so hazy that we could not
ascertain where we were. Seeing abundance of fishing boats, we tried
every method we could think of to induce some of the fishermen to
come on board to pilot us to Macao, but found this impracticable, as we
could not understand each other. We were therefore obliged to keep the
land close on board, and to anchor every evening. This was a
prodigious fatigue to our men, who were so universally ill that we
could hardly find any one able to steer the ship. We were bewildered in
a mist during four days, and much surprised by seeing a great many
islands, omitted in our charts, on some of which we saw large
fortifications. This made us believe that the current had carried us
beyond our port, and occasioned much dejection of spirits; for, though
the sea was covered with fishing boats, we could get no one to set us
right, or to give us any directions we could understand.
[Footnote 3: This name is so corrupted as to be unintelligible.--E]
Towards evening of the 10th, as we were passing through a very
narrow channel between two islands, a fisherman who was near, and
observed by our manner of working that we were afraid to venture
through, waved with his cap for us to bring to till he came to us. When
he came, he seemed to understand that we enquired for Macao, and
made signs that he would carry us there, if we gave him as many pieces
of silver as he counted little fish from his basket, which amounted to

forty. We accordingly counted out forty dollars into a hat, and gave
them to him, on which he came into our ship, and took her in charge,
carrying us through the narrow channel, and brought us to anchor at
sun-set. We weighed next morning, and kept the coast of China close
on board. By noon we were abreast of Pulo Lantoon, whence we could
see two English ships under sail, passing the island of Macao on their
way from the river of Canton. They kept on their way, taking no notice
of us, which struck a damp into our spirits, fearing we should miss a
passage for England this season. In the afternoon of next day, we
anchored in the road of Macao, near the entrance of Canton river,
which we never should have found out by any of our charts.
I was much amazed at the incorrectness with which these coasts are
laid down, to the eastwards of Pulo Lantoon; as there runs a cluster of
islands for upwards of twenty leagues in that direction, which are not in
the least noticed by any of our hydrographers, nor have I ever met with
any navigator who knew any thing about them. The coast of China,
within these islands, is rocky, mountainous, and barren; but, owing to
my heavy sickness, I was unable to make any useful observations.

SECTION VI.
_Residence in China, and Voyage thence to England._
As