In Effect, Some Of The Most
Valuable Voyages Are Those Which Afford Least Pleasure In Reading.
The
first navigators of every nation to foreign countries, were chiefly
employed in discovering the untried coasts, and wrote for the
instruction of those who were to visit the same places afterwards, till
they became sufficiently known.
For this reason it is, that the farther
we advance the relations become the more agreeable; so that in a little
time those who read only for pleasure will have no reason to
complain." - Astley.
[Footnote 369: Purch. Pilgr. I. 314. Astl. I. 429.]
At the close of this voyage, Purchas makes the following remark: "I
think these mere marine relations, though profitable to some, are to
most readers tedious. For which cause, I have abridged this, to make way
for the next, written by Mr Floris, a merchant of long Indian
experience, out of whose journal I have taken the most remarkable
actions of this voyage, being full of pleasant variety." But, as well
observed by the editor of Astley's Collection, Purchas has rather
curtailed than abridged, often leaving out whole paragraphs and
inserting others in an abrupt and unconnected manner, passing over
places without any mention, and speaking of them afterwards as if they
had been mentioned before. We have therefore used the farther liberty of
still farther abridging his confused abridgment, yet so as not to omit
any information that appeared at all interesting or useful. - E.
* * * * *
We weighed from Blackwell, in the good ship the Globe, on the 3d
January, 1611, bound for the East Indies, and arrived at Saldanha the
21st May. Sailing thence on the 6th June, we passed not far from
Mozambique, Comora, and Pemba, and on the 31st July passed before Point
de Galle, in Ceylon. The 6th August we saw land from the topmast-head,
and at 3 p.m. saw a tower or pagoda, and a ship bearing N.W. and came
into eight fathoms about three leagues off shore, near Negapatam.
Continuing our course N. by E. we took on the 8th a boat belonging to
San Thome. The 9th, at noon, the town of Meliapore bore N.N.W. two
leagues off. The best mark by which to know this place is a high hill up
the country. There is a shoal about two leagues south of Pullicatt, and
about a mile or more from the shore, the N.E. end of it being about a
league off. We went over the end of it in three fathoms; but if you keep
in ten or twelve fathoms, you will always be safe. The 9th we anchored
off Pullicatt, which bore from us W. by N. There is a cross to the
north of the town, which may be seen between two and three miles
offshore, but you cannot see the town. Not liking our situation, we
weighed on the 10th, and stood farther north, and anchored again in
eight fathoms, the cross now bearing W. by S. the western point W. by N.
and the northernmost point N.W. The 10th, at noon, the governor sent off
a boat for our gentlemen, when Mr Brown and Mr Floris went on shore in
our skiff which sunk when going over the bar; but, blessed be God, none
of our men were drowned.
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