We Steered From This Point E.S.E. For So
The Land Lieth Open, Off The Point Of The High
Round island, being four
leagues between the two points; but the western point is an island, with
three or four
Others to the eastwards of it, which cannot be perceived
till very near them. The land then falls away N.E. having a large and
round bay or sound, very deep, with land on both sides of it. This round
hill is Bachian, and yields great abundance of cloves; but by reason
of the wars they are wasted, and as the people are not allowed the
advantages of the cloves, they are not gathered, but are left to drop
from the trees upon the ground to absolute waste. The natives are
oppressed by the Hollanders and Spaniards, and induced by them to spoil
and waste each other in civil wars; while both of these, their
oppressors, remain secure in strong-holds, and look on till they can
snatch, the bone from he who can wrest it from his fellow. Finding no
ground on which to anchor, and being unable to get to the northwards, we
stood off and on all night, hoping to get a shift of wind to carry us to
Machian.
The morning of the 24th; the high land of the island, laying from us S.
by E. ten or twelve leagues, had a rugged appearance. We stood in,
however, and when a league from the point, sent off the skiff to look
for water, and to sound for an anchorage. She returned on board, having
neither found water nor place to anchor in; wherefore we stood into the
bay, and presently got sight of a town and fort belonging to the
Hollanders, called Boa de Bachian. The pinnace a-head found water in
several places, which were all very steep and in the bottom of the bay,
near to which is the Dutch fort very artificially built, and warlike,
with a town hard by. We came here to anchor, a sacker shot from the
fort, having very irregular soundings in going up, as seventy, sixty,
eight, and ten fathoms, the ground all ooze. The Dutch saluted us with
five pieces, which I returned with a like number. A messenger being on
board of my ship from the king of the island, I told him our salute was
in honour of his master; who indeed had sent me word by this person,
that he would have come aboard to visit me, but was hindered by the
Dutch. In this fort there were thirteen pieces of artillery, one being a
brass demi-culverine, the others sackers and minions. The Hollanders
here are more feared than loved by the natives, which yet is the cause
of their greater profit; for, as soon as we arrived, the natives told
us, they durst not for their lives bring us a catty of cloves.
At our anchorage here, the outermost point bore S.S.W. and the other
S.W. distant from us four leagues.
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