This Isle Is Seven Or Eight
Leagues In Circuit, And Is Higher Land Than Any Of The Condore Isles.
It
has good water on the north side, where there is also good anchorage,
but the best anchorage is on the W. side, opposite a small bay.
On the
24th we entered the bay of Siam, which is very deep, and went among the
islands at the bottom of the bay, in one of which we found a small
village inhabited by fishermen, but no fish, so we turned back, and did
not return to the isle of Ubi till the 13th, and were detained there
by storms till the 21st, when we sailed for Condore, where we anchored
on the 24th. Here five or six of our men, going on board a Malay
vessel, were stabbed by the crew. Having provided our ship with wood and
water, we sailed from Condore on the 4th June, intending to proceed for
Manilla; but, by contrary winds, were forced to steer for Pratas, a
small low island inclosed with rocks, in lat. 21 deg. N. between Canton and
Manilla; and the east winds continuing, were obliged to approach the
coast of China, where we anchored on the 25th June, at the east end of
the island of St John, on the coast of Quan-tong, or Canton, in China,
in lat. 22 deg. 30' N.[198] They have here great plenty of rice, with hogs,
buffaloes, goats, and some oxen. The inhabitants were Chinese, and were
consequently, at this time, under the dominion of the Tartars.
[Footnote 198: This Island of St John is probably that named Sancianor,
or Tchang-te-huen, in lat. 21 deg. 33' N. long. 112 deg. 25' E. to the S.W. of
the bay of Canton. The latitude in the text would lead deep among the
islands of that bay, which does not appear to have been the case. - E.]
In this island we found a small town in marshy ground, the houses of
which were small, mean, and ill-furnished, but built on posts, the
inhabitants principally subsisting by the cultivation of rice. While we
lay here at anchor, a Chinese junk rode beside us, which was flat both
at the head and stern, having many little huts, three feet high, on her
deck, thatched with palmito leaves. Her cabin was large, having an
altar, on which was a lamp continually burning. The hold was divided
into several compartments, the bulkheads between which were so tight,
that if a leak should spring in any of these divisions, the goods in the
others would receive no damage. Every merchant has his own room, or
division, in the hold, in which he stows his own goods, sometimes
lodging along with them. These junks have only two masts, a main and
fore, the latter having a square-sail and yard, and the former a sail
that is narrow aloft, like a sloop's main-sail. In fine weather they
have also a top-sail, which, in foul weather, they lower to the deck,
yard and all.
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