We Came To Anchor Next
Day On The Coast Of The Continent, In 12 Fathoms, About Two Leagues From
Shore, And Sent Our Pinnace To Seek Refreshments; But They Were Unable
To Land, And The Natives Could Not Be Induced To Adventure Within
Hearing, Wherefore Our Ship Departed In The Afternoon.
About this time,
William Acton, one of the ship boys, confessed being guilty of a foul
and detestable crime;[284] and being tried and found guilty by a jury,
was condemned and executed on the morning of the 3rd March.
[Footnote 282: Called by Jones the Desolate Islands, because not
inhabited. - E.]
[Footnote 283: Jones says these turtle-doves were so tame that one man
might have taken twenty dozen in a day with his hands. - E.]
[Footnote 284: In the last paragraph but one of his book, Mr Coverte
explains the nature of this crime: "Philip de Grove, our master, was a
Fleming, and an arch villain, for this boy confessed to myself that he
was a detestable sodomite. Hence, had not the mercy of God been great,
it was a wonder our ship did not sink in the ocean." - For any thing that
appears, the boy was put to death to save the master. - Astl. I. 342. c.
In Jones's Narrative no notice is taken of this crime and
punishment. - E.]
The 21st betimes, we espied an island in lat. 12 deg. 17' N. with four rocks
or hills about three leagues from it. We had beaten up a whole day and
night to get to this island; but finding it barren and unpeopled, we
passed on, and got sight of three other islands that same day about
sun-set, in lat. 12 deg. 29' N. Two were about a league asunder, and we
found the third to be Socotora, which is in lat. 12 deg. 24' N. We arrived
here the 29th March, and came to anchor next day in a fine bay. As the
islanders lighted a fire on seeing us, we sent the skiff on shore, but
the people fled in all haste, having possibly been injured by some who
had passed that way. Finding no prospect of any relief here, our men
returned on board, when we again made sail to find the chief harbour.
Standing out to sea next day, we met a ship from Guzerat, laden with
cotton, calico, and pintados or chintz, and bound for Acheen.[285] As
they told us it was a place of great trade, we went there along with
her, but we found it quite otherwise, being merely a garrison town with
many soldiers. There is a castle at the entrance cut out of the main
land, and surrounded by the sea, having thirty-two pieces of ordnance,
and there were fifty in the town. Arriving there the 10th April, the
people of the Guzerat ship landed, and told the governor that an English
ship had come to trade there. The governor sent his admiral to invite
our general, who went very unadvisedly on shore, where he and his
attendants were received with much courtesy, three or four horses
waiting for his use, and was brought in great pomp to the governor.
Finding our general but a simple man, the governor put him into a house
with a chiaus, or keeper, and a strong guard of janissaries, and kept
him and his attendants prisoners for six weeks, I being of the number.
The governor then obliged him to send aboard for iron, tin, and cloth,
to the value of 2500 dollars, pretending that he meant to purchase the
goods; but when once on shore, he seized them under pretence of customs.
Seeing he could get no more, he sent the general aboard on the 27th May,
but detained two of our merchants as pledges for payment of 2000
dollars, which he said was for anchorage:
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