On The 25th, The Wind Veered To S.S.E. When We
Tacked To S.W. And Soon Weathered The Island Of Amblow.
This is a
small island of moderate height, in lat.
4 deg. 5' S. tolerably furnished
with trees, but not inhabited. On the 26th, we had a fine fresh gale at
S.E. when we tacked and stood away N.E. for the island of Amboina.
Continuing the same course all the 27th, we got sight of Amboina early
in the morning of the 28th, bearing due N. about six leagues distant. We
now stood directly for the island, and about noon came just off the
harbour, a joyful sight to us then, though we soon had cause to think it
the worst thing that had befallen us.
As we entered the harbour of Amboina, we met two Dutch ships coming out,
laden with cloves and bound for Batavia. The captain of one of these
came on board our bark, desiring to know whence we came and whither we
were bound, and required to have a journal of our voyage, promising to
return it when he again met us at Batavia. We gave him the best answers
we could to all his questions, and the agent of our owners gave him a
succinct relation of our voyage, which was of happy consequence to us,
as to that we afterwards owed our preservation as will appear in the
sequel. We stood into the harbour that night, and next morning, which,
according to our account, was Tuesday, but with the Dutch Wednesday, two
Dutch orambies, as they call the vessels used at that place, came on
board us, each of which was paddled by forty men.
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