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

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The letter acquainted me, that a design had been formed by the Dutch, in
conjunction with the king of Bony, to cut us off: That the Dutch,
however, were not to appear in it: That the business was to be done by a
son of the king of Bony, who was, besides a gratuity from the Dutch, to
receive the plunder of the vessel for his reward, and who, with eight
hundred men, was then at Bonthain for that purpose: That the motive was
jealousy of our forming a connection with the Buggueses, and other
people of the country, who were at enmity with the Dutch and their
allies, and driving them out of the island; or at least a suspicion
that, if we got back to England, some project of that kind might be
founded upon the intelligence we should give, no English man-of-war, as
I have already observed, having ever been known to have visited the
island before.

This letter was a new subject of surprise and speculation. It was
extremely ill written with respect to the style and manner, yet it did
not therefore the less deserve notice. How far the intelligence which it
contained was true or false, I was utterly unable to determine: It was
possible that the writer might be deceived himself; it was also possible
that he might have some view in wilfully deceiving me: The falsehood
might procure some little reward for the kindness and zeal which it
placed to his account, or it might give him an importance which would at
least be a gratification to his vanity. It behoved me, however, to take
the same measures as if I had known it to be true; and I must confess,
that I was not perfectly at ease when I recollected the recal of the
Secretary and Le Cerf, with the large sloop, and part of the soldiers,
who were said to have been sent hither for no other reason than to guard
us against the insults of the country people; the assembling an armed
force at Macassar, as it was said, for an expedition to Bally; and the
little canoe that we had seen rowing round us in the night, not to
mention the governor's enquiry by letter, when we intended to leave the
island. However, whether either our intelligence or conjectures were
true or false, we immediately went to work: We rigged the ship, bent the
sails, unmoored, got springs upon our cables, loaded all our guns, and
barricadoed the deck. At night every body slept under arms, and the next
day we warped the vessel farther off from the bottom of the bay, towards
the eastern shore, that we might have more room, fixed four swivel guns
on the forepart of the quarter-deck, and took every other measure that
appeared to be necessary for our defence.

The resident, Mr Swellingrabel, was at this time absent twenty miles up
the country upon the Company's business, but had told me, that he should
certainly return on the 1st of April, a day which I now expected with
great impatience, especially as an old drunken serjeant was the most
respectable person at the fort. In the evening of the 31st, a packet of
letters for him arrived here from Macassar, which I considered as a
good omen, and a pledge of his return at the time appointed; but I
conceived very different sentiments when I learnt that they were sent to
him. I did not suspect that he was privy to any such design as had been
intimated to me by the letter; but I could not help doubting, whether he
was not kept in the country that he might be out of the way when it
should be executed. In this state of anxiety and suspense, I sent a
message to the fort, desiring that an express might be dispatched to
him, to acquaint him that I wished to see him immediately upon business
of great importance, which would admit of no delay. Whether my message
was forwarded to him or not, I cannot tell; but having waited till the
4th of April, without having seen him or received any answer, I wrote
him a letter, requesting to speak with him, in the most pressing terms,
and the next day he came on board. A few minutes convinced me that he
was wholly a stranger to any such design as I had been made to
apprehend; and he was clearly of opinion that no such design had been
formed. He said, indeed, that one Tomilaly, a counsellor or minister of
the king of Bony, had lately paid him a visit, and had not well
accounted for his being in this part of the country; and, at my request,
he very readily undertook to make farther enquiries concerning him and
his people. The resident and his attendants took notice that the ship
was put into a state of defence, and that every thing was ready for
immediate action; and he told us, that the people on shore had
acquainted him, before he came on board, with our vigilance and
activity, and in particular, with our having exercised the ship's
company at small arms every day. I informed him, that we should, at all
events, continue upon our guard, which he seemed to approve, and we
parted with mutual protestations of friendship and good faith. After a
few days, he sent me word that having made a very strict enquiry,
whether any other persons belonging to the king of Bony had been at
Bonthain, he had been credibly informed that one of the princes of that
kingdom had been there in disguise; but that of the eight hundred men
who were said in my intelligence to be with him, he could find no
traces; so that, except they too, like the troops of the king of
Brentford, were an army in disguise, I knew that no such people could be
in that country.

On the 16th, in the morning, the resident sent me word, that M. Le Cerf
was returned from Macassar with another officer, and that they would
come on board and dine with me. When dinner was over, I asked Le Cerf,
among other conversation, while we were taking our wine, what was become
of his expedition to Bally; to which he answered dryly, that it was laid
aside, without saying any thing more upon the subject. On the 23d, he
returned to Macassar by sea, and the other officer, who was also an
ensign, remained to take the command of the soldiers that were still
left at this place.

The season now approached in which navigation to the westward would be
again practicable, which gave us all great pleasure; especially as
putrid diseases had begun to make their appearance among us, and a
putrid fever had carried off one of our people.

On the 7th of May, the resident gave me a long letter from the governor
of Macassar, which was written in Dutch, and of which he gave me the
best interpretation he was able; The general purport of it was, that he
had heard a letter had been sent to me, charging him, in conjunction
with the king of Bony, with a design to cut us off: That the letter was
altogether false, exculpating himself with the roost solemn
protestations, and requiring the letter to be delivered up, that the
writer might be brought to such punishment as he deserved. It is
scarcely necessary to say, that I did not deliver up the letter, because
the writer would certainly have been punished with equal severity
whether it was true or false; but I returned the governor a polite
answer, in which I justified the measures I had taken, without imputing
any evil design to him or his allies; and indeed there is the greatest
reason to believe, that there was not sufficient ground for the charge
contained in the letter, though it is not equally probable that the
writer believed it to be false.

At day-break on Sunday the 22d of May, we sailed from this place, of
which, and of the town of Macassar, and the adjacent country, I shall
say but little, there being many accounts of the island of Celebes and
its inhabitants already extant. The town is built upon a kind of point
or neck of land, and is watered by a river or two, which either run
through, or very near it. It seems to be large, and there is water for a
ship to come within half cannon-shot of the walls: The country about it
is level, and has a most beautiful appearance; it abounds with
plantations, and groves of cocoa-nut trees, with a great number of
houses interspersed, by which it appears to abound with people. At a
distance inland, the country rises into hills of a great height, and
becomes rude and mountainous. The town lies in latitude 5 deg. 10' or 5 deg. 12'
S. and longitude, by account, 117 deg. 28' E. of London.

Bonthain is a large bay, where ships may lie in perfect security during
both the monsoons: The soundings are good and regular, and the bottom
soft mud; nor is there any danger coming in, but a ledge of rocks which
are above water, and are a good mark for anchoring. The highest land in
sight here is called Bonthain hill, and when a ship is in the offing at
the distance of two or three miles from the land, she should bring this
hill north, or N. 1/2 W., and then run in with it and anchor. We lay
right under it, at the distance of about a mile from the shore. In this
bay there are several small towns; that which is called Bonthain lies in
the north-east part of the bay, and here is the small pallisadoed fort
that has been mentioned already, on which there are mounted eight guns
that carry a ball of about eight pounds weight: It is just sufficient to
keep the country people in subjection, and is intended for no other
purpose: It lies on the south side of a small river, and there is water
for a ship to come close to it. The Dutch resident has the command of
the place, and of Bullocomba, another town which lies about twenty miles
farther to the eastward, where there is such another fort, and a few
soldiers, who at the proper season are employed in gathering the rice,
which the people pay as a tax to the Dutch.

Wood and water are to be procured here in great plenty; we cut our wood
near the river, under Bonthain hill: Our water was procured partly from
that river, and partly from another; when from the other, our boat went
above the fort with the casks that were to be filled, where there is a
good rolling way; but as the river is small, and has a bar, the boat,
after it is loaded, can come out only at high water. There are several
other small rivers in the bay, from which water may be got upon
occasion.

We procured plenty of fresh provisions all the while we lay here at a
reasonable rate: The beef is excellent; but it would be difficult to
procure enough of it for a squadron. Rice may be had in any quantity, so
may fowls and fruit: There are also abundance of wild hogs in the woods,
which may be purchased at a low price, as the natives, being Mahometans,
never eat them. Fish may be caught with the seine, and the natives, at
times, supplied us with turtle; for this, like pork, is a dainty which
they ever touch.

Celebes is the key of the Molucca, or Spice Islands, which, whoever is
in possession of it must necessarily command: Most of the ships that are
bound to them, or to Banda, touch here, and always go between this
island and that of Solayer. The bullocks here are the breed that have
the bunch on the back, besides which the island produces horses,
buffaloes, goats, sheep, and deer. The arrack and sugar that are
consumed here are brought from Batavia.

The latitude of Bonthain hill is 5 deg. 30' S., longitude, by account, 117 deg.
53' E. The variation of the compass while we were here was 1 deg. 16' W. The
tides are very irregular; commonly it is but once high water and once
low water in four-and-twenty hours, and there is seldom six feet
difference between them.

SECTION XII.

_Passage from Bonthain Bay, in the Island of Celebes, to Batavia:
Transactions there, and the Voyage round the Cape of Good Hope to
England._

When we left Bonthain Bay, we kept along the shore, at the distance of
two or three miles, till evening, and then anchored for the night, in
the passage between the two islands of Celebes and Tonikaky, in seven
fathom and a half, with a bottom of soft mud. The next morning, we got
again under sail, and took our departure from Tonikaky, which, according
to my account, lies in latitude 5 deg. 31' S., longitude 117 deg. 17'E.; the
variation here was 1 deg. W. We went to the southward of Tonikaky, and stood
to the westward. About three o'clock in the afternoon, we were abreast
of the easternmost of the islands which in the Dutch charts are called
Tonyn's Islands. This island bore from us about N. by W. at the distance
of four miles, and the two westernmost were in sight. These three
islands make a kind of right-angled triangle with each other, the
distance between the eastermost and westermost is about eleven miles,
and their relative bearings are very nearly east and west. The distance
between the two westermost is nearly the same, and they bear to each
other S. by E. and N. by W. About six o'clock, having just sounded, and
got no ground, we suddenly found ourselves upon a shoal, with not three
fathom, and the water being smooth and clear, we could see great crags
of coral rocks under our bottom: We immediately threw all the sails
aback, and happily got off without damage: We had just passed over the
eastermost edge of it, which is as steep as a wall, for we had not gone
back two cables' length before we were out of soundings again. At this
time, we had the two westermost of the Tonyn Islands in one, bearing N.
by W. at the distance of somewhat more than four miles from the nearest.
This is a very dangerous shoal, and is not laid down in any chart that I
have seen: It seemed to extend itself to the southward and westward, all
round the two westernmost of these three islands, for near six miles,
but about the eastermost island there seemed to be no danger; there was
also a clear passage between this island and the other two. The latitude
of the eastermost and westermost of these islands is 5 deg. 31' S. The
eastermost is distant thirty-four miles due west from Tonikaky, and the
westermost lies ten miles farther.

In the afternoon of the 25th, we found the water much discoloured; upon
which we sounded, and had five-and-thirty fathom, with soft mud. Soon
after we went over to the northermost part of a shoal, and had no more
than ten fathom, with soft mud. In this place, where we found the water
shallowest, it was very foul; it seemed to be still shallower to the
southward, but to the northward of us it appeared to be clear. We had no
observation this day, by which I could ascertain the latitude; but I
believe this to be the northermost part of the shoals that lie to the
eastward of the island Madura, and in the English East-India Pilot are
called Bralleron's Shoals, the same which in the Dutch charts are called
Kalcain's Eylandens. By my reckoning, the part that we went over lies in
5 deg. 50' or 5 deg. 52' S. and 3 deg. 36' to the westward of the island Tonikaky,
or S. 84 deg. 27' W. distance sixty-nine leagues. At eleven o'clock the
same night, we saw, to the northward of us, the southermost of the
islands Salombo. I make its latitude to be 5 deg. 33' S. and its longitude
west of Tonikaky 4 deg. 4', at the distance of about eighty-two or
eighty-three leagues. It bears from the last shoal N.W. by W. 3/4 W. at
the distance of about fourteen leagues. It is to be remarked, that
hereabout, off the island of Madura, the winds of the monsoons are
commonly a month later in settling than at Celebes. The variation here
was not more than half a degree west; and we found the current, which
before set to the southward, now setting to the N.W.

In the afternoon of the 26th, we saw from the mast-head the island of
Luback, and had soundings from thirty-five to forty fathom, with a
bottom of bluish clay. The latitude of this island is 5 deg. 43' S. and
its-longitude 5 deg. 36' west of Tonikaky, from which it is distant about
one hundred and twelve leagues. Its distance west from the islands of
Salombo is thirty-one leagues. We went to the northward of this island,
and found a current setting to the W.N.W.

In the evening of Sunday the 29th, we saw the cluster of small islands
called Carimon-Java. The latitude of the eastermost, which is also the
largest, is 5 deg. 48' S. and its longitude, west of Tonikaky, 7 deg. 52'. From
this island it is distant about one hundred and fifty-eight leagues, and
forty-five leagues from Luback.

On Thursday the 2d of June, we hauled in and made the land of Java,
which proved to be that part of the island which makes the eastermost
point of the Bay of Batavia, called Carawawang Point. When we first got
sight of the land, we had gradually decreased our soundings from forty
to eight-and-twenty fathom, with a bottom of bluish mud. As we steered
along the shore for Batavia, we decreased them gradually, still farther,
to thirteen fathom, the depth in which, night coming on, we anchored
near the two small islands called Leyden and Alkmar, in sight of
Batavia; and in the afternoon of the next day, we anchored in the road,
which is so good that it may well be considered as an harbour. We had
now great reason to congratulate ourselves upon our situation; for
during the whole of our passage from Celebes, the ship admitted so much
water by her leaks, that it was all we could do to keep her from
sinking, with two pumps constantly going.

We found here eleven large Dutch ships, besides several that were less;
one Spanish ship, a Portuguese snow, and several Chinese junks. The next
morning we saluted the town with eleven guns, and the same number was
returned. As this was the birth-day of his Britannic majesty, our
sovereign, we afterwards fired one-and-twenty guns more on that
occasion. We found the variation here to be less than half a degree to
the westward.

In the afternoon, I waited upon the governor, and acquainted him with
the condition of the ship, desiring liberty to repair her defects; to
which he replied, that I must petition the council.

On the 6th, therefore, which was council day, I addressed a letter to
the governor and council, setting forth, more particularly, the
condition of the ship; and, after requesting leave to repair her, I
added, that I _hoped_ they would allow me the use of such wharfs and
storehouses as should be necessary. In the afternoon of the next day,
the shebander, with Mr Garrison, a merchant of the place, as
interpreter, and another person, came to me. After the first
compliments, the shebander said, that he was sent by the governor and
council for a letter, which they had heard I had received when I was at
Bonthain, acquainting me, that a design had been formed to cut off my
ship, that the author of it, who had injured both me and their nation in
the person of the governor of that place, might be punished. I readily
acknowledged that I had received such information, but said, that I had
never told any body it was by letter. The shebander then asked me, if I
would take an oath that I had received no such letter as he had been
directed to demand, to which I answered, that I was surprised at the
question; and desired, that if the council had any such uncommon
requisition to make of me, it might be in writing; and I would give such
reply, as, upon mature consideration, I should think proper. I then
desired to know what answer he had been instructed to give to my letter
concerning the refitting of the ship? Upon which he told me, that the
council had taken offence at my having used the word _hope_, and not
written in the style of request, which had been invariably adopted by
all merchants upon the like occasion. I replied, that no offence was
intended on my part; and that I had used the first words which occurred
to me as proper to express my meaning. Thus we parted; and I heard
nothing more of them till the afternoon of the 9th, when the shebander,
and the same two gentlemen, came to me a second time. The shebander
said, that he was then commissioned from the council, to require a
writing under my hand, signifying, that I believed the report of an
intention formed at the island of Celebes to cut off my ship, was false
and malicious; saying, that he hoped I had a better opinion of the Dutch
nation than to suppose them capable of suffering so execrable a fact to
be perpetrated under their government. Mr Garrison then read me a
certificate, which, by order of the council, had been drawn up for me to
sign: As, whatever was my opinion, I did not think it advisable to sign
such a certificate, especially as it appeared to be made a condition of
complying with my request by the delay of an answer during this
solicitation, I desired the shebander to shew me his authority for the
requisition he had made. He replied, that he had no testimony of
authority but the notoriety of his being a public officer, and the
evidence of the gentlemen that were with him, confirming his own
declaration, that he acted in this particular by the express order of
council. I then repeated my request, that whatever the council required
of me might be given me in writing, that the sense of it might be fixed
and certain, and that I might have time to consider of my reply; but he
gave me to understand, that he could not do this without an order from
the council, and I then absolutely refused to sign the paper, at the
same time desiring an answer to my letter, which they not being prepared
to give, we parted, not in very good humour with each other.

After this, I waited in a fruitless expectation till the 15th, when the
same three gentlemen came to me the third time, and said, they had been
sent to tell me that the council had protested against my behaviour at
Macassar, and my having refused to sign the certificate which had been
required of me, as an insult upon them, and an act of injustice to their
nation. I replied, that I was not conscious of having in any instance
acted contrary to the treaties subsisting between the two kingdoms,
unworthy of my character as an officer, honoured with a commission of
his Britannic majesty, or unsuitable to the trust reposed in me, though
I did not think I had been used by the governor of Macassar as the
subject of a friend and ally; desiring, that if they had any thing to
allege against me, it might be reduced to writing, and laid before the
king my master, to whom alone I thought myself amenable. With this
answer they again departed; and the next day, having not yet received
any answer to my letter, I wrote a second, directed like the first, in
which I represented that the ship's leaks were every day increasing, and
urged, in more pressing terms, my request that she might be repaired,
and that the use of wharfs and store-houses might be afforded me.

On the 18th, the shebander came again to me, and acquainted me, that the
council had given orders for the repair of the ship at Onrust; and as
there was no store-house empty, had appointed one of the company's
vessels to attend me, and take in my stores. I enquired whether there
was not an answer to my letter in writing; to which he answered in the
negative, adding, that it was not usual, a message by him, or some other
officer, having been always thought sufficient.

After this I was supplied, for my money, with every thing I could desire
from the company's stores, without any further difficulty.

A pilot was ordered to attend me, and on the 22d we anchored at Onrust,
where, having cleared the ship, and put her stores on board the
company's vessel, we found the bowsprit and cap, as well as the
main-yard, rotten, and altogether unserviceable, the sheathing every
where eaten off by the worms, and the main planks of the ship's bottom
so much damaged and decayed, that it was absolutely necessary to heave
her down, before she could be sufficiently repaired to sail for Europe;
but as other ships were already heaved down, and consequently the wharfs
at this time preoccupied, the carpenters could not begin their work till
the 24th of July.

Under the hands of these people the ship continued till Tuesday the 16th
of August. When they came to examine her bottom, they found it so bad,
that they were unanimously of opinion it should be shifted: This,
however, I strenuously opposed. I knew she was an old ship; and I was
afraid that if her bottom was opened, it might be found still worse than
it was thought; and possibly so bad, as that, like the Falmouth, she
might be condemned; I therefore desired that a good sheathing only might
be put over all; but the _bawse_, or master-carpenter, would not
consent, except I would certify, under my hand, that what should be done
to the ship was not according to his judgment but my own, which, he
said, was necessary for his justification, if, after such repairs only
as I thought fit to direct had been made, the ship should come short of
her port. As I thought this a reasonable proposition, I readily
complied; but as I was now become answerable for the fate of the ship, I
had her carefully examined by my own carpenter and his mate, myself and
officers always attending. The but-ends of the planks that joined to the
stern were so open, that a man's hand might be thrust in between; seven
chain-plates were broken and decayed; the iron work, in general, was in
a very bad state; several of the knees were loose, and some of them were
broken.

While I remained here, two ships belonging to our India Company put into
this port; and we found, among other private ships from India, one
called the Dudly, from Bengal, which had proved so leaky that it was
impossible to carry her back. Application had been made to the governor
and council for leave to careen her, which had been granted; but as the
wharfs had been kept in continual use, she had been put off above four
months. The captain, not without reason, was apprehensive that he might
be kept here till the worms had eaten through the bottom of his vessel,
and knowing that I had received particular civilities from Admiral
Houting, applied to me to intercede for him, which I was very happy to
do with such success, that a wharf was immediately allotted her. Mr
Houting was an old man, and an admiral in the service of the States,
with the rank of commander-in-chief of their marine, and the ships
belonging to the company in India. He received his first maritime
knowledge on board an English man-of-war, speaks English and French
extremely well, and did honour to the service both by his abilities and
politeness: He was so obliging as to give me a general invitation to his
table, in consequence of which I was often with him; and it is with
pleasure that I take this opportunity of making a public acknowledgment
of the favours I received from him, and bearing this testimony to his
public and private merit. He was indeed the only officer belonging to
the company from whom I received any civility, or with whom I had the
least communication; for I found them, in general, a reserved and
supercilious set of people. The governor, although the servant of a
republic, takes upon himself more state, in some particulars, than any
sovereign prince in Europe. Whenever he goes abroad, he is attended by
a party of horse-guards, and two black men go before his coach in the
manner of running-footmen; each having a large cane in his hand, with
which they not only clear the way, but severely chastise all who do not
pay the homage that is expected from people of all ranks, as well those
belonging to the country as strangers. Almost every body in this place
keeps a carriage, which is drawn by two horses, and driven by a man upon
a box, like our chariots, but is open in front: Whoever, in such a
carriage, meets the governor, either in the town or upon the road, is
expected not only to draw it on one side, but to get out of it, and make
a most respectful obeisance while his excellency's coach goes by; nor
must any carriage that follows him drive past on any account, but keep
behind him, however pressing be the necessity for haste. A very
mortifying homage of the same kind is also exacted by the members of the
council, called Edele Heeren; for whoever meets them is obliged to stop
his coach, and, though not to get out, to stand up in it, and make his
reverence. These Edele Heeren are preceded by one black man with a
stick; nor must any person presume to pass their carriage any more than
that of the governor. These ceremonies are generally complied with by
the captains of Indiamen and other trading ships; but, having the honour
to bear his majesty's commission, I did not think myself at liberty to
pay to a Dutch governor any homage which is not paid to my own
sovereign: It is, however, constantly required of the King's officers;
and two or three days after I came hither, the landlord of the hotel
where I lodged told me, he had been ordered by the shebander to let me
know, that my carriage, as well as others, must stop, if I should meet
the governor or any of the council; but I desired him to acquaint the
shebander, that I could not consent to perform any such ceremony; and
upon his intimating somewhat about the black men with sticks, I told
him, that if any insult should be offered me, I knew how to defend
myself, and would take care to be upon my guard; at the same time
pointing to my pistols, which then happened to lie upon the table. Upon
this he went away, and about three hours afterwards he returned, and
told me he had orders from the governor to acquaint me that I might do
as I pleased. The hotel at which I resided is licensed by the governor
and council, and all strangers are obliged to take up their abode there,
except officers in his majesty's service, who are allowed private
lodgings, which, however, I did not chose.