Chap. II. through the great eft Part 
Winds being much abated* we found ourfelves in 35 0 30 
eleven-, but in the Afternoon, we were fuprized by ano- 
ther Tempeft, which putting us in imminent Danger of 
running upon the Shore, the M after of the Ship, who hi- 
therto had been the chief Inftrument of our turning this 
Way, feeing him under the Neceffity of changing his Re- 
folution, declared, that there was no other Way left to 
fave the Ship, than to endeavour to put in a t Madagafcar 
accordingly we changed our Courfe the nth with fair 
Weather-, but, about Midnight, were overtaken by ano- 
ther dreadful Storm, which lafted the 12th, 13th, and 
14th. It ceafed the 15th, and the Wind being W. N. 
W. we failed 33 Leagues in 24 Hours, to the N. E. 
The 23d at Break of Day, we. defcried an Englijh Veffel, 
bound to the Eaft- Indies, Captain Hall Commander, Bur- 
then 500 Tuns, and it was refolved that we lliould make 
jointly all the Sail we could for Madagascar , Captain Hall's 
Ship being much lefs than ours, with a S. E. Wind. 
The firft of July he was got out of Sight, and the 
lame Evening we difeovered the Coaft of Madagafcar, fo 
that we were forced to keep continual Watch all the 
Night, for fear we might come too near the Coaft, which 
is very rocky and dangerous, efpecially on the Point of 
the Hie, or might go beyond it, it being almoft impoffible 
to make the Bay, if you pafs beyond the true Altitude. 
The fecond we arrived in the Bay of St. Auftin, where 
there is no Bottom till within a Mile of the Shore, where 
we call Anchor at twenty- five Fathom W ater. 1 he Day af- 
ter our Arrival, having efcaped fo many Dangers, our joy was 
redoubled by meeting here, befides Captain Hall s Ship, an 
Englijh Eajt-Indiaman , called the London , Burthen 1400 
Tuns, commanded by Captain Willes, bound for England. 
The third the Captains of thefe Ships came on Board ours, 
to confult the belt Methods to prevent the being impofed 
upon by the Inhabitants, in the trucking of what Com- 
modities they had, for their Cattle; accordingly, thefe 
Commodities being produced by joint Confent, and com- 
mitted to the Management of the three Supercargoes, 
they bought, or rather exchanged every Day four Oxen 
for forty Pair of brafs Bracelets, a Sheep for two, and a 
Calf for three Pair ; and for a brafs Ring of ten or twelve 
Inches about, a fat Ox, worth fix or feven Pounds in 
England. The fourth the Prefident and the two Captains 
went up the River to difeover what Cattle was coming 
down towards the Bay. The fixth the Prefident treated 
the two Captains and all the Officers of the three Ships 
aboard ours, and Captain Willes did the fame fome Days 
after. The 14th Captain Hall profecuted his V oyage to the 
Eaft-Indies, as Captain Willes did two Days after for Eng- 
land, having fupplied us with what we flood in need of 
for the Profecution of our Voyage. 
The twenty-firft a certain Tent with Huts being fet up 
for the Prefident and Soldiers near the Sea-fide, he took 
up his Lodgings there. About four Leagues from the 
Harbour, lived a certain Lord, who had three Sons, the 
Eldeft of whom was named Majfar : They came all three 
to pay us a Vifit, with a Retinue of one hundred Perions, 
well armed with Javelins, bringing along with them three 
hundred Oxen, befides fome Sheep, Goats, Poultry, Ci- 
trons, and Oranges, in order to exchange them for fome 
of our Toys. After having made a little Halt, the eldeft 
of the three Brothers prefented the Prefident with twelve 
Goats, and his two Wives, each with a fat Capon ; in re- 
turn of which, the Prefident made a Prefent of three 
Strings of glafs Coral to himfelf, two to each Brother, and 
a Bracelet to each of his Wives, which they feemed to 
value at a great Rase, After having fixed a great Pole 
in the Qround, as a Token of the Amity they intended 
to preferve with us, which they defired us to maintain al- 
io on our Side, they fold us, or rather trucked with us 
for ten fat Oxen, fome Sheep, and Poultry ; and, amongft 
the reft, we had a fat Sheep, the Tail of which weighed 
twenty, or twenty-four Pounds, for feven or eight Grains 
of Coral, or Agat, and a Capon for three or four Grains 
of counterfeit Coral. We ftaid here fix Weeks, which 
was 'fpent for the moft Part in {hooting at Buts, and rifh- 
ing with Angle-rods. We had great Store of Fiffi, and 
among the reft Qyfters, as large and delicious as any in 
England. From the fifth to the eighth of Auguft we law 
of the E;A ST-INDIE S. 799 
fuch prodigious N" umbers of Grafhoppers as darkeneu ths 
Skies, but one final Shower of Rain difperfed them all 
The Inhabitants eat them. The Me of Madagafcar , 
called the file of St. Laurence by the French , lies in the 
torrid Zone, extending from North to South from toe 10 
to the 2 . 6 °. Its Length being one hundred and fifty, and 
Breadth one hundred and eighty Leagues, and confequent- 
ly one of the greateft Elands in the World. It has the 
Conveniency of diverfe good Harbours, fuch^as the Bay 
of St. Auftin, where we lay at Anchor, St. jago, Anion % 
Gil, Antifera, St. Julian s, St. Mary’s, St. Sebaftin, St. 
Romanus , and Manat enga , Moft of their Mountains arc 
covered with Grange and Citron Trees, and trie Rocks 
themfelves are a pure white Marble, from whence fpring 
the cleareft Fountains in the known World. . They have 
alfo Ebony, and Date Trees, and a certain kind not un- 
like the Brafil Vvood, of which they make their Darts and 
Lances. Thefe Trees ifielter vaft Numbers of Apes and 
Birds, and among the reft, a kind of Poultry, refembling 
our Turkeys, being black all over the Bodies, with little 
white Spots. Their Heads are of a Mixture of blue and 
red, with yellow Horns on their Foreheads. They feed 
by Hundreds together in the Woods. Here you meet 
alfo with that Gum called Dragon’s-blood, which they 
draw out of the Flower of a Tree no bigger than our 
common Pear-trees, but more Branchy, and not fo full of 
Leaves, which are longer, but not fo broad as thofe of 
the Laurel. 
This Me alfo produces fome Aloes, but not fo good as 
that of the Eland of Socotra. They have alfo Cotton, 
and fome Indigo, but they underftand not. reducing it into 
Pafte, as the lndoftans and Indians do. As they don’t ap- 
ply themfelves to Tillage, except it be for a little Rice, 
Beans, Pompions, and Melons, fo they abound in moft 
excellent Pafture, and consequently in Cattle, in which 
their chief Riches confift. -They have alfo Citron and 
Orange-trees, which bear Fruit twice a Year, Date-trees, 
Cocoa-trees, and Banana’s ; and there is fcarce a Houfe 
but has it owns Bee- hives ; for tho’ they are ignorant as yet 
of the Advantages of making Honey, and. Wax, they 
make a certain Drink of it, with the Addition of Rice, 
which ferves them inftead of Wine. It yields alfo a Salt, 
and Salt-petre, and near the Sea-fide Ambergreece. Some 
will have it to be rich in gold and filver Mines, but as the 
the Inhabitants value Tin beyond thofe Metals, they ne- 
glect to fearch after them. 
The Ifle is very full of Inhabitants, who are well-fhaped, 
for the moft Part Negroes ; they wear no other Garments 
but a Piece of printed Calicoe, which they wrap about 
their Middle, fo that one Piece of it hangs down before 
to the Knee, the other to the Ham, except the little Hou- 
fes of their Princes, which are of Wood. Their Huts are 
only made of the Branches of Trees, wherein they have 
no other Beds or Quilts, but fome few Mats to lie upon. 
They ufed to make their Fires round about them, to dif- 
perfe the Vapours which are very pernicious here. Their 
chief Ornaments are certain Strings of Glafs-beads of dif- 
ferent Colours round the Wafte, and Bracelets of the fame 
about their Necks, Arms, and Legs. Both Sexes have 
Holes in their Ears, in which they put large copper, or 
brafs Rings. They have all black Hair, fome very much 
curled, others not, but it is feldom very long; notwith- 
ftanding which they tie it up in feveral Treffes. There 19 
no confiderable Difference betwixt the Cloathing of the 
Men and Women; the laft wear fome times a fleevelcfs 
Coat, and the Calicoe which covers their middle Parts is 
fomewhat longer than thofe of the Men. 
The Women are very famous for their Fidelity to their 
Hufbands, who place fo great a value upon them, that 
they will fcarce undertake any thing of Moment without 
their Advice. They have two Wives at leaft, each of 
which hath her peculiar Hut, and tho" the Hufband is 
very compliant with both, the eldeft of the two always 
claims the Preference. They purchafe their Wives from 
their Parents, or Relations, for fome Oxen, Pikes, Darts, 
or other Arms. Adultery and Fornication .are capital; 
but as there is no Familiarity fo great, which is able to 
raife a Jealoufy in them, thofe things are fcarce ever heard 
of. Some of their young Women came very frankly in- 
to 
