We Got Sight Of The Island Of Ceylon On The 27th In The Morning, Bearing
N.E. By E. About 7 Leagues Off, Being Very High Land Up The Country, But
Very Low Near The Sea.
The 29th we saw Cape Comorin about 14 leagues
off, being very high land.
This cape is in the latitude of 7 deg. 42' [more
accurately 7 deg. 57' N.] whereas our charts lay it down in 6 deg. 10'. During
our course we did not fall in with any of the islands laid down in our
charts, neither did we see any of the Maldive islands, which are said to
be so numerous.
The 15th October, when in lat. 4 deg. 49' S. we got sight of Sumatra, where
we found a strong current setting us from the land. Such as are bound
for the straits of Sunda, must keep the coast of Sumatra on board after
they get into lat. 1 deg. 30' S. as the current begins there. It is proper
to keep thirty leagues off the coast of that island and with a good
look-out, as there are many cayos[422] fifteen or twenty leagues out
at sea, but which we did not see, as we were kept farther out by the
current. The 24th we came to anchor in the road of Bantam, all our
people being in as good health, or better, than when we left England.
Contrary to our expectation, we here found the Hector, which had arrived
only the day before, in company with the James and several Dutch ships.
The arrival of all these ships, and the daily expectation of the
Trades-increase, Pepper-corn, Darling, and Thomas, occasioned a great
and sudden alteration in the prices of commodities.
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