The Sheathing On Our
Ship's Bottom Being Much Eaten By Worms, We Began In November To Remove
The Old Sheathing, To See Whether The Main Plank Remained Sound; On
Seeing Which, Rajah Laut Shook His Head, Saying He Had Never Seen A Ship
With Two Bottoms.
Besides, he did not perform his promise of providing
us with beef, pretending he could not get any; and he borrowed a
considerable sum in gold from Captain Swan, which he never repaid.
These circumstances at length induced most of our men to think of
leaving Mindanao, especially those who had not much money; and as our
ship was new sheathed and tallowed on the 10th December, they began to
urge our commander to depart in continuation of our voyage. Accordingly,
Captain Swan appointed the 13th January, 1687, for all our company to be
on board and ready to sail; but many being unwilling to depart so soon,
having dispersed about the country at the instigation of Rajah Laut, and
even Captain Swan not being very ready to come aboard, by reason of some
insubordination among the men, they deposed him from the command, and
chose Captain Teat in his room. After this we weighed in the morning of
the 13th January, and sailed out of the river, having Captain Swan and
forty-four more of the men on shore, besides sixteen others we had
buried there.
We coasted along the south side of the island to the west, and passed
next day in sight of Chambungo,[194] another town in this island,
thirty leagues west from the river of Mindanao, and said to have a good
harbour. On the 10th February we coasted along the west side of the
Philippine islands, and while passing Panga,[195] a large island
inhabited by the Spaniards, we saw many fires, which we supposed were
intended to give notice of our approach, it being rare to see a ship on
this coast. The 18th we anchored in ten fathoms at the N.W. end of the
island of Mindora. This is a large island, the middle of which is in
lat 12 deg. 45' N. its length from N.W. to S.E. being forty leagues. While
here, a canoe with four Indians came from Manilla, who told as that the
harbour of Manilla was seldom without twenty or thirty vessels, Chinese,
Portuguese, and Spaniards, and if we had a mind to trade clandestinely,
they would deliver letters from us to certain merchants there.
[Footnote 194: Probably Sambuang, at the western extremity of Mindanao,
in lat. 6 deg. 52' N. long. 122 deg. 20' E. from Greenwich. - E.]
[Footnote 195: Pany, or Panai. - E.]
We sailed again on the 21st, and came on the 23d to the S.E. end of
Luconia, where we took two Spanish barks from Pagassanam,[196] a small
town on the N.E. part of this island, having goods on board for the
Acapulco ship. This great island of Luconia extends in length through
six degrees of latitude, from 12 deg.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 232 of 431
Words from 120818 to 121326
of 224764
