We Made Ourselves Merry With Each Other On This Happy Meeting;
And Having A Fair Gale, The Lion Sailed On The Night Of The 14th.
We
found here water in abundance, but little refreshments for our sick men,
except fresh fish, as the natives brought us nothing.
We remained in
this harbour till the 28th, on which day we departed, the Swan steering
her course for Bantam. The 29th we doubled the Cape of Good Hope, in the
lat. of 35 deg. S. Off this cape there continually sets a most violent
current to the westwards, whence it happens, when it is met by a strong
contrary wind, their impetuous opposition occasions so rough a sea that
some ships have been swallowed up, and many more endangered among these
mountainous waves. Few ships pass this way without encountering a storm.
The 22d of July we got sight of the great island of Madagascar, commonly
called of St Lawrence, being between that island and the main, but
touched not there. Proceeding on our course, on the 1st of August we
fell in with a part of the main land of Africa, called Boobam,[224] in
lat. 16 deg. 35' S. the variation being 13 deg. 12'. The 5th we drew near the
little islands of Mohelia, Gazidia, and St Juan de Castro, [Moelia,
Hinzuan or Johanna, Mayotta or St Christopher, and Augasi,] generally
known by the name of the Komoro islands, in about the lat. of 12 deg. S.
[Footnote 224: The head-land of Mosambique is probably here meant. - E.]
Early in the morning of the 6th of August, our men in the tops looking
out for land, espied a sail about three or four leagues off directly in
our course. About noon, the Globe, which was our smallest ship, and
sailed better than the rest of the fleet, came up with her on the
broadside to windward, and hailed her according to the custom of the
sea, asking whence she came? She answered, indirectly, that she came
from the sea, and her people insulted ours most outrageously, calling
them thieves, rogues, heretics, and devils; and, in conclusion of their
rude compliments, spoke in the loud language of the cannon's roar,
discharging seven pieces of large artillery at our Globe, six of the
balls piercing her hull, and maiming some of her men, but killing none.
Our Globe replied in the same voice, and afterwards fell astern and
stood in for our general and the rest of our fleet, now four sail in
all, shewing us the discourtesy of the Portuguese.
About three in the afternoon, the Charles, our admiral, came up with the
Portuguese ship, which was the admiral of the caracks that sailed this
year from Lisbon, but had parted from all the rest of their fleet. When
within pistol-shot, Captain Benjamin Joseph, our commander, proceeded
deliberately to work, offering treaty before he attempted revenge. So we
saluted her with our trumpets, to which she replied with her
wind-instruments.
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