The 11th December, We Anchored
Again At Pulo Panian, And Went To Work To Trim Our Ship And Take In
Ballast.
Being ballasted, watered, and refitted, we sailed again on the
10th January, 1613, for the straits of Malacca.
But, being too late in
the monsoon, and both wind and current against us, we got no farther
than seventy leagues from Bantam by the first of March, with much toil
to the men. Wherefore we concluded to take in wood and water, and to
return for Bantam by the outside of Sumatra.
Having again sailed for Coromandel, we were at noon of the 5th June,
1613, in lat. 12 deg. N. and long. 23 deg. W. from the salt hills, having been
carried by the currents 4 deg. 30', or ninety leagues out of our reckoning.
Whoever sails from Bantam, either up or down, will find such uncertain
reckoning that he may well miss his destined port, unless he looks well
to the variation of the needle, which will help materially in ten or
fifteen leagues, and indeed there is no other way of dealing with these
currents. We now got sight of the land, which is so very low that the
pagodas or pagan churches are first descried. With the aid of the lead,
you may sail boldly on this coast of Coromandel in fifteen fathoms by
night, and ten by day; but a steady man must always be kept at the lead
on such occasions, as the sea shoals suddenly; for after thirteen
fathoms, it will suddenly fall off to shoal water, being like a well or
steep bank, and the ground ooze. The course along the coast is N. by E.
to Pullicate, and so to Masulipatam.
The 6th June we anchored at noon in the road of Pullicate, in eight
fathoms on sand. There is a middle ground, having only five fathoms, and
within that another, having six, seven, and eight. The marks for the
road where we anchored, are the round hill by the other hill, W. by N.
and the Dutch fort S.W. by W. The latitude is 13 deg. 30' N. and the
variation 18 deg. 10'. Departing from Pullicate roads on the night of the
7th, we were on the 8th in lat. 14 deg. 40' at noon, having sailed
twenty-three leagues since last night, our depth of water being
twenty-three to twenty-fire fathoms, and our course N. by E. but the
lead is our sure guide on this coast, under God. The 9th at noon we were
in lat. 15 deg. 30', having the land in sight, but not the high land of
Petapoli [Putapilly]. During the last twenty-four hours, we sailed
seventeen leagues north, in fifteen and sixteen fathoms. The high land
now in sight is known by a pagoda or pagan temple, and is five leagues
from the high land of Putapilly, in the road of which place we anchored
on the 10th in five fathoms on sand, this new high land bearing from us
N.N.W. the platform of palm trees upon the island E.N.E. by E. and the
bar N.W. by N. The whole sea coast is low land. The latitude here is 15 deg.
52'. Having established a factory, in which we left Mr George Chansey
and our purser as merchants, with other seven men to assist in taking
care of our goods, we sailed from Putapilly on the forenoon of the 19th.
We anchored in the road of Masulipatam on the 21st, where we found a
ship belonging to Holland. We remained here for six months, until the
6th January, 1614, and then set sail for Putapilly, where we arrived on
the 19th of that month, and remained there, taking in the merchants and
their goods till the 7th February, when we sailed for Bantam. We arrived
there on the 20th April, and on the 10th June set sail for Patane. By
noon of that day, being in lat. 5 deg. 44' S. we had sight of the islands
nine leagues from Bantam, our course, after getting clear of the road,
being N.N.E. in five, six, seven, eight, twelve, fourteen, and so to
twenty-four fathoms. At six in the morning of the 11th, we were close
beside the two islands that are north from Bantam near Sumatra, in lat.
5 deg. S. and in twenty fathoms; this being the surest course both going to
and from Bantam, but it is necessary to keep a good look-out for the
sand-banks which are even with the water. The 12th, being involved in a
strong adverse current, we were forced to anchor in a quarter less four
fathoms, in sight of a reef, twelve leagues short of Lucapara, and
forty-eight from Bantam.
The 14th, we came in with the island of Banda and the main of Sumatra,
and went through between them in five 1/2 fathoms. In this passage it is
proper to keep nearer the Sumatra shore, though the water is deeper on
the Banda side of the strait; as that side is rocky, while the side
towards Sumatra is oozy. The 16th we came to Palimbangan point; and the
17th at noon, being in lat, 1 deg. 10' S. we anchored in nine fathoms, on
account of it falling calm with a strong current, the isle of Pulo Tino
being to seawards. The 30th, we anchored in the road of Patane in three
1/2 fathoms. On the 1st August we sailed to Sangora to trim our ship,
being a good place for that purpose under shelter of two islands hard by
the main, and fourteen or fifteen leagues from Patane. We anchored in
Sangora road, under the eastermost of the two islands, on the 4th; and
having put our ship into good trim, we came away on the 9th September,
and returned to Patane next day. We remained there a month taking in
the goods of the Globe, to carry them to Bantam, for which place we
sailed on the 9th October, and arrived at Bantam on the 9th November.
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