Continuation of the Voyage from Surat to Bantam, by Captain Thomas
Elkington.
On the 4th March, 1615, we descried the Portuguese fleet, which
immediately gave us chace, which it continued all that day and the next.
On the 6th, the general came aboard us, wishing us to make ready, as he
proposed to turn suddenly round and give an onset upon the enemy: But,
about noon that day, the Portuguese bore up and stood for the coast, and
in three hours after we lost sight of them. At night of the 10th, the
Hope departed from us. The 15th we saw three water-spouts at no great
distance; one of them, which was very large, continued for the space of
half an hour. The 19th we doubled Cape Comorin.
The 10th May, the wind and current both against as, the general went to
a green island, to the north or the salt hill, where we came to anchor
in twenty fathoms on good sand. We here sought fresh water, but found
none. There were plenty of bogs and pigs on this island, where likewise
we gathered abundance of cocoa-nuts. All about this island is good
anchorage, within a stone's throw of the shore, in twelve fathoms. The
pinnace brought water from another island, about four leagues off but it
was brackish.[132] The 2d June we came to anchor in Bantam road.
[Footnote 132: So vaguely is this journal expressed, or rather so
miserably abbreviated by Purchas, that there are no indications by which
to guess even where this island lay, except that it was on the way
between Cape Comorin and Bantam. - E.]
The 3d July we weighed mace, and received silk towards furnishing the
Salomon for Masulipatam, to which place we agreed to send the following
merchants: George Chancie, Ralph Preston, Humphry Elkington, Timothy
Mallory, George Savage, and Robert Savage. The 8th we loaded porcelain
into the Salomon. This day we had news by a junk from the Moluccas, that
the Thomasine was there; and that there were twelve sail of Hollanders
at Ternate, who endeavoured to prevent all others from trading. The 11th
our old house very narrowly escaped burning, in conscience of a fire
very near. The 20th, Mr Jordan had letters from. Mr Ball at Macasser,
complaining of violent ill usage from the Hollanders, who had driven him
from thence, and stating that they proposed coming with all their force
to take possession of Bantam, and to place the king of Motron in the
government. The 21st Mr Bennet set sail in the Salomon. The 25th, the
Advice and Attendance arrived from England, after a voyage of eight
months. They met the Globe and James at the Cape, to which ships they
spared eighteen men. These ships departed for England on the 17th July,
and the Advice and her consort on the 18th, meeting a ship near the
Cape, which we suppose might be either the Samaritan or the Hope, bound
for England.
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