The 28th They Came To Jortan In The Island Of Java, Where They Had
News Of Several Dutch Ships Being At Bantam.
The city of Jortan consists
of about 1000 houses built of timber, and its king commands over a
considerable portion of that end of the island, and had lately conquered
Balambuan, a small island S.E. from Jortan.
The people in these parts
are said to be Mahometans; yet, as pagods are still in use, they seem to
retain some mixture of the old Indian superstitions, or at least some
remnant of paganism is tolerated among the common people. Their chief
priest at this time was an old man, said to be an hundred and twenty
years of age, who had a large household of wives, who fed the old man
with their milk.
Sailing past Jortan, they saw a large Portuguese ship of 600 tons,
sticking fast among the shoals. She was bound for Amboina, on purpose to
have engrossed all the trade of that place; at least such was the report
of the Portuguese; but Van Noort strongly suspected she had been sent
out to cruize for the purpose of intercepting him. He was, therefore,
the less concerned for her misfortune, and the less careful in assisting
her crew, originally of between six and seven hundred men, many of whom
were still on board, and in great danger of perishing. The 5th of
February, they passed the straits between Balambuan and Bally,
leaving Java on the N.E.[81] On the 11th, finding themselves in lat 13 deg.
S. they directed their course for the Cape of Good Hope. On the 18th,
having the sun vertical at noon, their latitude was 11 deg. 20' S. and here
a calm began which lasted eleven days. The 11th March they were in lat.
24 deg. 45' S. and in 28 deg. 10' S. on the 24th.
[Footnote 81: This is an obvious error, as the Straits of Bally are at
the east end of Java, which they must consequently have left on the
N.W. of their course. - E.]
The 19th of April, having been considerably retarded by cross winds and
calms, they were under the necessity to lessen their allowance of water.
At night of the 24th they observed light, as of a fire, on land, about
four miles to the N.W. although they reckoned themselves 200 miles from
the cape, and were not aware of having approached any other land. The
25th, being calm weather, they were enabled to mend their sails, and at
night another fire was observed; and in the morning of the 26th they saw
land. The 3d May they saw land between the east and north, about six
miles off, resembling the end of an island, by which they reckoned
themselves near the cape, and now shaped their course for the island of
St Helena, where they arrived on the 26th. They here refreshed
themselves with fish and some flesh, and laid in a supply of wood and
water; but found goats and fowls hard to be got, and could not procure
any oranges.
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