The VOYAGE 
Book I. 
withftanding they keep Ships cruifmg here in both the 
Monl'oons, in order to preferve, what of aliThings they moft 
affedt, their Monopoly of Spices. In former times, when 
they were not fo ftrid, there is the greateft Reafon in the 
World to believe, that the Englijh found Ways and Means 
to fhare with them in this Trade by means of this Paffage, 
fince it is certain, that they carried large Quantities of 
Spices into Europe , while the Dutch never could divine 
whence they had it. 
The Inhabitants of this Ifland told them, that they had 
abundance of Clove-trees grew in their Country, but that a 
Detachment of Soldiers, in the Service of the Company, 
came every Year, and grubbed them up, as they did in the 
reft of the Molucca I Hands, becaufe the Company thought 
Amboyna produced fufficient for maintaining their Com- 
merce. This Ifland of Bouro is about forty or fifty 
Leagues in Circumference ; the Country is indifferently 
fertile, and the Dutch were formerly, in a great meafure, 
Matters of it, having a very ftrong Fort there-, of which, 
however, the Inhabitants, after a long Siege, made them- 
felves Matters, and demolifhed it, after having put all the 
Garifon to the Sword. At prefent, therefore, the Com- 
pany content themfelves with fending an annual Detach- 
ment to root out the Clove-trees, for which the Natives 
receive fome kind of Prefent. The two white Men who 
were on board the Dutch Bark, were the firft Chriftians 
our Voyagers had ften in the Space of ten Months -, that 
is, from the time they quitted the Coaft of Brafil , to their 
Arrival here. 
I cannot help obferving in this Place, that if any De- 
pendence can be had, either on what our own Difcoverers 
fay, or on what cur Author afferts, as to the Produce of 
New Guiney , it feems to be an unaccountable Neglect in us 
net to eftablifh a Colony there, fince we fhould then infal- 
libly fha’-e m the Spice Trade, without breaking in upon 
, the Dutch •, for, if the free Burgeftes of Amboyna can 
trade for Nutmegs with the Inhabitants of New Gainey, 
why may not we? The fettling a Colony there, would 
give us the fame Rights that the Dutch have in the Mo- 
luccas ; though, I hope, we fhould never pradtife fo 
tyrannical a Cuftom, as that of forcing People to deftroy 
the Gifts of God, in order to enhance the Price of them, 
to enrich a particular Company, in a particular Nation ; 
than which, there cannot be a plainer or a more diredt 
Violation of the Laws of Nature ; which, whatever fome 
felf-interefted Writers may pretend, can never be juftly 
fuperfeded by the Politics of Man, on any Pretence what- 
ever. If Force conveys a Right of depriving Mankind of 
Cloves, the fame Force, in an higher Degree, might juftify 
the depriving them of Fire, Air or Water. 
They continued their Courle through the neighbouring 
Iflands, in order to reach the Coaft of Buton , in hopes of 
meeting there with the Refrefhments, of which they were 
now in extreme Neceffity. In a fhort time, they arrived 
in the Pleight of 4 0 South Latitude, and failed for a whole 
Day along the Coafts of that Ifland, without perceiving any 
Sign of that Straight, for which they fought. At laft they 
found they were eight Leagues paft it, which our Author 
attributes to the Management of the principal Officers, who 
were in fuch an Hurry to get to the Eajl Indies , that they 
very little regarded the inexpreffible Miferies, to which, by 
their treacherous Conduct, the poor Men were expofed. 
To conceal this, however, as much as poffible, and to put 
on an Air of public Spirit, they pretended to attempt bear- 
ing up for that P ort, when they knew the thing to be abfo- 
lutely impracticable, confidering the Force with which the 
Monfoon blew. There were now no further Hopes of find- 
ing any Streight, where they might get Refrefhments fhort 
of the Ifland of Java ; for, where-ever they attempted to an- 
chor, they very well knew their Ships mutt have been con- 
fifeated, in confequence of Maxims inviolably obferved by 
the Eajl India Company. All the Men therefore on board 
both Ships, but efpecially the fick and the feeble, caft a lan- 
guifhing Look on that fertile Country they left behind them, 
prefaging in their Minds the melancholy Effedts, which 
mutt neceffarily attend a Meafure fo pernicious. 
The Situation of this Ifland of Buton is remarkably advan- 
tageous. It lies from the fourth to the ftxth Degree of South 
Latitude, and is in Extent nearly equal to that of Bouro, 
3 
It is extremely fertile in Rice, enjoys an extraordinary plenty 
of Cattle and Fiffi, and would produce a great Number 
both of Clove and Nutmeg-trees, if they were permitted to 
grow. The King has a very ftrong Fort, on which the 
Dutch Standard is difplayed, tho* there is no Dutch Garilbn % 
and indeed there is no Need of one. Pile Dutch Company 
content themfelves with fending thither every Year certain 
Deputies, to fee the Spice-trees deftroyed ; and, in Confi- 
de] ation or his fubmitting to this, the Company pays the 
King a confiderable Sum in ready Money. This Nation is 
of all others, the moft faithful to the Eajl India Company* 
having not only affifted them in expelling the Portuguefe \ 
but alfo againft the Inhabitants of the Moluccas , whenever 
they have attempted to take up Arms againft them •, and, 
by this means, have rendered that Company intirely Mi* 
ftrefs of the Trade of this Part of the World ; in Confi- 
deration of which, the Inhabitants of Bouton enjoy many 
Privileges, which are denied to all other Indian Nations' : 
As for Inftance, whenever they enter any Fort belonging 
to the Company, in whatever Country it be, they are per- 
mitted to keep their Arms which is not allowed even to 
the Inhabitants of the Country where the Fort is fituated 
and who confequently ought to be confidered as the Sub- 
jects of the Country. 
Some time ago, the King of this Ifland fent his eldeft Son 
as his Ambaflador to the Governor- General of the Dutch 
Eajl Indies at Batavia. He was received with all poffible 
Marks of Diftindtion, and the Company piqued itfelf on 
paying him all poffible Honours ; yet it would not have 
been eafy to have diftinguifhed this young Prince to have 
been an Indian , if he had not worn a Turban of three Rows 
high, richly embroidered with Gold and precious Stones. 
The reft of his Drefs was intirely European ; and it was ob- 
ferved, that, inftead of a Cutlafs, he wore a Sword, which 
no Indian had ever done before. His Train was extremely 
numerous, all of them dreflfed after the Indian Manner. 
Twelve of thefe went armed, each with a Cuirafsand Buck- 
ler, having alfo a naked Sword in his Hand, which refted 
on his Shoulder. Our Author obferves, that he fhould not 
have taken notice of this Ambaflador, or of his entering 
into Batavia , if it had not put him in mind of a very re- 
markable Accident, which happened about that time ; and 
this was a prodigious Mortality amongft Men and Beafts, 
which carried off 500 of the Attendants of this young 
Prince, and, in the Courfe, it deftroyed no lefs than 150,000 
Perfons in one Year’s time. This Mortality was occaftoned 
by a malignant or peftilential Fever, with which the Euro- 
peans, the Natives of the Country, the Chineje, the Negroes, 
and, in fhort, all the various Nations which inhabit Bata- 
via, were attacked. The Author himfelf had a Touch of 
it, .but efcaped. This epidemic Difeafe prevailed not only 
through the Dutch Plantations, but fpread itfelf alfo over the 
Kingdom of Bengal, and through all the Dominions of the 
Great Mogul, where it made incredible Ravages ; yet it 
was felt in the moft extreme Degree in the Ifland of Japan, 
where the Inhabitants, who went out of their Houfes in 
perfeCt Health, fell down dead in the Streets by Heaps. It 
was obferved, that this Malady raged in all the Weftern 
Countries *, and the Caufe of it was fuppofed to be an ex- 
ceffive Drought : For, as there had no Rain fallen during 
the Space of two Years, it was conceived, that the Air was 
overcharged with mineral Vapours. But to return from 
this Digreffion to the Thread of our Relation : The Dutch 
Commodore, having left the Coafts of Bouton, and patted 
thro’ the Chanel of the Moluccas , arrived, after his Crew had 
buffered inexpreffible Miferies, which carried off the greateft 
Part of them, on the Coaft of the Ifland of Java, towards 
the Clofe of the Month of September 1722. 
24. He anchored immediately with his two Ships in the 
Road of Japara \ and faluted, according to Cuftom, both 
the City and the Fort. They quickly hoifted out their 
Shallops, in order to go afhore at Japara ; and, on their 
Arrival, were furprifed to find, that, on ihore, it was Sa- 
turday, tho 5 , at quitting their Ships, they conceived it to 
be Friday Morning. The firft Step the Commodore and 
his Officers took, was to pay a Vifit to the Perfon who re- 
fitted there on the Part of the Company, in order to ac- 
quaint him with their Reafons of coming thither. This 
Gentleman happened to be one Enfign Kujler , a very civil. 
