Abraham
Van Ribeck Was Governor-General When We Were There.
His predecessor, as
I was informed, had war with the natives of the island, who had like to
have ruined the settlement; but, by sowing divisions among the native
princes, he at length procured peace upon advantageous conditions.
This
is one of the pleasantest cities I ever saw, being more populous than
Bristol, but not so large. They have schools for teaching all necessary
education, even for Latin and Greek, and have a printing-house. There
are many pleasant villas, or country seats, about the city; and the
adjacent country abounds in rice, sugar-plantations, gardens, and
orchards, with corn and sugar-mills, and mills for making gunpowder.
They have also begun to plant coffee, which thrives well, so that they
will shortly be able to load a ship or two; but I was told it is not so
good as what comes from Arabia.
We sailed from Batavia on the 11th October, 1710, and on the 19th came
to anchor in a bay about a league W. from Java head, and remained till
the 28th, laying in wood and water. The 15th December we made the land
of southern Africa, in lat 34 deg. 2' S. And on the 18th we anchored in
Table Bay in six fathoms, about a mile from shore. We remained here
till the 5th April, waiting to go home with the Dutch fleet, and on that
day fell down to Penguin Island, whence we sailed on the 5th for Europe.
On the 14th July we spoke a Dane bound for Ireland, who informed us that
a Dutch fleet of ten sail was cruizing for us off Shetland, which
squadron we joined next day. On the 28d we got sight of the coast of
Holland, and about eight p. m. came all safe to anchor in the Texel, in
six fathoms, about two miles off shore. In the afternoon of the 24th I
went up to Amsterdam, where I found letters from our owners, directing
us how to act as to our passage from thence home. On the 30th we got
some provisions from Amsterdam. On the 22d August we weighed from the
Texel, but the wind being contrary, had to return next morning. We
weighed again on the 30th, and on the 1st October came to anchor in the
Downs, and on the 14th of that month got safe to Eriff, where we ended
our long and fatiguing voyage.
* * * * *
It appears, by incidental information in Harris, I. 198, That the outfit
of this voyage did not exceed L14,000 or L15,000, and that its gross
profits amounted to L170,000, half of which belonged to the owners; so
that they had L85,000 to divide, or a clear profit of L466 13s. 4d. per
centum, besides the value of the ships and stores. - E.
CHAPTER XI.
VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, BY CAPTAIN JOHN CLIPPERTON, IN 1719-1722.[233]
INTRODUCTION.
About the beginning of 1718, some English merchants resolved to fit out
two ships for a cruizing voyage to the South Sea, in hopes of having
equal success with the expedition under Woods Rogers, and provided two
fine ships, the Speedwell and Success, every way fit for the purpose.
But as the war which was expected between Great Britain and Spain did
not take place so soon as was expected, they applied for commissions
from the Emperor Charles VI.
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