A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 9 | Page 5

Potas, or long four fathoms, sixteen cattees; white Parcallas twelve
cattees; Salalos Ytam twelve and fourteen cattees; Turias and Tape
Turias one and two cattees; Patola of two fathoms, fifty and sixty
cattees; those of four fathoms and of one fathom at proportional prices;

for twenty-eight pounds of rice, a dollar; Sago, which is a root of which
the natives make their bread, is sold in bunches, and was worth a
quarter of a dollar the bunch; velvets, sattins, taffetics, and other silk
goods of China were much in request. This may suffice for the trade of
the Moluccas.
Proceeding on our voyage, it was calm all day on the 16th of April, but
we, had a good breeze at night from the west, when we steered N.N.W.
In the morning of the 17th, we steered north, with the wind at E. by S.
but it afterwards became very variable, shifting to all points of the
compass, and towards night we had sight of land to the northwards. On
the 18th we had calms, with much rain, and contrary winds at intervals,
for which reason I resolved to go for the island of Saiom, which was to
the westward, and to remain there and refresh the crew, till the change
of the monsoon might permit me to proceed on my intended voyage.
But almost immediately the wind came round to the west, and we stood
N. and N. by E. On the 19th, with little wind at W. we continued our
course N. by E. the weather being extremely hot, with much rain. It was
quite calm in the morning of the 20th, but we had a constant current
setting us to the eastwards, which indeed had been the case ever since
we left Ternate. In the afternoon, the wind came round to the northward,
a brisk gale, and we stood west to stem the current, bearing for a large
island called Doy, where we proposed to rest and refresh.
In the morning of the 21st, we were fairly before that island, near its
northern extremity, which was a low point stretching southwards. We
stood in E. by S. with the wind at N. by E. and at noon sent our skiff in
search of a convenient place for anchoring; but the current set so strong
to the eastwards, that we were unable to stem it, and could merely see
at a distance a very large bay, having a great shoal off its northern point
half a league out to sea, while we had sixty fathoms water off the shore
upon a bottom of sand. As night approached, we stood off till morning;
and next day, about sun-set, we came to anchor in the large bay, having
on standing in fifty-six, thirty-five, twenty-six, and twenty-four
fathoms water.
I sent some people ashore in the skiff on the 23d, to look out for a
convenient watering-place, and for a proper situation in which to set up
a tent to defend our men from the rain when on shore. They
accordingly found a fit place right over against the ship, and saw many

tracks of deer and wild swine, but no appearance of any inhabitants.
The country was full of trees, and, in particular, there were abundance
of cokers,[1] _penang, serie_, and palmitos, among which were plenty
of poultry, pheasants, and wood-cocks. I went ashore along with our
merchants, and had a tent set up. Our carpenter made several very
ingenious pitfalls for catching the wild-hogs. We took some fish among
the rocks with much labour, and got one pheasant and two
wood-Pigeons, which last were as large in the body as ordinary hens.
Some of our company staid all night ashore to look for the wild-hogs
coming into the traps, and some very large ones were seen on the 24th,
but none were caught. This morning, about half past seven, the moon,
being at the full, was eclipsed in a more extraordinary manner than any
of us had ever seen, being three hours and a half obscured before she
recovered her entire light, which was very fearful.
[Footnote 1: Cocoa-nut trees.--E.]
The 25th, our people searching about the woods, brought great store of
cokers to the ship, together with some fowls, and the heads of the
palmito trees, which we boiled with our beef, and found them to eat
like cabbages. The 28th, the company were busily employed in taking
in wood and water. The skiff was sent out to sound the shoal, and found
ten and twelve fathoms at the northern point of the bar, near the shoal.
All this time we had prodigious rain both day and night. The 29th and
30th were employed in bringing wood aboard, which we found as good
as our English billets. The skiff was sent