1 6 The Bancia Islands and the Bandan Birds 



but our first reliable account of them connects the discovery 

 of them with an expedition dispatched by order of Alfonso de 

 Albuquerque from Malacca. Shortly after Albuquerque had 

 defeated the Malays and taken possession of that city, he sent 

 three vessels, under the command of Antonio de Abreu, to 

 explore the Archipelago and to inaugurate a trade with the 

 islanders, A junk, commanded by a native merchant captain, 

 Ismael by name, preceded the other vessels for the purpose of 

 announcing their approaching advent to the traders of the Archi- 

 pelago, so that they might have their spices ready for shipment. 

 With De Abreu went Francisco Serrao and Simao Aifonso, in 

 command of two of the vessels. The pilots were Luis Botim, 

 Gon^alo de Oliveira, and Francisco Rodriguez or Roiz. Abreu 

 left Malacca in November, 151 1, at which season the westerly 

 monsoon begins to blow. He steered a south-easterly course, 

 passed through the Strait of Sabong, and having arrived at the 

 coast of Java, he cast anchor at Aga^ai, which Valentijn identifies 

 with Gresik, near Sourabaya. At Agac^ai, Javan pilots were 

 engaged for the voyage thence to the Banda Islands. Banda was, 

 however, not the first port of call. The course was first to Buru, 

 and thence to Amboyna. Galvao relates that -Abreu landed at 

 Guli Guli, which is in Ceram. Barros, however, in his account 

 of the voyage, makes no mention of Ceram. At Amboyna the 

 ship commanded by Francisco Serrao, an Indian vessel which had 

 been captured at Goa, v/as burnt, for, says Barros, ' she was old,' 

 and the ship's company was divided between the two other ships, 

 which then proceeded to Lutatao, which is perhaps identical with 

 Ortattan, a trading station on the north coast of Great Banda, 

 Here Abreu obtained a cargo ot nutmegs and mace and of 

 cloves, which had been brought hither from the Moluccas. At 

 Lutatao Abreu erected a pillar in token of annexation to the 



