204 Travels in India. Part II. 



I had fent them in order to my paflage home ; in regard that the EngUJh Pre- 

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

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

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

 Admiral. But withall they told me, I muft deliver up my Debentures before I 

 ftirr'd ; afluring 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 ; but feeing the Merchants, Commanders , and all other perfons 

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

 bentures ; I thought it the beft way to deliver mine, and ftand to their cour- 

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

 ny delays the General afcertain'd me, that my Bill mould be in Holland as foon as 

 l x Thereupon defiring the Vice-Admiral and fome others to be my Wirneftes of 

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

 going to Batavia. 



■ - 



CHAP. XXVI 

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



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

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

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

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

 made directly for the Cape, of good Hope. 



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

 negle&ed to put out his Lights ; believing all the Fleet had been before at the 

 Cape j io 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 VelTel had been loft; and 

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

 counted ) ihe could never have endur'd Co terrible a fhock. At length we clear'd 

 our fèîves, by cutting oft the Yards of the Maefiricht that hung in our Cor- 

 dage. 



The fifty-fifth we came within view of the Cape of good Hope ; but were 

 fore'd to keep the Sea,becaufe the waves rclfd fo that we were not able to come 

 to an Anchor -, not that the Wind was extream high, but becaufe the South- 

 wind had blown fo 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 faw in all my travels, I never fàw any fo 

 hideous no^r fo brutim as the Comoukes i of which I have fpoken in my Perfïan 

 Travels ; and thofè of the Cape of good Hope 3 whom they call Cafres, or Ho- 

 femotes. When they fpeak, they make a noife 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 j in Winter wearing the hairy part inner- 

 raoft, and in Summer outermoft. But there are none but the beft 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 fhort j 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 j and 

 for Religion, they have none among them. 



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

 young Oftriches 5 which were boifd for fome fick people that we had a- 



board. 



