ain William D a m p i e r. 
Enemies, hither they bring his Head-, and, when I was 
there, it was faid to be almoft full : So that, while the For- 
tuguefe are threatening to drive the Butch out of the Ifland, 
the Butch , without fo much as uttering their Refentments, 
are taking off their Heads as faft as they can. Befides the 
People already deferibed, there are alfo here fome Chinefe 
Merchants from Maccao. They bring hither coarfe Rice, 
coarfe or mixed Gold, Tea, Iron-work, Porcelane, and Silk 
both wrought and raw. They get in Exchange pure Gold, 
as it is here gathered, Bees-wax, Sandal-wood, and Corre. 
It is faid there are about twenty fmall Chinefe Veflels come 
hither every Year from Maccao , and commonly one YeiTel 
a Year from Goa , which brings European Commodities, 
Calicoes, and Mullins. Here are likewife fome fmall Barks, 
that trade from this Place to Batavia , and bring from 
thence both European and Indian Goods, and Rice. T. he 
Veflels generally come hither in March , and flay till Sep- 
tember ; and, by this means, fecure the Benefit of the 
Trade-winds, and obtain regular and advantageous Markets 
for their Commodities. This Country, take it all together, 
is very rich and plentiful. Fruit-trees they have of all Kinds 
in great Plenty, and abundance of Timber. In their Plant- 
ations they have Indian Corn, and Rice ; and might have 
ten times as much, if they were not fo lazy ; wild and tame 
Beafts innumerable ; and Fowls in vaft Quantities : Befides, 
that there are Woods fwarming with Bees, which make vaft 
Quantities of Honey and Wax. Their Mountains and 
Brooks afford a great deal of Gold-, and they have likewife 
■ much Copper; but I do not know where they get it. I he 
Sea is very well flocked with Fifh, among which the mo ft 
remarkable are Cocklemerchants or Oyftercrackers. They 
feed on Shell-fifh, having two very hard, thick, black Bones 
in their Throat, with which they break to Pieces fuch Shell- 
fifh as they feed upon. As for Shell-fifh, they have Oy- 
fters of three Sorts ; viz. long Oyfters, common Oyfters, 
which are very fat, and a third Sort, the Shells of which 
refemble a Stone fo much, as not to be eafily diftinguifhed 
from it : Yet thefe are the belt -, for they are very fweet, 
fat, and well-tafted, being likewife of fuch Size, that three 
or four of them will ferve for a Dinner. There are Cockles 
here as big as a Man’s Head, of which two or three are 
enough for a Meal ; they are very fat and fweet ; Cray fifh,. 
Shrimps, &c. Here are alfo many green Turtles, fome 
Alligators, &c, W e failed from I’imor on Bee ember 1 2 . 
1699, and faw, during the Remainder of that Month, fe- 
veral fmall Iflands. On New-year’s-day, we firft difeovered 
the Coaft of New Guiney , which appeared to be very high 
Land ; and, loon after, we difeovered Hands almoft on 
every Side. 
21. On January 14. 1700, we faw in the Afternoon 
fome Smoke from the Hands lying to the Weft of us ; 
therefore I bore away towards them, with all the Advantage 
that a brifk Gale could give me. About feven in the Even- 
ing, we anchored in thirty-five Fathom Water, at theJDi- 
ftance of about two Leagues from a pretty large Hand. 
We remained where we were that Night, and faw many 
Fires on fhore. In the Morning we weighed again, and 
ran farther in, thinking to have fhallower Water ; but we 
ran within a Mile of the Shore, and came to thirty-eight 
Fathom, good, foft, holding Ground. While we were 
under Sail, two Canoes came off within Call of us. They 
fpoke to us ; but we neither underftood their Language, 
or Signs. We waved to them to come on board, and called 
to them in the Malayan Language to do the fame ; but they 
would not: Yet they came fo nigh us, that we could fliew 
them fuch Things as we had to truck with them, tho’ nei- 
ther would this entice them to come aboard ; but they made 
Signs for us to come afhore, and away they went. Then 
I went after them in my Pinnace, carrying with me Knives, 
Beads, Glafles, Hatchets, &c. When we came near the 
Shore, I called to them in the Malayan Language. I faw 
but two Men at firft, the reft lying in Ambufh behind the 
Bufhes ; but, as foon as I threw afhore fome Knives, and 
other Toys, they came out, flung down their Weapons, 
and came into the Water by the Boat’s Side, making Signs 
of Friendfhip, by pouring Water on their Heads with one 
Eland, which they dipped into the Sea. The next Day in 
the Afternoon, feveral other Canoes came on board, and 
brought many Roots and Fruits ; which we purchafed. 
This Hand has no Name in our Draughts; but the Natives 
call it Pulo Sabuda. It is about three Leagues long, and 
two Miles wide, more or lefs. It is of a good Height, fo 
as to be feen eleven or twelve Leagues. It is very rocky ; 
yet, above the Rocks, there is good yellow and black 
Mould, not deep, tho’ producing plenty of good tall Trees, 
and bearing any Fruits or Roots, which the Inhabitants 
plant. I do not know all its Produce; but what we faw 
were. Plantains, Cocoa-nuts, Pine-apples, Oranges, Papoes, 
Potatoes, and other large Roots. Here is alfo another fort 
of wild Jackas, about the Bignefs of a Man’s two Fills, 
full of Stones or Kernels, which eat pleafant enough when 
roafted. The Libby-tree grows here in the fwampy Val- 
leys, of which they make Sago -cakes. I did not fee them 
make any ; but was told by the Inhabitants, that it was 
made of the Pith of the Tree, in the fame manner I have 
before deferibed. They fhewed me the T ree whereof it was, 
and I bought about forty of the Cakes. I bought alfo three 
or four Nutmegs in the Shell, which did not feem to have 
been long gathered ; but, whether they be the Growth of 
this Ifland, or not, I can’t fay ; for the Natives would not tell 
whence they had them, and feemed to prize them very much. 
What Beafts this Hand affords, I know not ; but here are both 
Sea and Land-fowl : Of the firft, Boobies and Men-of-war- 
birds are the chief; fome Goldens and milk-white Crab- 
catchers. The Land-fowls are, Pigeons, about the Bignefs 
of Mountain-pigeons in Jamaica , and grow about the 
Size of thofe in England , and much like them ; but the in- 
ner Part of their Feathers is white, and the Outfide black 
fo that they appear all black, uniefs you extend the Fea- 
thers. Here are large Sky-coloured Birds, fuch as we killed 
at New Guiney , and many other fmall Birds unknown to us. 
Flere is likewife abundance of Bats, as big as young Conies, 
their Necks, Heads, Ears, and Nofes, like Foxes ; their Hair 
rough ; that about their Necks is of a whitifh-yellow; that 
on their Heads and Shoulders black. Their Wings are four 
Feet over from Tip to Tip.' They fmell like Foxes. The 
Fifh are Bafs, Rock-fifh, and a fort of Fifh like Mullets, 
Old-wives, Whiprays, and fome other forts, that I know 
not ; but no great Plenty of any : For it is deep Water till 
within lefs than a Mile of the Shore ; then there is a Bank 
of Coral-rocks, within which you have fhole Water, white 
clean Sand ; fo there is no good Fifhing amongft thefe. This 
Hand lies in 2 0 43' South Latitude, and its meridian Di- 
ftance from Port Babao on the Hand of I’imor is 486 Miles. 
Befides this Hand, here are nine or ten other fmall Hands, 
as they are laid down in the Draughts. The Inhabitants of 
this Hand are a fort of very tawny Indians , with long black 
Hair, who, in their Manners, differ but little from the 
Mindanayans , and others of thefe Eaftern Hands. Thefe 
feem to be the chief; for, befides them, we faw alfo curl- 
pated New Guiney Negroes, many of which are Slaves to 
the others, but, I think, not all. They are very poor ; 
wear no Cloaths ; but have a Clout about their Middle, 
made of the Rinds of the Tops of Palmeto-trees ; but the 
Women have a fort of Calico-cloths. Their chief Orna- 
ments are blue and yellow Beads worn about their Wrifts. 
The Men arm themfelves with Bows and Arrows, Lances, 
Broad-fwords, like thofe of Mindanao . Their Lances are 
pointed with Bone. They ftrike Fifh very ingenioufly 
with wooden Fifh-gigs, and have a very dextrous Way of 
making the Fifh rife ; for they have a Piece of Wood cu~ 
rioufly carved and painted, much-like a Dolphin (and per- 
haps other Figures). Thefe they let down into the Water 
by a Line, and a fmall Weight to fink it. When they 
think it low enough, they hale the Line into their Boats 
very faft ; and, the Fifh riling up after this Figure, they 
Hand ready to ftrike them when they are near the Surface 
of the Water. But their chief Livelihood is from their 
Plantations ; yet they have large Boats, and go over to 
New Guiney , where they get Slaves, fine Parrots, CL. 
which they carry to Ceram, and exchange for Calicoes. 
One Boat came from thence a little before I arrived here, 
of whom I bought fome Parrots, and would have bought 
a Slave ; but they would not barter for any thing, except 
Calicoes, which I did not chufe. Their Houfes on this Side 
were very fmall, and feemed only to be for Necefiity ; but, 
on the other Side of the Hand, we faw good large' Houfes. 
Their Proes are narrow, with Outliers on each Side, like 
other 
