Seeing No
Hope Of Any Profitable Trade At This Place, They Now Left It, Intending
For Bantam, Not Much Pleased Either With The Country Or The People.
The
day after leaving Borneo, they met a junk from Japan bound for Manilla,
which informed them of a great Dutch ship being forced by tempests into
Japan, all her company having died by sickness and famine except
fourteen.
They came first to Bongo, in lat. 34 deg. 40' N. [Bungo in about
lat. 33 deg. N.] whence the emperor of Japan ordered them to remove to
Atonza, in lat. 36 deg. 30' N. [Osaka in lat. 34' 55' N.] They alleged
that they were allowed to trade, and to build a new ship, with liberty
to dispose of themselves afterwards as they pleased. From this account,
it was not doubted that this was the admiral of Verhagen's fleet;[80]
and dismissing the Japanese vessel, they passed the line a third time,
and proceeded for Bantam, in no little fear and danger, for want of an
experienced pilot and good charts.
[Footnote 80: This was the ship in which William Adams sailed as pilot,
as related on a former occasion, being the Hope, commanded by James
Mahu, one of five ships from Rotterdam. We have already had occasion to
meet with two of these in the Straits of Magellan. - E.]
The 16th they took a junk belonging to Jor or Johor, in which they
procured an experienced and skilful pilot, who came in good time to
save them from shipwreck, which they had otherwise most probably
suffered in these dangerous seas, so thick set with shoals and islands
on every side, with which they were entirely unacquainted; and besides,
they were now reduced to one anchor, and one solitary cable almost worn
out. The 28th they came to Jortan in the island of Java, where they had
news of several Dutch ships being at Bantam. The city of Jortan consists
of about 1000 houses built of timber, and its king commands over a
considerable portion of that end of the island, and had lately conquered
Balambuan, a small island S.E. from Jortan. The people in these parts
are said to be Mahometans; yet, as pagods are still in use, they seem to
retain some mixture of the old Indian superstitions, or at least some
remnant of paganism is tolerated among the common people. Their chief
priest at this time was an old man, said to be an hundred and twenty
years of age, who had a large household of wives, who fed the old man
with their milk.
Sailing past Jortan, they saw a large Portuguese ship of 600 tons,
sticking fast among the shoals. She was bound for Amboina, on purpose to
have engrossed all the trade of that place; at least such was the report
of the Portuguese; but Van Noort strongly suspected she had been sent
out to cruize for the purpose of intercepting him. He was, therefore,
the less concerned for her misfortune, and the less careful in assisting
her crew, originally of between six and seven hundred men, many of whom
were still on board, and in great danger of perishing. The 5th of
February, they passed the straits between Balambuan and Bally,
leaving Java on the N.E.[81] On the 11th, finding themselves in lat 13 deg.
S. they directed their course for the Cape of Good Hope. On the 18th,
having the sun vertical at noon, their latitude was 11 deg. 20' S. and here
a calm began which lasted eleven days. The 11th March they were in lat.
24 deg. 45' S. and in 28 deg. 10' S. on the 24th.
[Footnote 81: This is an obvious error, as the Straits of Bally are at
the east end of Java, which they must consequently have left on the
N.W. of their course. - E.]
The 19th of April, having been considerably retarded by cross winds and
calms, they were under the necessity to lessen their allowance of water.
At night of the 24th they observed light, as of a fire, on land, about
four miles to the N.W. although they reckoned themselves 200 miles from
the cape, and were not aware of having approached any other land. The
25th, being calm weather, they were enabled to mend their sails, and at
night another fire was observed; and in the morning of the 26th they saw
land. The 3d May they saw land between the east and north, about six
miles off, resembling the end of an island, by which they reckoned
themselves near the cape, and now shaped their course for the island of
St Helena, where they arrived on the 26th. They here refreshed
themselves with fish and some flesh, and laid in a supply of wood and
water; but found goats and fowls hard to be got, and could not procure
any oranges.
Leaving St Helena on the 30th May, they crossed the line for the fourth
time on the 14th of June; and on the 16th met a fleet of six Dutch
ships, under Admiral Heemskirk, bound for India. These had fought with
thirteen Spanish ships near the island of Sal, and had lost their
pinnace and vice-admiral; the former having been taken by the Spaniards,
and the latter having parted company. The 8th July they were in lat. 27 deg.
N. when they fell in with considerable quantities of the sea-weed called
saragossa. By the 13th they were in lat. 32 deg. 30' N. after which they
had a calm of fifteen days, the sea being all covered with weeds. The
22d they had to go upon short allowance of bread, and that too much worm
eaten. August 1st, being in lat. 40 deg. N. they passed the island of
Flores, forty-five miles to the westward, by their estimation. They met
three ships belonging to Embden on the 18th, from whom they procured
bread and flesh, in exchange for rice and pepper; and from whom they
learnt that they were so near England, that they might expect to see the
Lizard next day.
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