JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XVlII. 
Then we proceeded four days till, on Thursday evening, on looking 
round us we saw that we had passed the ranges of hills and high 
mountains with their plains and great forests and the sea with its 
stretches of sand, and had reached the open. As the wind failed 
we cast anchor, having three mountains to our south. After ten days 
the wind freshened somewhat ; so we weighed anchor and tacked 
about for five days and nights, trying in vain to get on to our course. 
As we were drifting back and were too far to the south to reach Siam, 
the captain and officers held a consultation, and as they saw from 
their books that there was no hope of a favourable wind for the next 
six months, they agreed that it was necessary to stop on the way 
till then. After informing us of their decision they turned back, 
and on the afternoon of Friday, being fourteen days later, we ap- 
proached the harbour of Malacca a second time and cast anchor. 
After some delay five officers came on board from the fort to interview 
us, and took us on land with the royal message and presents in boats. 
This was on the afternoon of Saturday the seventeenth day of the 
solar month Yrischika. We were received with great distinction and 
the same halting-place as before was assigned to us, and all our wants 
were supplied without stint. From this day we remained here five 
months and eleven days till the twenty-seventh day of the solar month 
Mesa, being Thursday the eleventh day of the lunar month in the Saka 
year 1673. On the morning of this day, at the twentieth hour, we were 
taken on board with many presents and a large supply of necessaries ; 
a skilled pilot was also ordered to accompany us, and 500 rix- dollars 
were placed at our disposal. 
From this day, being Friday, till Monday the fourteenth day of the 
solar month Vrasamba, which is the thirteenth day of the dark half of 
the lunar month, we sailed on without casting anchor or meeting with 
any mischance. On the morning of this day at the eleventh hour we 
approached the harbour of Siam, and seeing a ship which was recog- 
nized from her appearance as the Hollander's ship " Karta," the captain 
and officers were greatly rejoiced and fired off the guns and celebrated 
games, speaking to us most kindly and asking us to join them. When 
we dropped anchor the Hollander's flag was lowered, and the Lion 
Flag of La^ka was hoisted at the masthead. At the same time the 
captain got into his boat and sailed quickly to the mouth of the river 
and up to the country of Siam. 
Seven days later, on Monday morning, three messengers came on 
board from Siam and had an interview with us. They went and saw 
how the royal message was disposed, and prostrated themselves and 
made obeisance before it three times ; after this they presented us with 
cocoanuts tender and hard, with betel and arecanuts, and went away 
the same day. On the twentieth day of the solar month Mithuna, whiciti 
is the eighth day of the increasingmoon of the lunar month Poson, being 
Wednesday, about the tenth hour of the morning, two officers came 
from the capital and accompanied us with the royal message and 
presents to the place called Amsterdam, which is built at the mouth 
of the river; here we landed and remained two days. On the morning of 
the third day, being Friday the ninth day of the month, the message 
was transferred to a boat adorned with various devices, with hangings 
of silk and red stuffs which served as curtains, with awnings above 
and carpets below. The presents were taken in thirteen boats : five 
boats were set apart for the five ambassadors, and our attendants too 
were similarly provided for. The escort that had come from Siam 
