On The 18th Of February, They Fell In With The Fruitful Island Of Baratene,[37] Having In The Mean Time Suffered Much From Cross Winds And Dangerous Shoals.

They met with a friendly reception from the people of this island, who were handsomely proportioned, and just in all their dealings.

The men wore no cloathing, except a slight covering round their middles, but the women were covered from the waist to the feet, having likewise many large heavy bracelets of bone, horn, or brass, on their arms, the smallest weighing two ounces, and having eight or ten of these on at once. This island affords gold, silver, copper, sulphur, nutmegs, ginger, long-pepper, lemons, cocoas, frigo, sago, and other commodities, and linen was found to be in much request by the natives, as of it they make girdles and rolls for wearing on their heads. Among the productions of this island, there was a particular sort of fruit, resembling barberries in size, form, and husk, very hard, yet of a pleasant taste, and becoming soft and easy of digestion when boiled. In short, they met with no place in the whole voyage that yielded greater abundance of every comfort than this island, excepting Ternate.

[Footnote 37: No circumstance in the text serves to indicate what island is here meant, except that it appears to have been to the eastward of Java. - E.]

Leaving Baratene, they sailed to Java Major, where also they were courteously and honourably entertained. This island was ruled over by six kings, who lived in entire peace and amity with each other, and they once had four of them on board at one time, and very often two or three together.[38]

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