A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12

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"Having mentioned the conveniences of this place, the excellency and
quantity of its fruits and provisions, the neatness of its lawns, the
stateliness, freshness, and fragrance of its woods, the happy inequality
of its surface, and the variety and elegance of the views it afforded, I
most now observe, that all these advantages were greatly enhanced by the
healthiness of its climate, by the almost constant breezes which prevail
there, and by the frequent showers which fall, and which, though of a
very short and almost momentary duration, are extremely grateful and
refreshing, and are perhaps one cause of the salubrity of the air, and
of the extraordinary influence it was observed to have upon us, in
increasing and invigorating our appetites and digestion. This was so
remarkable, that those amongst our officers, who were at all other times
spare and temperate eaters, who, besides a slight breakfast, made but
one moderate repast a day, were here, in appearance, transformed into
gluttons; for instead of one reasonable flesh meal, they were now
scarcely satisfied with three, and each of them so prodigious in
quantity, as would at another time have produced a fever or a surfeit:
And yet our digestion so well corresponded with the keenness of our
appetites, that we were neither disordered nor even loaded by this
repletion; for after having, according to the custom of the island, made
a large beef breakfast, it was not long before we began to consider the
approach of dinner as a very desirable, though somewhat tardy incident."

"And now having been thus large in my encomiums on this island, in
which, however, I conceive I have not done it justice, it is necessary I
should speak of those circumstances in which it is defective, whether in
point of beauty or utility."

"And first, with respect to its water. I must own, that before I had
seen this spot, I did not conceive that the absence of running water, of
which it is entirely destitute, could have been so well replaced by any
other means, as it is in this island; for though there are no streams,
yet the water of the wells and springs, which are to be met with every
where near the surface, is extremely good; and in the midst of the
island there are two or three considerable pieces of excellent water,
whose edges are as neat and even, as if they had been basons purposely
made for the decoration of the place. It must, however, be confessed,
that with regard to the beauty of the prospects, the want of rills and
streams is a very great defect, not to be compensated either by large
pieces of standing water, or by the neighbourhood of the sea, though
that; by reason of the smallness of the island, generally makes a part
of every extensive view."

"As to the residence upon the island, the principal inconvenience
attending it is the vast numbers of musquitoes, and various other
species of flies, together with an insect called a tick, which, though
principally attached to the cattle, would yet frequently fasten upon our
limbs and bodies, and if not perceived and removed in time, would bury
its head under the skin, and raise a painful inflammation. We found
here, too, centipedes and scorpions, which we supposed were venomous,
but none of us ever received any injury from them."]

While we lay here, I sent the Tamar to examine the island of Saypan,
Which is much larger than Tinian, rises higher, and, in my opinion, has
a much pleasanter appearance. She anchored to the leeward of it, at the
distance of a mile from the shore, and in about ten fathom water, with
much the same kind of ground as we had in the road of Tinian.

Her people landed upon a fine sandy beach which is six or seven miles
long, and walked up into the woods, where they saw many trees which were
fit for top-masts.

They saw no fowls, nor any tracks of cattle; but of hogs and guanicoes
there was plenty. They found no fresh water near the beach, but saw a
large pond inland, which they did not examine. They saw large heaps of
pearl oyster-shells thrown up together, and other signs of people having
been there not long before: Possibly the Spaniards may go thither at
some season of the years, and carry on a pearl fishery. They also saw
many of those, square pyramidal pillars which are to be found at Tinian,
and which are particularly described in the account of Lord Anson's
voyage.

On Monday the 30th of September, having now been here nine weeks, and
our sick being pretty well recovered, I ordered, the tents to be struck,
and with the forge and oven carried back to the ship; I also laid in
about two thousand cocoa-nuts, which I had experienced to be so powerful
a remedy for the scurvy, and the next day I weighed, hoping, that before
we should get the length of the Bashe Island, the N.E. monsoon would be
set in. I stood along the shore to take in the beef-hunters; but we had
very little wind this day and the next till the evening, when it came to
the westward and blew fresh: I then stood to the northward till the
morning of the 3d, when we made Anatacan, an island that is remarkably
high, and the same that was first fallen in with by Lord Anson.

SECTION XII.

_The Run from Tinian to Pulo Timoan, with some Account of that Island,
its Inhabitants and Productions, and thence to Batavia._

We continued our course till Thursday the 10th, when being in latitude
18 deg.33'N. longitude 136 deg.50'E. we found the ship two-and-twenty miles to
the southward of her account, which must have been the effect of a
strong current in that direction. The variation here was 5 deg.10'E. and for
some time we found it regularly decreasing, so that on the 19th, being
in latitude 21 deg.10'N. longitude 124 deg.17'E. the needle pointed due north.

On the 18th, we had found the ship eighteen miles to the northward of
her account, and saw several land-birds about the ship, which appeared
to be very much tired: We caught one as it was resting upon the booms,
and found it very remarkable. It was about as big as a goose, and all
over as white as snow, except the legs and beak which were black; the
beak was curved, and of so great a length and thickness, that it is not
easy to conceive now the muscles of the neck, which was about a foot
long, and as small as that of a crane, could support it. We kept it
about four months upon biscuit and water, but it then died, apparently
for want of nourishment, being almost as light as a bladder. It was very
different from every species of the toucan that is represented by
Edwards, and I believe has never been described. These birds appeared to
have been blown off some island to the northward of us, that is not laid
down in the charts.

The needle continued to point due north till the 22d, when, at six
o'clock in the morning, Grafton's Island, the northermost of the Bashee
Islands, bore south, distant six leagues. As I had designed to touch at
these islands, I stood for that in sight; but as the navigation from
hence to the strait of Banca is very dangerous, and we had now both a
fine morning and a fine gale, I thought it best to proceed on our way,
and therefore steered westward again. The principal of these islands are
five in number, and by a good observation Grafton's Island lies in
latitude 21 deg.8'N. longitude 118 deg.14'E. The variation of the compass was
now 1 deg. 20'W.

On the 24th, being in latitude 16 deg.59'N. longitude 115 deg. 1'E. we kept a
good look-out for the Triangles, which lie without the north end of the
Prasil, and form a most dangerous shoal.[46] On the 30th we saw several
trees and large bamboos floating about the ship, and upon sounding had
three-and-twenty fathom, with dark brown sand, and small pieces of
shells. Our latitude was now 7 deg.17'N. longitude 104 deg.21'E, the variation
was 30 deg.W. The next day we found the ship thirteen miles to the northward
of her account, which we judged to be the effect of a current; and on
the 2d of November, we found her thirty-eight miles to the southward of
her account. Our latitude by observation was 3 deg.54'N. longitude 103 deg.20'E.
We had here soundings at forty-two and forty-three fathom, with soft
mud.

[Footnote 46: The Prasil, or Pracels, is a congeries of rocks and small
islands, about sixty miles eastward of the coast of Cochin China, and
reckoned very dangerous to navigators, on account of breakers and
counter currents.--E.]

At seven o'clock the next morning, we saw the island of Timoan, bearing
S.W. by W. distant about twelve leagues. As Dampier has mentioned Pulo
Timoan as a place where some refreshments are to be procured, I
endeavoured to touch there, having lived upon salt provisions, which
were now become bad, ever since we were at Tinian; but light airs,
calms, and a southerly current, prevented our coming to an anchor till
late in the evening of the 5th. We had sixteen fathom at about the
distance of two miles from the shore, on a bay on the east side of the
island.

The next day I landed to see what was to be got, and found the
inhabitants, who are Malays, a surly insolent set of people. As soon as
they saw us approaching the shore, they came down to the beach in great
numbers, having a long knife in one hand, a spear headed with iron in
the other, and a cressit or dagger by their side. We went on shore,
however, notwithstanding these hostile appearances, and a treaty soon
commenced between us; but all we could procure, was about a dozen of
fowls, and a goat and kid. We had offered them knives, hatchets,
bill-hooks, and other things of the same kind; but these they refused
with great contempt, and demanded rupees: As we had no rupees, we were
at first much at a loss how to pay for our purchase; but at last we
bethought ourselves of some pocket-handkerchiefs, and these they
vouchsafed to accept, though they would take only the best.

These people were of a small stature; but extremely well made, and of a
dark copper-colour. We saw among them one old man who was dressed
somewhat in the manner of the Persians; but all the rest were naked,
except a handkerchief, which they wore as a kind of turban upon their
heads, and some pieces of cloth which were fastened with a silver plate
or clasp round their middles. We saw none of their women, and probably
some care was taken to keep them out of our sight. The habitations are
very neatly built of slit bamboo, and are raised upon posts about eight
feet from the ground. Their boats are also well made, and we saw some of
a large size, in which we supposed that they carried on a trade to
Malacca.

The island is mountainous and woody, but we found it pleasant when we
were ashore; it produces the cabbage and cocoa-nut tree in great plenty,
but the natives did not chuse to let us have any of the fruit. We saw
also some rice grounds, but what other vegetable productions Nature has
favoured them with, we had no opportunity to learn, as we stayed here
but two nights and one day. In the bay where the ship rode, there is
excellent fishing, though the surf runs very high: We hauled our seine
with great success, but could easily perceive that it gave umbrage to
the inhabitants, who consider all the fish about these islands as their
own. There are two fine rivers that run into this bay, and the water is
excellent: It was indeed so much better than what we had on board, that
I filled as many casks with it as loaded the boat twice. While we lay
here, some of the natives brought down an animal which had the body of a
hare, and the legs of a deer; one of our officers bought it, and we
should have been glad to have kept it alive, but it was impossible for
us to procure for it such food as it would eat; it was therefore killed,
and we found it very good food. All the while we lay here, we had the
most violent thunder, lightning, and rain, that I had ever known; and,
finding that nothing more was to be procured, we sailed again on
Thursday morning, with a fine breeze off the land. In the afternoon, we
tried the current, and found it set S.E. at the rate of a mile an hour.
The variation here was 38' W. We certainly made this passage at an
improper season of the year; for after we came into the latitude of Pulo
Condore, we had nothing but light airs, calms, and tornadoes, with
violent rain, thunder, and lightning.

At seven o'clock in the morning of Sunday the 10th, we saw the east end
of the island of Lingen, bearing S.W. by W. distant eleven or twelve
leagues. The current set E.S.E. at the rate of a mile an hour. At noon
it fell calm, and I anchored with the kedge in twenty fathom. At one
o'clock, the weather having cleared up, we saw a small island bearing
S.W. 1/2 S. distant ten or eleven leagues.

At one o'clock the next morning, we weighed and made sail; and at six
the small island bore W.S.W. distant about seven leagues, and some very
small islands, which we supposed to be Domines Islands, W. 1/2 N.
distant about seven or eight leagues, a remarkable double peak on the
island of Lingen, bearing at same time W. by N. distant about ten or
twelve leagues. Our latitude by observation was now 18'S. The latitude
of the east end of Lingen is 10' S. longitude 105 deg. 15' E. Pulo Taya
bears from it nearly S. by W. and is distant about twelve leagues.

At ten o'clock in the morning of Tuesday the 12th, we, saw a small
Chinese junk to the north-east; and at seven the next morning a small
island, called Pulo Tote, bearing S.E. by E. distant about twelve
leagues. A little to the northward of Pulo Taya, is a very small island,
called Pulo Toupoa.

The next day, at four in the afternoon, there being no wind, we came to
an anchor in fourteen fathom with soft ground, Palo Taya bearing N.W.
distant about seven leagues. We tried the current, and found it set E.
by S. at the rate of two knots two fathoms an hour. We saw a sloop at
anchor about four miles from us, which hoisted Dutch colours. In the
night we had violent rain, with hard squalls, during one of which we
parted the stream cable, and therefore let go the small bower. At eight
in the morning, the wind became moderate and variable, from N.N.W. to
W.S.W. We got out our long-boat and weighed the stream anchor, and at
nine made sail. We found the current still very strong to the eastward;
and at two we anchored again in fourteen fathom, Palo Taya bearing N.W.
1/2 N. distant between seven and eight leagues. The vessel which we had
seen the day before under Dutch colours, still lying at anchor in the
same place, I sent a boat with an officer to speak with her: The officer
was received on board with great civility; but was extremely surprised
to find that he could not make himself understood, for the people on
board were Malays, without a single white man among them: They made tea
for our men immediately, and behaved with great cheerfulness and
hospitality. The vessel was of a very singular construction; her deck
was of slit bamboo, and she was steered, not by a rudder, but by two
large pieces of timber, one upon each quarter.

The next morning, at six o'clock, we weighed and made sail; at two
Monopin Hill bore S. by E. distant about ten or eleven leagues, and had
the appearance of a small island. It bears S. by W. from the Seven
Islands, and is distant from them about twelve leagues: Its latitude is
2 deg. S. From the Seven Islands we steered S.W. by S. and had regular
soundings from twelve to seven fathom, and soon after saw the coast of
Sumatra, bearing from W.S.W. to W. by N. at the distance of about seven
leagues. In the evening, we anchored in seven fathom; and the next
morning at four we made sail again, and continued our course S. by E.
till the peak of Monopin Hill bore east, and Batacarang Point, on the
Sumatra shore, S.W. to avoid a shoal, called Frederick Hendrick, which
is about midway between the Banca and Sumatra shore: The soundings were
thirteen and fourteen fathom. We then steered E.S.E. and kept mid
channel to avoid the banks of Palambam river, and that which lies off
the westernmost point of Banca. When we were abreast of Patambam river,
we regularly shoaled our water from fourteen to seven fathom; and when
we had passed it, we deepened it again to fifteen and sixteen fathom. We
continued to steer E.S.E. between the third and fourth points of
Sumatra, which are about ten leagues distant from each other: The
soundings, nearest to the Sumatra shore, were all along from eleven to
thirteen fathom; and the high land of Queda Banca appeared over the
third point of Sumatra, bearing E.S.E. From the third point to the
Second, the course is S.E. by S. at the distance of about eleven or
twelve leagues. The high land of Queda Banca, and the second point of
Sumatra, bear E.N.E. and W.S.W. of each other. The strait is about five
leagues over, and in the mid-channel there is twenty-four fathom. At six
o'clock in the evening we anchored in thirteen fathom, Monopin Hill
bearing N.1/2 W. and the third point of Sumatra, S.E. by E. distant
between two and three leagues. Many small vessels were in sight, and
most of them hoisted Dutch colours. In the night we had fresh gales and
squalls, with thunder and lightning, and hard rain; but as our cables
were good, we were in no danger, for in this place the anchor is buried
in a stiff clay.

In the morning the current or tide set to the S.E. at the rate of three
knots; at five we weighed, with a moderate gale at west and hazy
weather, and in the night the tide shifted, and ran as strongly to the
N.W. so that it ebbs and flows here twelve hours.

On the 19th we spoke with an English snow, belonging to the East India
company, which was bound from Bencoolen to Malacca and Bengal. We had
now nothing to eat but the ship's provisions, which were become very
bad, for all our beef and pork stunk intolerably, and our bread was
rotten and full of worms; but as soon as the master of this snow learnt
our situation, he generously sent me a sheep, a dozen fowls, and a
turtle, which I verily believe was half his stock, besides two gallons
of arrack, and would accept nothing but our thanks in return. It is with
great pleasure that I pay this tribute to his liberality, and am very
sorry that I cannot recollect his name, or the name of his vessel. In
the afternoon we worked round the first point of Sumatra, and our
soundings on the north side, at the distance of about a mile and a half
from the shore, were fourteen fathom. At half an hour after three we
anchored, and sent a boat to sound for the shoals which lie to the
northward of the island called Lasipara, which bore from us S.E. by S.
distant about six leagues. Little wind, and a strong tide of flood to
the northward, prevented our working between these shoals and the coast
of Sumatra till the afternoon of the 20th; the soundings were very
regular, being nine or ten fathom as we stood over to the island, and
five or six when we stood over to Sumatra. As this strait has been often
navigated, and is well known, it is not necessary to insert all the
particulars of our passage through it; I shall therefore only say, that
at six o'clock in the evening of Tuesday the 27th, we steered between
the islands Edam and Horn, and entered the road of Batavia. At eight we
anchored without the ships, Onrust bearing W.N.W. distant five or six
miles.

SECTION XIII.

_Transactions at Batavia, and Departure from that Place._

The next day, which by our account was the 28th, but by the account of
the Dutch at this place; was the 29th, we having lost a day by having
steered westward a year, we anchored nearer to the town, and saluted the
water-fort with eleven guns, which were returned. We found here above a
hundred sail great and small, and among others, a large English ship
belonging to Bombay, which saluted us with thirteen guns.

There is always lying here a Dutch commodore belonging to the company,
who, among his countrymen, is a person of very great consequence. This
gentleman thought fit to send his boat on board of me, with only the
cockswain, in her, who was a very dirty ragged fellow: As soon as he was
brought to me, he asked whence I came, whither I was bound, and many
other questions, which I thought equally impertinent, at the same time
pulling out a book, and pen and ink, that he might set down the answers;
but as I was impatient to save him this trouble, he was desired
immediately to walk over the ship's side, and put off his boat, with
which he was graciously pleased to comply.

When we came to this place, we had not one man sick in either of the
ships; but as I knew it to be more unhealthy than any other part of the
East Indies, as the rainy season was at hand, and arrack was to be
procured in great plenty, I determined to make my stay here as short as
possible. I went on shore to wait upon the Dutch governor, but was told
that he was at his country-house, about four miles distant from the
town. I met however with an officer, called a shebander, who is a kind
of master of the ceremonies, and he acquainted me, that if I chose to go
to the governor immediately, rather than wait for his coming to town, he
would attend me; I accepted his offer, and we set out together in his
chariot. The governor received me with great politeness, and told me,
that I might either take a house in any part of the city that I should
like, or be provided with lodgings at the hotel. This hotel is a
licensed lodging-house, the only one in the place, and kept by a
Frenchman, an artful fellow, who is put in by the governor himself. It
has indeed more the appearance of a palace than a house of
entertainment, being the most magnificent building in Batavia; nor would
a small edifice answer the purpose, for as there is a penalty of five
hundred dollars upon any person in the city who shall suffer a stranger
to sleep a single night at his house, the strangers who make it their
residence are never few: All the houses indeed have a stately appearance
on the outside, and are elegantly fitted up within, and we were told
that the Chinese, of whom there are great numbers at this place, were
the architects. The city is large, and the streets well laid out, but
they have greatly the appearance of those in the cities of Holland, for
a canal runs through most of them, with a row of trees planted on each
side: This is convenient for the merchants, who have every thing brought
up to their own doors by water, but it probably contributes to the
unhealthiness of the place; the canal, indeed, as the city is built in a
swamp, might be necessary as a drain, but the trees, though they have a
pleasant appearance, must certainly prevent the noxious vapours that are
perpetually arising, from being dispersed, by obstructing the
circulation of the air. The number of people here is incredible, and
they are of almost every nation in the world, Dutch, Portuguese,
Chinese, Persians, Moors, Malays, Javanese, and many others: The
Chinese, however, have a large town to themselves, without the walls,
and carry on a considerable trade, for they have annually ten or twelve
large junks from China; and to these the opulence of the Dutch at
Batavia is in a great measure owing. The beef here is bad, and the
mutton scarce, but the poultry and fish are excellent and in great
plenty. Here are also the greatest variety and abundance of the finest
fruit in the world, but the musquitos, centipedes, scorpions, and other
noxious vermin, which are innumerable, are extremely troublesome,
especially to strangers. The roads, for many miles about the city, are
as good as any in England: They are very broad, and by the side of them
runs a canal, shaded by tall trees, which, is navigable for vessels of a
very large size: On the other side of the canal are gardens of a very
pleasant appearance, and country-houses of the citizens, where they
spend as much of their time as possible, the situation being less
unwholesome than the city; and there are so few of them who do not keep
a carriage, that it is almost a disgrace to be seen on foot.

At this place I continued from the 28th of November to the 10th of
December, when, having procured what refreshments I could for my people,
and taken on board a sufficient quantity of rice and arrack, to serve
for the rest of the voyage, I weighed anchor and made sail. The fort
saluted me with eleven guns, and the Dutch commodore with thirteen,
which I returned; we were saluted also by the English ship. We worked
down to Prince's Island, in the strait of Sunda, and came to an anchor
there on the 14th. In this passage, the boats came off to us from the
Java shore, and supplied us with turtle in such plenty, that neither of
the ship's companies eat any thing else. We lay at Prince's Island till
the 19th, and during all that time we subsisted wholly upon the same
food, which was procured from the inhabitants at a very reasonable rate.
Having now taken on board as much wood and water as we could stow, we
weighed, and got without Java Head before night: But by this time a
dangerous putrid fever had broken out among us; three of my people had
died, and many others now lay in so dangerous a condition that there
were little hopes of their recovery: We did not, however, bury one at
Batavia, which, notwithstanding our stay was so short, was thought to be
a very extraordinary instance of good fortune; and our sick gradually
recovered after we had been a week or two at sea.