114 - 116, but
have not been deemed of sufficient importance for insertion in this
collection. - E.
SECTION XIX.
Eleventh Voyage of the East India Company, in 1612, in the
Salomon.[103]
We sailed from Gravesend on the 1st February, 1611, according to the
computation of the church of England, or 1612 as reckoned by others. We
were four ships in company, which were counted as three separate
voyages, because directed to several parts of India: The James, which
was reckoned the ninth voyage, the Dragon and Hosiander the tenth,
and our ship, the Salomon, as the eleventh.
[Footnote 103: Purch. Pilgr. I. 486. This unimportant voyage is only
preserved, for the sake of continuing the regular series of voyages
which contributed to the establishment of the East India Company. We
learn from Purchas that it was written by Ralph Wilson, one of the mates
in the Salomon, who never mentions the name of his captain. This voyage,
as given by Purchas, contains very little information, and is therefore
here abridged, though not extending to two folio pages in the
Pilgrims. - E.]
I would advise such as go from Saldanha bay with the wind at E. or S.E.
to get to a considerable distance from the land before standing
southwards, as otherwise the high lands at the Cape will take the wind
from them; and if becalmed, one may be much troubled, as there is
commonly in these parts a heavy sea coming from the west. Likewise, the
current sets in for the shore, if the wind has been at N.N.W. or W. or
S.S.W. And also the shore is so bold that no anchorage can be had.
The 18th October, we espied the land, being near Celeber in the island
of Sumatra, in about 3 deg. of south latitude. The 2d November, coming
between Java and a ragged island to the westwards of the point of
Palimbangan, we met a great tide running out so fast that we could
hardly stem it with the aid of a stiff gale. When afterwards the gale
slacked, we came to anchor, and I found the tide to run three 1/2
leagues in one watch. I noticed that this tide set outwards during the
day, and inwards through the night. This day at noon the point of
Palimbangan bore N.E. by E. three leagues off, and from thence to the
road of Bantam is five leagues, S.S.E. 1/3 E. The latitude of Bantam is
6 deg. 10' S. and the long. 145 deg. 2' E. This however is rather too much
easterly, as I think the true longitude of Bantam is 144 deg. E. from
Flores.[104]
[Footnote 104: The long. of Bantam is 106 deg. E. from Greenwich. That in
the text appears to have been estimated from the island of Flores, which
is 31 deg.
