Chap. I. Captain W oodes.Rogers. 17c 
our Share, the Duchefs as much, and the Marquis five 
hundred Weight ; in lieu of which, we fen t back to the 
Prize two Calks of Flour, one of Emglifh Beef, and one of 
Pork, they having but forty-five Days Provifions aboard 
in Flefti. On the 26th in the Morning, the Water was 
very much difcoloured, at which being furprifed, we im- 
mediately founded, but found no Ground. We fjpoke with 
the Duchefs, and agreed to go away Weft South- weft, till 
we got into the Latitude of 13% becaufe our Spanijh Pilot 
told us, it was dangerous going into 14 0 , by reafon of 
Iflands and Sholes, where a Spanijlo Veffel was loft feme 
time ago. Ever fince, the Manilla Ship, in her Return from 
Acapulco , runs in Latitude 13 0 ; and keeps the Parallel, till 
they make the Wand of Guam , On the 28 th, the Steward 
miffing feme Pieces of Pork, we immediately fearched, 
and found the Thieves : One of them had been guilty be- 
fore, and forgiven, on Promife of Amendment ; but was 
punifhed now, left Forbearance fhould encourage the reft 
to follow this bad Practice, Provifions being fo fhort, and 
our Runs fo long, which might prove of ill Confequence : 
i ordered them to the Main-jeers, and every Man of the 
Watch to give them a Blow with a Cat-of-nine-tails ; and 
their Mefs-mates, being privy to the Theft, were put in 
Irons. March the nth, we had Sight of both Wands, the 
Northermoft bearing North North- weft, diftant about 
feven Leagues ; and the Body of the Welermoft Weft 
South-weft five Leagues. The Spaniards fay there is a 
great Shole between thefe Iflands, but neareft to Serpana. 
We ran along the Shore, being fatisfied it was the Ifland 
of Guam , from whence there came feveral flying Proes to 
look at the Ships ; they ran by us very fwift, but none 
would venture on board. At Noon, the Weftermoft Part 
of the Ifland bore Weft ; and, at the fame time, we made 
a low fmall Ifland, joining to Guam, with a Shole between 
it and Guam. The Ifland appeared green, and very 
pleafant : Off it there runs a Spit of Sand to the South- 
ward ; but, keeping it a good Birth from you, as you come 
near it, there is no Danger, being gradual Soundings to 
the Shole. After we were clear of it, we fprung our 
Loof, and flood in for the Harbour, which lies MSway 
betwixt this and the North Part of the Ifland. There 
came heavy Flaws of Wind off Shore, fometimes for us, 
and at other times againft us ; but we got to an Anchor in 
the Afternoon in twelve Fathom Water, about half a Mile 
off Shore, where there was a little Village. The fmall 
Wand to the South bore South of us, diftant about three 
Leagues ; and another fmall one to the Northward bore 
North North-weft, about two Leagues. The Neceflity of 
our flopping, at thefe Iflands to get a Refrefhment of Pro- 
vifions was very great, our Sea-ftore being almoft ex- 
haufted ; and what we had left, was very ordinary, efpe- 
cially our Bread and Flour, which was not enough for 
fourteen Days, at the Ihorteft Allowance. In order to 
recruit quietly, we endeavoured to get fome of the Natives 
aboard, that were in the Proes, to keep them as Hqftages, 
in cafe of fending any of our Men to the Governor. One 
of them, as we weie turning into the Harbour with Spanijh 
Colours, came under our Stern : There were two Spaniards 
in the Boat, who, on our alluring them, that we were 
Friends, came on board ; and, foon after, came a MeflWe 
from the Governor, to whom we wrote a very refpeftful 
Letter, and the next Day received a civil Anlwer to it 
with a generous Offer of any thing the Ifland afforded • 
which made us very eafy. On the 1 3th, an Entertain- 
ment was provided on board the Batchelor for the Spanijh 
Gentlemen, to which I was carried, being not able to move 
myfelf ; but was hoifted in a Chair out of the Ship into 
the Batchelor , where we agreed, that a Deputation fhould 
be pent from each Ship to wait on the Governor with an 
handfome Prefent, in Acknowledgment for his great Ci- 
vility, and the Readinefs he expreffed to fupply us. On 
the 15th, there was another Entertainment on board the 
Marquis , to which I was carried as to the former • and 
after which, a Committee was held, in which our former 
Refolution was confirmed. On the 16th, our Pinnace 
went with feveral of our Officers to the Governor’s afhore 
wno received them with all imaginable Friendfttip and 
Refpect, having near 200 Men drawn up in Arms at their 
Landing, and the Officers and Clergy of the Ifland, to 
* 
conduct them to the Governor’s Houfe, which was a very 
handfome Seat, confidering where we found it. They en- 
tertained them with at lead: fixty Difiies of feveral Sorts, 
the beft that could be got on the Ifland ; and, when they 
took their Leaves, each fired a Volley of Small-arnis. They 
prefented the Governor, according as we had agreed, with 
two Negro Boys, dreffed in Liveries, twenty Yards of 
fcarlet Cloth-ferge, and fix Pieces of Cambrick, which he 
feemed wonderfully pfeafed with, and promifed to afljft us 
in whatever lay in his Power. The very next Day we got 
our Dividend, being about 60 Hogs, 99 Fowls, 24 
Bafkets of Indian Corn, 14 Bags of Rice, 44 Balkets of 
Yams, and 800 Cocoa-nuts. On the 18th, there was an 
Entertainment aboard us, where we had meft of our Offi- 
cers, and four Spanijh Gentlemen from the Governor. I 
made them as welcome as Time and Place would permit, 
diverting them with Mufic, and our Sailors dancing till 
Night, when we parted weli-pleafed on both Sides. W e 
got fome more Bullocks on board, being fmall lean Cattle, 
but what we gladly accepted. Each Ship had fourteen in 
all. Next Morning each Ship had two Cows and Calves 
more ; Being the laftj we had a Meeting on board the 
Marquis , where it was agreed to make an handfome Prefent 
to the Governor’s Deputy, who got our Provifions toge- 
ther, wherein he ufed all poffible Difpatch. We gave him, 
and the reft of the Gentlemen, what they efteemed double 
the Value of what we received of them ; which they cer- 
tified under their Hands, and that we had been very civil 
to them : We alfo gave them the like Certificate, figned by 
all our Officers, to fhew to any Englijh that might have 
Occafion to recruit there •, and parted very friendly. 
Having finifhed that Affair, it was agreed, that we fhould 
fleer from hence a Weft by South Courfe, to go clear of 
fome Iflands that lie in our Way 5 and then thought it 
proper to fteer direfrly for the South-eaft Part of Min- 
danao > and from thence the cleared: Way to Ternate. In 
the mean time I put an old Spaniard afhore, called Antonio 
Gomes Figuero , whom we took in the firft Bark in the 
South Seas, and kept in order to carry him to Great Bri- 
tain, to condemn all our Prizes taken there ; but, he being 
now not likely to live, we agreed to difmifs him, jie giving 
us a Certificate, that he faw us attack and take feveral 
Prizes, all Subjeds to Philip V. King of Spain , &c. I 
gave him fome Clothes, and other Things, to help him in 
hisSicknels ; then put him afhore to the Deputy Governor, 
and the reft of the Spanijh Officers, who gave us a Certi- 
ficate, that they received fuch a Perfon. The Governor 
prefented us with one of their flying Proes or Prows, which 
I fhall here deferibe, becaufe of the Oddnefs of it : The 
Spaniards told me it would run twenty Leagues in an 
Flour, which^ I think exceeds the Truth; but, "by what I 
faw, I verily believe they may run twenty Miles, or more, 
in the Time ; for, when they viewed our Ships, they 
paffed by us like a Bird flying. Thefe Proes are about 
thirty Feet long, two broad, and about three deep ; they 
have but one Maft, which ftands in the Middle, with a 
mat Sail, made in the Form of a Ship’s Mizen. The 
Yards are flung in the Middle, and a Man fits at each End 
to fteer her ; fo that when they go about, they don’t turn 
the Boat as we do, to bring the Wind on the other Side ; 
but only change the Sail, fo that the Jack and Sheet of the’ 
Sail are ufed alike, and the Boat’s Head and Stern are the 
fame ; only they change them, as Occafion requires, to Ail 
either Way; for they are fo narrow, that they could not 
bear any Sail, were it not for Booms that run out from 
the Windward Side, fattened to a large Log, fhaped like 
a Boat, and near half as long, which becomes contiguous 
to tire Boat : On thefe Booms a Stage is made, above the. 
Water, on a Level with the Side of the Boat, upon which 
they carry Goods or Paffengers. The great eft Incdnve- 
niency in failing thefe Boats is before the Wind ; for, by 
the Outlayer, which is built out on one Side, if the Wind 
preffes any thing heavy on. the contrary Side, the Boat is 
overfet,^ which often happens. As foon as the Boat re- 
turned from landing Sigmor Figuero , we put under Sail, ' 
having .a fine Breeze of Wind at Eaft North-eaft. April 
14. in the Afternoon, we made Land, which bore Weft 
North-weft, diftant about ten Leagues ; and fuppofed it to 
be the North-eaft Part of Celebes, We faw three Water- 
fpouts a, 
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