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.
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