After This The Cloud, Which Was Before Immoveable,
Drives Along For Half An Hour, Accompanied By The Spout.
When the
sucking is over, and breaks off, all the water which was below the
spout, or pendulous cloud, falls again into the sea with a terrible
clashing noise.
These spouts are, however, more frightful than
dangerous.
We had sight of the Isle of Bouton on the 1st December, and anchored
there on the 5th, where we staid till the 11th, procuring eggs, fowls,
potatoes, and other provisions from the natives, who are Mahometans, and
speak the Malay language. Continuing our voyage, we saw the N.W. point
of Timor on the 28th, and on the 29th stood S. towards New Holland,
which we fell in with on the 4th January, 1688, in lat. 16 deg. 50' S. New
Holland is a vast tract of land, but whether island or continent is
hitherto unknown.[200] We anchored at a point of land, three leagues to
the east of which is a deep bay. The land was low and sandy, the points
only excepted, which were rocky, as were some islands in the bay. We
found here no fresh water, except by digging. There were various trees,
and among these the tree producing dragon's-blood. We saw no
fruit-trees, nor so much as the track of any animal, except one footstep
of a beast, which seemed the size of a large mastiff. There were a few
land-birds, but none bigger than a black-bird, and scarcely any
sea-fowl; neither did the sea afford any fish, except tortoises and
manatees,[201] both of which are in vast plenty.
[Footnote 200: It is now known to be a vast island, stretching from the
lat. of 11 deg. 40' to 38 deg. 40', both S. and from long. 109 deg. 40' to 154 deg. 50'
both E. being 1870 miles from N. to S. and 2400 miles from E. to W.]
[Footnote 201: The Lamentin, or Trichechus Manatus australis of
naturalists. - E.]
The inhabitants are the most miserable wretches in the universe, having
no houses or coverings but the heavens, and no garments except a piece
of the bark of a tree tied round the waist. They have no sheep, poultry,
or fruits, and subsist wretchedly on a few shell-fish, such as cockles,
muscles, and periwinkles, living without any government or order, and
cohabit promiscuously like brutes. Their bodies are straight, thin, and
strong-limbed, having great heads and eye-brows, with round foreheads.
Their eye-lids are constantly half closed, to keep out flies, which are
here very numerous and troublesome. They have large bottle noses, thick
lips, and wide mouth; and both men and women, young and old, wanted the
two front teeth of the upper jaw. They have no beards, and their hair is
short and curled like the negroes, their complexion being equally black
with them. Their weapons are a kind of wooden swords or clubs, and long
straight poles sharpened at one end. Of their language I can only say
that they speak much in the throat. We landed several times, and brought
the natives to some degree of familiarity with us, by giving them some
old clothes, but could never prevail on them to assist us in carrying
water or any other thing, as they seemed quite averse from labour.
We sailed hence on the 12th March, and on the 7th April got sight of
Sumatra, whence we directed our course for the Nicobar islands, which we
came in sight of on the 4th May, and anchored next day in a small bay at
the N. end of the island of Nicobar Proper, in lat. 7 deg. 30' N. This
island produces plenty of cocoa-nuts, and mallories, a fruit as large
as the bread-fruit of Guam, which the natives boil in covered jars.
Mr Hall, Mr Ambrose, and I, being desirous to leave the unruly crew
among whom we had sailed so long, were set ashore at this island,
intending to proceed for Acheen. We accordingly left this island on the
5th May, accompanied by four Malays and a Portuguese, in a Nicobar
canoe, not much bigger than one of the London wherries used below
bridge. On the 18th we had a violent storm, when we expected every
moment to be swallowed up by the waves; but on the 19th, to our great
joy, we saw Pulo Way, near the N.W. end of Sumatra, as was supposed,
but it turned out to be the golden mountain of Sumatra, and at length
arrived at Acheen in June. In July I went with Captain Weldon to
Tonquin, and returned to Acheen in April, 1689. In September of that
year I went to Malacca, and came back about Christmas, 1690. Soon after
I went to Fort St George or Madras, where I remained five months, and
came back to Bencoolen, an English factory on the west coast of Sumatra.
Before relating my return to England, it may be proper to give some
account of Jeoly, the painted prince, who afterwards died at Oxford.
He was purchased along with his mother at Mindanao by Mr Moody; and when
Mr Moody and I went together to Bencoolen, he gave me at parting half
the property of this painted prince and his mother, leaving them to my
care. They were born in the island of Meangis, which abounds in gold,
cloves, and nutmegs, as he afterwards told me. He was curiously painted,
down the breast, behind, between the shoulders, and most of all on the
fore part of his thighs, in the nature of flower-work. By what I could
understand, this painting was done by pricking the skin, and rubbing in
the gum of a tree called damurer, used instead of pitch in some parts
of India. He told me, that the natives of his country wore gold
ear-rings, and golden bracelets about their arms and legs; their food
being potatoes, fowls, and fish.
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