The VOYAGES of Book I. 
run greater Hazards. On the 14th, we ran by the Hand 
Madura , which is about four Leagues long, lying Eaft and 
‘Weft, on the North Side of Java, the Land we made in 
the Morning being the North-eaft Part of it-, which, agree- 
ing with the Pilot’s Knowledge, made us the more certain. 
On the 1 7th, we made the High-land of Cherihon , which 
bore South-weft. In the Morning, we faw a great Ship 
right a-head ; and, being very eager to hear News, I fent 
our Pinnace aboard, to know what fhe was. She proved 
a Dutch Ship, about 600 Ton, and fifty Guns, belonging 
to Batavia , and was plying to fome of the Dutch Factories 
for Timber. They told us, that it was thirty Dutch Leagues 
from hence to Batavia but no Danger. We borrowed a 
large Draught, which was very ufeful to us, and left them 
at Anchor. Towards Noon we made the Land, being very 
low ; but had gradually Soundings, by which we were fatif- 
fied in the Night how to fail by the Sand. In the After- 
noon, we faw the Ships in the Road of Batavia , betwixt 
thirty and forty Sail, great and fmall ; and got happily to 
Anchor juft after Sun-fet, betwixt fix and feven Fathom 
.Water, at the long-defired Port of Batavia , in Latitude 6° 
10 South, Longitude 252 0 51' Weft from London. By 
our Reckoning here, we altered our Account of Time, 
having, as is cuftomary, loft almoft one Day in running 
Weft fo far round the Globe. When we came in Sight of 
Batavia , and efpecially after fome Sloops had been aboard 
us, I found, that, after failing fo long with them, I was 
abfolutely a Stranger to the Humours of our People. A 
few Days before, they were perpetually quarrelling and 
jangling ; a difputed Title to a Lump of Sugar would have 
created a Tumult, which could have been laid by nothing, 
but the Profpedt of a fmall Dram : But now there was no- 
thing but hugging and fhaking by the Hand, and bleffing 
their Stars, and queftioning if there was fuch a Paradife upon 
Earth ; and all this becaufe they had Arrack for Eight- 
pence a Gallon, and Sugar at a Peny a Pound : The next 
Minute all together by the Ears again, about who Ihould put 
the Ingredients together; for, the Weather being hot, and 
the Materials exceffively cheap, Labour was now become a 
very confiderable Thing. 
39. We anchored here in five Fathom Water, the 
Ground fo foft and oufy, that the Anchor finks above a 
Fathom •, fo that it cannot foul: And therefore Ships always 
ride fingle. The Town bore South by Eaft, diftant a Mile 
and an half *, and the Eland Onreft bore North-weft by 
North, diftant two Leagues and an half. At this Eland the 
Dutch clean and careen all their Ships, and have two Wind- 
mils on it to faw Timber. They hale their Ships along 
the Side of a Wharf, where there are two Cranes to dif- 
charge them, and Storehoufes to lay up the Goods. The 
Duchefs fired thirteen Guns to falute the Dutch Flag *, but, 
it being Night, he did not anfwer : Yet the next Morning 
he- fent his Boat aboard, to beg my Pardon for that Omif- 
fion, which he would then repair. Soon after, the Duke 
fired thirteen Guns •, and the Dutch Flag anfwered both our 
Ships Gun for Gun. Between twelve and one, two Eng - 
iifh Gentlemen came aboard us, the one Captain of an Eng- 
lijh Ship, there being three and a Sloop in the Road, all 
belonging to Madrafs. All of us, who were Commanders, 
went ailiore, and landed at Bomb Key, whence we proceeded 
to the Shabander, who conduced us to the Caftle before 
Abraham van Ribeck, General of India, who received us very 
civilly •, but was very inquifitive, and fhewed vifibly an In- 
tention to find fome Pretence for denying us what we alked, 
and had Occafion for. To fatisfy him effectually, and pre- 
vent all Difputes, We not only ftiewed hirn our Commif- 
fions, which, in Faft, was all he had a Right to demand ; 
but we likewife gratified him with an Extract of our Journal 
and Proceedings, that he might be convinced, that we had 
acted fairly, and done nothing, but what was juftified by 
our Commiffions. After all, we were forced to bear, not 
only with his haughty Airs, and the natural Slownefs of 
Dutch Councils, but with many other difagreeable Circum- 
ftances, that fhewed us plainly, we owed little, if anything, 
to Friendihip or Good-will. Soon after our Arrival at Ba- 
tavia , we went about fitting the Marquis-, but, being firft 
ordered upon the Careen, the Shabander having allowed us 
feveral Malayan- C aukers , when we came down to the Bends, 
we found them, as well as the Stern and Stern-pod, fo 
much worm-eaten and rotten, the Ship being very old, and 
having only a fingle Bottom, that we ordered a Survey of 
Carpenters to view her, who all agreed, there was no fitting 
her in that Place for going about the Cape of Good Hope „ 
her Condition being extraordinary bad ; which obliged us 
to hire a Veffel to take out her Lading. Then we applied 
ourfelves to fitting of the other Ships ; but could not, at 
any rate; obtain Leave of the Government to repair to the 
Ele of Onreft ; but were allowed to go to the low fmall 
Ifland Horn , which is Hear the other, inhabited by a few 
Malayan Filhermen : And on it was abundance of Cocoa- 
nuts, Plantain, Papa, Guava, and other Fruit-trees. The 
Government allowed us a fmall Yeffel of that fort they call 
Champans , to careen our Ships by. We then hove down 
the Duke and Duchefs , and found their Sheathing alfo very 
much worm-eaten in fome Places. The Duchefs , in heav- 
ing down, fprung her Fore-maft ; but we foon got another: 
And the Duke , after careening, was ftill leaky. The Mar- 
quis took in all the Lading of the other Ships, and lay 
aboard on the Off-fide, to relieve the other Ships when on 
the Careen. When the Ships were fitted, we returned 
again to Batavia Road, where we rigged the three, and 
fold the Marquis , after taking out all the Goods; and moft 
of the Stores, to Captain Opie and Captain Oldham. Then 
all the Officers and Men were diftributed among the other 
Ships, except one Dutchman , who ran away. The Wea- 
ther was extreme hot during our Stay. Many Officers and 
Men fell fick ; and I was one of the Number. The Ma- 
iler of the Duke , the Gunner of the Duchefs , and feveral of 
our Men, died of the Flux. John Read , a young Man 
belonging to the Duchefs , venturing to-fwim, had both his 
Legs fnapped off by a Shark, which, at the/fecond Bite, 
before we could get him on board, took off the Bottom of 
his Belly ; fo that he was dead before we could take him up. 
During our Stay, we had the Liberty of the Town and 
Markets, to buy what we pleafed ; yet found it very diffi- 
cult to get fait Provifions, and were therefore obliged to 
kill feveral Bullocks, and pickle the Fleffi, taking out all. 
the Bones. Arrack, Rice, and Fowls; were cheap j and 
Beef not above two Stivers a Pound. Several Englifh Ships 
arrived here at this time ; as the Rochefter and Springer for 
China , Captain Opie in a feparate Stock-ffiip ; and others 
of thofe Parts. The Bay is feldom without fome large Dutch 
Veffels, driving a great Trade from thence to all the Coun- 
tries round about. There are various Defcriptions of this 
famous City in all Languages ; fo that I might well dif- 
penfe with a Defcription of it here : But, as what I have to 
fay regards Time as well as Place, and may ferve to exhibit 
a Picture of the State of Things at that particular Juncture, 
I flatter myfelf, that the following fuccintft Account will 
not be found either ufelefs or difagreeable. The City of 
Batavia lies on the North-weft Side of the famous Ifland of 
Java , in the Latitude of 5 0 50' South. The Eaft and Weft 
Winds blow all the Year along the Shore, befides the ordi- 
nary Land and Sea- winds, which exceedingly cool the Air, 
and make it pleafant ; otherwife it would be intolerably hot. 
Their Summer begins in May , with continual Breezes from 
the Eaft, and a very clear Sky, till the latter End of Olio- 
her , or Beginning of November , when the Winter begins 
with hard Rains, which hold fometimes three or four Days 
without Intermiffion. In December the Weft Winds blow 
very violently ; fo that there is little Trade on the Coaft of 
Java. In February the Weather is changeable, with Hid- 
den Thunder-ftorms. In March they begin to fow. June 
is their pleafanteft Month. In September they gather in 
their Sugar and Rice. And, in OAober , they have plenty 
of Fruit and Flowers, Plants and Herbs of moft forts. 
There is a large, fenny, plain Country before the City ; but 
this is exceedingly well improved by the Dutch : And, to 
the Eaft, it is very full of Wood and Moraffes, The City 
is fquare, with a River running thro’ it, and fortified by a 
ftrong Wall, and twenty-two Baftions. About ten Years 
paft, there was an Earthquake, which overturned Part of 
the Mountains in the Country, and altered the Courfe of 
the River •, fo that the Canals in and about Batavia are not 
near fo commodious as they have been, nor the Entrance 
into the River fo deep ; and, for want of a ftrong Current 
of Water to keep it open, they are forced to employ a large 
Engine to preferve the Mouth of the River navigable, for 
fmall 
