204 Travels in India. Part II. 



I had fent them in order to my paflage home j in regard that the Englijh Prc- 

 fident had orTer'd me a convenience to go along with him. The Council an- 

 fwer'd me, that the Dutch Ships were as good as the Englijh, and very cour- 

 teoufly aflfuVd me, they would give order for a Cabin to my felf in the Vice- 

 Admiral. Bur withal! they told me, I mult deliver up my Debentures before I 

 itirr'd $ affuring me, that they would give me a Bill to be re-imburs'd my Mo- 

 ney by the Company in Holland. I thought it very hard, for I knew not how 

 to truft 'em j but feeing the Merchants, Commanders , and all other perlbns 

 clapt up, and their Papers taken from them by force, that had bought De- 

 bentures j I thought it the belt way to deliver mine, and ftand to their cour- 

 tefie. I often prefsM the General and the Council for my Bill, but after ma- 

 ny delays the General afcertaind me, that my Bill mould be in Holland as loon as 

 I. Thereupon defiring the -Vice-Admiral and fome others to be my Wirnelies of 

 what the General promis'd, I took my leave of him, very much repenting my 

 going to Batavia. 



CHA P. XXVI. 

 The Author embarks in a Dutch Vejftl, to return into Europe. 



TH E next day I went aboard the Vice- Admiral, and the third day afrer we 

 fet fail, and as foon as we were out of the Streight we diicover'd the 

 Iflands of the Prince. From thence being in the Altitude of the Coco Iflands, we 

 bear about two days to difcover them ; but all to no purpofe, thereupon we 

 made di redly for the Cape of good Hope. 



The fourty-fifth dav after our departure from Batavia, our Vice-Admiral 

 neglected to put out his Lights ; believing all the Fleet had been before at the 

 Cape 5 fb that it happen'd that one of the Fleet being behind, and not carry- 

 ing any Lights out neither, it being a dark night, fell foul upon us, which put 

 every man to his prayers, all people believing the Veffel had been loft; and 

 indeed had fhe not been a (bund ftanch Ship ( for the Provinces were fo ac- 

 counted ) (he could never have endur'd ib terrible a (hock. At length we clear'd 

 our (elves, by cutting off the Yards of the Macftricht that hung in our Cor- 

 dage. 



The fifty-fifth we came within view of the Cape of good Hops-, but were 

 fore d to keep the Sea,becaufe the w r aves rolPd Co that we were not able to come 

 to an Anchor ; not that the Wind was extream high, but becau(e the South- 

 wind had blown (b long that it had fore'd the Water to that part. When the 

 Sea grew calm, we came to an Anchor. 



But of all the people that ever I (aw in all my travels, I never (aw any fo 

 hideous nor fo brutifh as the Comoukes> of which I have fpoken in my Pcrffan 

 Travels j and tho(e of the Cape of good Hope, whom they call Cufrss, or Ho- 

 fentotes. When they (peak, they make a noi(e with their tongues, like the 

 breaking of wind backward -, and though they hardly fpeak articulately, yet they 

 eafily underftand one another. They cover themfelves with the Skins of wild 

 Beafts, which they kill in the Woods ; in Winter wearing the hairy part inner- 

 moft, and in Summer outermoft. But there are none but the belt fort among 

 them who are thus clad, the reft wear nothing but a nafty rag about their privy 

 parts. The men and the women are lean and (hort 5 and when they bring forth 

 a Male-child, the Mothers cut out his right Stone J and prefently give him 

 Water to drink, and Tobacco to eat. They cut out the right Tefticle, becaufe, 

 fay they, it makes them fwifter to run. There are fome of them that will catch a 

 Roe-Buck running. They neither know what belongs to Gold nor Silver 5 and 

 for Religion, they have none among them. 



So fbon as we caft Anchor, four women came aboard us, and brought us four 

 young Oftrkhcs} which were boil'd for fome fick people that we had a- 



board. 



1 



