They Found
At The Watering-Place A Junk Belonging To Johor, Fitted Out For War,
Having Twenty Men Armed With
Fire-arms, besides lances and javelins.
They reported that they had taken a Chinese junk, which they had sold on
The coast of Johor; the nokhada sending me word, that he would assist me
against the Portuguese at the hazard of his life. In the bay next to the
southwards of Pulo Timon, we found excellent fresh water, but could not
conveniently take it in by means of our long-boat, which drew five feet
water when loaded. Having thus spent the day to little purpose, we set
sail at the beginning of the night, directing our course for Patane,
and steering N. all night with little wind.
At noon of the 18th, we were in the latitude of 3 deg. 40' N. At four p.m.
we had sight of Pulo Tingoran, N.N.W. fifteen leagues off. At night we
passed by Tingoran, about six leagues to the eastwards, having 28, 30,
and 32 f. on soft ground. At six a.m. of the 19th, Tigoran bore W.S.W.
seven leagues from us, when we had thirty-six f. soft ground. At noon of
this day we were in lat. 5 deg. 30' N. Tingoran bearing S. 1/3 E. fourteen
leagues off, by which we estimated the latitude of that island to be 4 deg.
50 N. We had likewise, at noon, the south isle of Pulo Rowdon, [Ridang,]
N.W. by W. seven leagues off. The same night at eight, I observed the
croziers, making the latitude of the ship 5 deg. 48' N. At this time, the
largest of the Ridang isles, which is the eastermost, bore from us due
W. four leagues distant. From eight this night, till noon of the 20th,
our course was nearly N.W. by W. nine leagues, our sounding being from
28 to 17 f. The northermost of the Pulo Ridang isles was then S. 1/3 E.
four leagues off, being a round hummock, much like Pomo in the gulf of
Venice, but somewhat higher and more complete. These isles consist of
good high land, having fair depth all along their eastern side to
seawards, and I am told have a free and safe channel between them and
the main land. There are thirteen or fourteen islands in this group,
great and small.
From noon of the 20th till eight in the morning of the 21st, our course
was W.N.W. nine leagues. We saw two hills by the water-side, bearing W.
and five leagues off, resembling two great tortoises. From Pulo Tingoran
all the way to Patani, the land up the country is very high, while that
just within the coast is low, with a sandy beach. This is the case for
at least twenty leagues south of Patani, but how much farther I know
not. In the afternoon of the 20th, while standing towards the two hills
just mentioned as resembling tortoises, we came from 17 into 14 and 13
f. with hard ground; and as we drew nearer these hills, the depth again
increased to 19 f. on ooze, and then shoaled again to 18 and 17 f. on
ooze.
The 21st of May, being Sunday, from eight a.m. to seven p.m. our course
was N.W. 3/4 W. thirteen leagues, keeping mostly within four leagues of
the low sandy shore, the depth all the way being 15, 14, and 13 f. We
then anchored in 13-3/4 f. streamy ground, the northermost point in
sight, falling down from a reasonably high land at the far end of the
low land, bore from us W.N.W. 1/2 N. near 3-1/2 leagues off. S.E. by S.
from this point, six leagues off, there is a rock, as high above water
as the hull of a small ship, which we passed about 1-1/2 league on its
E. side, finding no alteration in the soundings. This point I named the
Gurnet's Head. From this point, the land trends W.N.W. and W. by N. all
the way to the entrance into Patani roads, being all low land from the
Gurnet's Head to the point of the road, this point being the lowest of
all. The distance from the Gurnet's Head to that low point is six
leagues, all the way of fair depth till coming near the low point of the
road, to which a good birth must be given, as there lies a shoal from it
half-way over to the western shore, wherefore it must not be approached
too near, till you find in the first place the shoaling of the western
shore, which is the softest ground. From the low point, in going across
the bay to the western shore there are only from 5 f. to 4 1/2 when in
the road; and then the low point bears from the anchorage, E.N.E. 1/3 E.
the highest mountains in the western side of the bay bearing S.S.W. 1/3
W.
We anchored in the road of Patani on Thursday the 25th of May, when we
found the Sampson and a Dutch pinnace there at anchor. I went ashore the
day before to the English factory, where I found Mr Adam Denton and Mr
Richard Welding, lately come from Jambee in Sumatra in a proa, with
several of the Sampson's people, who were all rejoiced to see our ships
coming into the port. On getting to the English house, I told Mr Denton
that my chief purpose for coming here was for arrack and fresh victuals,
of which we were in great need, upon which he gave immediate orders to
procure every thing we needed, so that in six days we were supplied with
sixteen butts of arrack and arrack-apee; three butts of which last we
had from the Dutch, for which courtesy we were chiefly obliged by their
anxiety to have us away.
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