We Were
Forced Therefore To Leave This Unfriendly Place, And To Attempt Going To
Amboina, If The Wind Would Serve.
Manissa is about fifteen miles from
S.E. to N.W. and about eight in breadth, in lat.
3 deg. 25' S. and about
twenty miles west from the island of Bonou. It is a remarkably high
island, and pretty well inhabited by Malays, as are all the Molucca
Islands. It is surrounded by shoals almost on every side, and some of
these stretch a league and a half from the shore, so that it is very
dangerous to come near, unless with very good charts, or with an
experienced pilot. It has several good springs of fresh water, and the
Dutch have a small fort with six guns on its S.W. side. It is governed
by a Dutch serjeant, having under him three corporals, a master gunner,
and twenty European soldiers; and produces vast plenty of rice and
cloves, both of which are sent to Amboina. The inhabitants are mostly
fishers, and catch such abundance of fish as not only supplies
themselves, but enables them also to carry a great deal to Amboina.
We stood to the S.W. having the wind at S.S.E. and blowing fresh, so
that we sailed under our courses, and were now much out of heart, not
expecting to reach Amboina, the S E. monsoon being now set in; which was
right against us. Almost in despair, we continued our course till we
were over against the island of Bouro, and then the wind veering to
the S.S.W. we stood away S.E. but finding a strong current setting to
leeward, we rather lost ground, and seeing no likelihood of getting to
Amboina, we, by general consent, shared among us all that was eatable on
board, each man's share being six pounds and three quarters of flour,
and five pounds of bran, every one resolving to use his share as
sparingly as possible.
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