The Main-Mast Of One Of Their Largest Junks Is Equal In
Size To That Of Our Third-Rate Men Of War, But All Of One Piece, Not
Built.
Fearing the approach of a storm, and wanting sea-room, we weighed on the
3d June, and stood out to sea; but next day we were assailed by the most
violent tempest at N.E. I ever saw, which lasted at intervals for three
days, when the weather became quite serene.
We then refitted our ship,
but our men were so terrified by the last storm, and dreading the
approach of full moon, that we resolved to steer for the Pescadores,
or Fisher Isles, in lat. 23 deg. 40' N. off the western side of
Tai-ouan, or Formosa. This is a numerous group of islands in the
Straits of Formosa, having a good harbour between the two eastermost;
and on the west side of the most easterly there is a large town with a
fort, in which was a garrison of 300 Tartars. The houses in this town
were low, yet neatly built; and on the other island, on the west side of
the harbour, there was another small town near the sea, inhabited by
Chinese. Most of the islands in this group have some Chinese
inhabitants. We were very civilly treated by the Tartar governor, who
sent us some presents, and among the rest a heifer, the beef of which
was excellent; but would not allow us to trade, or even to land on the
isle.
We sailed thence on the 29th July, passing the S.W. end of Formosa, a
large island reaching from lat. 22 deg. to 25 deg. 18' both N. and in long. 121 deg.
E. It was formerly well inhabited by the Chinese, and frequented by the
English; but the Tartars have since spoiled the harbour, lest the
Chinese should fortify themselves there. On the 6th August we came to
anchor on the east side of the northermost of the Five Islands, or
Bashees, in fifteen fathoms. These islands are from the latitude of
20 deg. 26' to 21 deg. 13' both N. and long. 121 deg. 50' E. Contrary to our
expectations, we found three or four large towns on the island at which
we anchored. The westmost of these islands, which the Dutch among us
named Orange isle, is the largest, being seven or eight leagues from
N. to S. and two from E. to W. There are two other large islands to the
S. of this; the northern of which we named Grafton isle, which is four
leagues from N. to S. and a league and a half from E. to W. The other,
and most southerly, we named Monmouth isle, being three leagues from
N. to S. and one from E. to W. Two other isles, lying E. and W. between
Monmouth isle and the S. end of Orange isle, we called Bashee isle,
from a certain liquor we drank there, and Goat isle.
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