6' N. At eight p.m.
we came to anchor in seven fathoms, the weather threatening to be foul
in the night, the place very full of shoals, and our experience little
or nothing.
Before our anchor took hold, we had six 1/4, five 1/2, six,
and then seven fathoms, soft sandy ground.
In the morning of the 30th we spoke the Darling, then bound for
Coromandel, her company consisting of twenty-one English and nine
blacks. By her we first learnt of the death of Sir Henry Middleton, the
loss of the Trades-increase, and other incidents that had occurred
during our voyage to Japan. In the night of the 30th God mercifully
delivered us from imminent danger, as we passed under full sail close by
a sunken ledge of rocks, the top of which was only just above water
within a stone's throw of our ship; and had not the noise of the
breakers awakened us, we had not cleared our ship. We instantly let go
our anchor, being in a rapid current or tide-way, in seventeen fathoms
upon oozy ground. When morning broke on the 31st we had sight of the
high land of Sumatra, having an island a-stern, the ledge of rocks we
had passed on our starboard, and three small islands forming a triangle
on our larboard bow. We were about eight leagues off the high land of
Java, but could not then get into the straits of Sunda, as the wind was
quite fallen.
The 1st January, 1614, being quite calm, was mostly spent at anchor. The
2d, having a little wind, we set sail, and about eight o'clock fell in
with the Expedition, homewards bound for England, laden with pepper, by
which ship we wrote to our friends in England. The 3d we came to anchor
in the road of Bantam, end to our great grief found no lading ready for
us, for which neglect I justly blamed those I had left to provide the
same, while they excused themselves by alleging they did not expect us
so soon back. I questioned Kewee, the principal Chinese merchant, who
came to visit me on board, as to the price of pepper. He answered, that
it was already known ashore I was homewards bound, and must necessarily
load pepper; and, as my merchants had not provided any before hand, I
might be assured it would rise. He said the price was then at twelve
dollars for ten sacks, but he could not undertake to deliver any
quantity at that price. I offered him twelve dollars and a half the ten
sacks, but he held up so high, that we had no hope of dealing for the
present. Of the ten persons left by us in the factory when we departed
for Japan, we found only five alive at our return, while we only lost
one man between Firando and Bantam.
I went ashore on the 4th to visit the governor of Bantam, to whom I
presented two handsome cattans, or Japanese swords, and other articles
of value; and this day I bargained with Kewee for 4000 sacks of pepper
at thirteen dollars the ten sacks, bating in the weight 3 per cent and
directed the merchants to expedite the milling thereof as much as
possible.
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