IN the year of Our Lord 1618, the 28th December, I, William Ysbrantsz Bontekoe of Hoorn, set sail from Texel, being captain of the ship named New Hoorn, manned with 206 men, of size about 1,100 tons, the wind being East.

The 29th day we passed the Heads. The 30th day, in the evening, we sighted Portland, the wind still Easterly. The 31st day we passed Plymouth.

The 1st January 1619 we passed England’s End, the wind being the same, and set our course out to sea, S.W. by S.

The 2nd day the wind veered to S.E.; set our course S.S.W. with a stiff breeze. The 3rd day the wind changed to South with a stiff breeze; set our course to W.S.W. The 4th day the wind came S.W. with increasing force, so that we were compelled to take in our topsails. During the night the wind blew so hard that we took in the foresail and lay to westward with one sail.

The 5th at night we shipped three seas, so that the upper deck was half-full of water, and the men began to cry out ‘We’re sinking, we’re [Page 20] sinking, the bow gun ports are open!’ Hearing that I ran hastily to the forecastle and found the portholes to be closed, whereupon I called out to them ‘There is no danger!’ and said, ‘Look lively now, let a man go below to see if there may be water in the hold’, which was done at once and they found no water in the hold; so I ordered them to bale out the water with leathern buckets. But the men’s chests were slipping and shifting to and fro by the force of the water, so that they could hardly keep themselves on their feet to bale. So we were forced to break the chests to pieces with crowbars; then there was space to bale, and by God’s help we got rid of the water. We were then drifting without sails, but the ship swung so mightily that we were compelled to put up the sail again to steady her. We lay over to westward, the weather being very intemperate, with rain, so that the sea and sky did appear as if welded together, the whole sea foaming as if it were aboil. The 6th, 7th and 8th day it continued foul weather with rain. We saw that day many sea-fowl, which caused us to believe ourselves near the island Brazil, if such island there be, but we had no sight there-of.

The 20th day the weather became fair and calm, and while drifting becalmed we bound our mast firmly and drew our main rigging taut and hauled our main topsail out of the top with the top-yard and put that up in place of our main-sail and the top-gallant instead of our main-mast with the top-gallant sail thereon, in which manner we made everything ready to sail and continue our voyage. Set our course for the Canary Islands, S.S.W., the wind being about S.E. with fair weather, and the pleasantness of the weather soon put us at our ease again.

The 21st day saw a sail astern of us that did her best (as we marked) to come near us; we turned to lee and waited for her. When near us we saw it was an East India-man that had sailed from Zealand on the 29 Dec. 1618, some days after we sailed from Texel. They were in good order and wanted nothing, nor had they suffered damage by the storm. The ship was named Nieuw-Zeelandt, the captain’s name was Pieter Tijsz of [Page 22] Amsterdam; we had good company of one another; we sailed near as fast as they though our sails were in a poor way, as related. Our course the same as before.

Held course for the Canary Islands, which we had sight of and passed; the wind was S.E. with fair weather, we had our top-sails up and looked to find the island of St. Anthony for our refreshing, yet by reason of much mist and rain could get no sight of it; therefore, for certainty’s sake, set our course for the island of Ile de Mayo or Ile del Foge. Coming there about, it became calm with variable winds and we were forced to tack before we could make it; we now got parted from our consorts since they came to the Ile de Mayo and we to the Ile del Foge, these islands lying near together. Arrived at the island we could find no anchorage, so ran close under the coast into calm water. We had brought with us from Holland a number of small masts and spars which we now got out, pushing them out backwards through the port and hauling them on deck. We sawed a spar of 14 palms through length-wise and made two fishes and fixed them (besides two other fishes) against the mast, which made our mast as strong as it had been before. At the same time we sent our [Page 23] sloop to the coast to fish and being come close to the shore the Spaniards came with loaded muskets on to the beach and shot at our boat, to show they did not want our men to land; so they came back to us bringing but little fish. That evening we departed from the lee of the before-mentioned island and set our course to pass the Æquinoctial Line.

While lying by this island there came a great shower of dust off the land, as if there had been a fire, and clung to the rigging of the ship so that it was as white as if strewn with white ashes. The next day, in the morning, when the cook had made ready the breakfast, we saw two sails behind on our lee, took in our topsails and held towards them. Being come near them, they were our two companions, to wit: the ship Nieuw Zeelandt and the ship Enkhuysen whom we lost sight of in the night by the islands Ile de Mayo and Ile del Foge; we rejoiced greatly, visited one another on board and related our adventures. They told us how they had been on land on Ile de Mayo for their refreshing, but had found nothing and lost two of their men who were slain by the Spaniards, one of whom came from Hoorn by name Ysbrant Dirckz.

under the line it was calm, but at times we had great gusts of wind with rain, the wind coming from all points so that we wasted three weeks before we could cross the Æquinoctial Line. By night the sea appeared as it were all afire and foaming, it seemed as if sparks of fire shot out from the bow of the ship, but by day it ceased; this (more than common) fire of the sea did greatly astonish all of us. Set our course to get above the Abrolhos, having a S.E. wind. Coming up to the Abrolhos the wind stilled and we feared we could not get to windward of them, yet on nearing them the wind came up, but even so we ran so near that we had sight of the outside islands; thus we came to windward of them by God’s help, which rejoiced us all, for had we failed in this we should have been forced to make a long journey with the peril of having many of our men sick. We gave the men that day double ration of food and to every mess a can of Spanish wine. Set our course for the islands of Tristan d’Acunha. And after we had sailed for several days we were at the height of these same islands yet had no sight of them. The wind now being N.W. we bore eastwards to make the Cape of Bonesperance [Good Hope]. After holding this course for some time we saw black-specked gulls of which occasionally we caught some, with sticks covered with a piece of fat and hooks to them, and so pulled them into the ship by way of pastime.

We kept our course along the coast to the land of Terra de Natal. In passing this coast the weather was very fair, we visited aboard one another and made good cheer. And the ship Enkhuysen being destined for the coast of Coromandel, she took leave of us and set another course as so to run inside the island of St. Laurentius, otherwise named Madagascar, and so further to the Mayottes to refresh themselves there; we took leave and wished one another a prosperous voyage.

When we had sailed for a long time after we separated, being at the height of 23 degrees South of the Æquinoctial Line, we had every day many who fell sick, by reason of which the officers (on the part of the common men) came into the cabin asking that we should go to the island of Madagascar for refreshing; they feared all our men would become sick, for about forty of them lay in their beds and many others did complain of being out of sorts. We therefore resolved with the whole council to hold a steady course to the island of Madagascar, to a Bay named Sancta Lucia. Coming near the coast we could see no place to bring in the ship; we put out our boat and I went with the boat well-manned to the shore the ship holding in and off near the land. Approaching the coast in the boat we found the sea beat so furiously on the shore that there was no chance to get into it; we saw many people come on the shore and one of our men sprang overboard and got to them, but he could not understand them, they waved their hands downwards as it were to say that there was a place to land. These folk, as far as we could see, had no fresh food with them; so we must needs go back empty-handed to the ship. And when we came on board (much as we hated it) without refreshments, the sick were grieved beyond measure. We resolved to go out to sea again and hold South to the height of 29 degrees, then veered and sailed East by South till we came to [Page 27] 17 degrees South of the Æquinoctial. Then our men again begged that we should make land to seek for refreshment, which we agreed to do seeing that every day more of our men fell sick and some died. Therefore it was resolved to make for the island of Mauritius or the island of Mascarenhas and we set our course between the two, for these islands lie near together. So we struck the East end of the island of Mascarenhas, sailing close round the corner along the shore, found 40 fathom depth close to land and cast anchor, but it was an incommodious place for the ship to lie, being too near the shore. As we lay there the sick crawled out of their berths and would fain have got on land; but the sea running very high, we were afraid to take the sick with us to land; so we sent out the boat to examine the place and coming on land did find the dung of turtles and so returned to the ship; the sick kept on entreating to be put on land for they smelt the air saying: ‘Were we only on shore we were half cured of our sickness’. [Page 28] the crew helped the sick into the boat, and I ordered a sail to be given them for making a tent, also oil and vinegar, pans to cook with as well as victuals also cooks to look after the sick and cook for them, then we went directly to the shore. Being on land they crept together in the grass saying, ‘We feel better already’, and looking about we found a great many doves in the trees, of those blue field-doves. They let themselves be caught by hand or killed with sticks, having no sense to fly away. We took that day about two hundred, brought them to the fire and fell a-boiling and a-roasting for the sick as well as for those in health. We found also many land-turtles; these we boiled with Damascus plums, of which we had brought plenty with us from Holland. I then returned to the ship leaving the sick (about forty in number) with the cooks on shore.

In the bay we went on shore and found there a great lake of water not quite fresh, the reason of which we judged to be that being no more than three ship’s lengths from the coast the salt sea water leaked through the sand and so made the other salt as well.

Coming further inland we found great number of geese, doves, grey parrots and other birds, also many land-turtles; seeing as many as twenty to twenty-five lying in the shade of a tree, so that we could have as many as we desired. The geese were not wise enough to fly up when we pursued them, and we beat them to death with sticks without their making a motion to fly. There were also some dodos that had small wings yet could not fly, they were so fat they could scarce move and as they walked dragged their backend along the ground.

And what we most did marvel at, when we held one of the parrots and other birds and squeezed it till it screamed, there came all the others from thereabout as if they would free it and let themselves be caught as well, so we had enough of them to eat. Having seen this we returned with the boat to the ship that (as stated) was about five miles distant from that place. Being again on board we related our adventures, how we had there found a good road in a sand-bay and good and safe anchorage for the ship. At this they all rejoiced exceedingly; we took the boat and brought the news to our men whom we had set ashore in sight of the ship, how we should sail the ship five miles from there and then return to them; with which they were well content.

Whereupon coming on board we weighed and anchored again in the above-mentioned sand-bay in thirty-five fathom and made fast both fore and aft; we let the most of our men land to seek out what they could find; and gave order for eight [Page 30] men to fish with the net in the inland water (which was spoken of) to see if they could get food for the crew. They went to work and caught good fish, that is hard and other fish also, some of the size of salmon and a fine flavour and fat. We found also fresh water: a small river that came down into the sea from the mountains, the which on both sides was grown over with small trees very fair, and the water flowing between as clear as crystal; therefore we brought all our water-barrels to land and filled them from that river leaving them to stand till the time we should go aboard or such time we might think fit. On this before-mentioned island of Mascarenhas there live no people. Our men wandered over the island almost from end to end and gathered what they would, feeding themselves with the birds and fish. They roasted the birds in good manner on sticks, taking the fat from turtles to smear them with, which made them so delicate it was a pleasure to eat thereof. We found also running water with great eels therein. The men took off their shirts and held them open in the flowing water so catching them [Page 31] in their shirts, and the taste of them was excellent.

Here we saw a thing that amazed all of us; to wit: how the turtles came up out of the sea at morning on the shore and, scratching a hole in the sand, laid their eggs in great numbers, a hundred, nay up to two hundred, scratching sand again over the eggs, which by the sun that did shine by day with great heat, were hatched and young turtles came out from them. We looked at them with wonder for their shells were were no bigger than large nut-shells.

There we found also some sugar palm trees from which we took wine as sweet to the taste as whey. There we saw goats, but so wild we could not procure any but one so old that his horns were eaten up with worms. Not fit to be eaten by human beings.

And while we were thus occupied each day, the sick whom we had put on land (as described) did all return to us, all in good health save seven who remained there; these we afterwards brought back in the boat to the ship.

We tarred the ship within and without, setting open all the scuppers so that air would blow through, and sprinkled her in many places with vinegar; all to make a good wholesome air in the ship.

At last we made our ship ready again to set sail. Put up our sails, carried our water aboard and sent a drummer on shore to beat and call all our men together; we took with us in the boat about a hundred turtles to the ship. We had good store of all things, turtle, birds, fish caught and dried by the men. We in the cabin had a whole barrel of geese laid in vinegar, being part-cooked, in addition also good quantity of fish laid in vinegar to preserve them. And after we had lain there twenty-one days and were got ready, we hoisted sail, crossed over keeping close to the wind, hoping to make the island of Mauritius but came to leeward of it, we had good sight of it but could not come at it. For though we lay so long at the island of Mascarenhas and had our fill of all that was on the island, yet not all our men had recovered their health, there were many who did still complain. For this reason, the officers in name of the men came to us in the cabin to ask were it not advisable to seek another place for our refreshing, because the men were not wholly recovered and we had still to go a long way South before we should come in the monsoon winds that should profit our voyage to Batavia or Bantam, so that it might prove too hard and the men again fall sick. Whereupon after a long deliberation with the ship’s council, we thought good to make for [Page 33] the island Sancta Maria that lies close to the coast of Madagascar, before the great Bay of Antongil.

The people of the country seeing us, set out at once in a proa (being a small boat hewn from a tree) and came aboard us, bringing with them some apples, lemons and rice and fowls; they gave us to understand that they had more of these things on land and brought with them but a vacher. By signs with their mouth they showed us very plainly they had also oxen, sheep, calves, fowls and other creatures; they shouted moo, ba, cockadoodledo, that was cow, sheep and fowls. We did much marvel at these people. We gave them wine to drink from a silver bowl, yet they had not the sense to know how to drink therefrom, but stuck their head or face in the basin and drank as does a beast from a bucket, and when the wine was in them they did bawl like as if they were mad.

These people were stark naked save for a cloth round their middle to hide their private parts; they were in colour a yellowish black.

We went every day on land to barter calves, sheep, rice and milk for bells, spoons, brass-handled knives and beads.

The milk they brought within leaves woven together, in form like to a cabbage. From which when we came aboard we cut the leaves, and the [Page 34] milk flowed out. Apples also and lemons we got, but of these they had but few. Therefore, we resolved to sail with the ship two or three mile further, so weighed anchor and came to another place. And coming on land we found there also few apples; but some watermelons and Spanish bacon. We then determined that I should man the boat and go over to the land of Madagascar to see whether there I could traffic for some apples and lemons, which I did. We came to a river and rowed up it a mile or more; and we should have continued further but the trees on both sides of the river did so lean over, yea, till they touched one another, and the waterway in the river became so narrow we were forced to come back. We saw there no people at all, nor fruit, and returned therefore empty-handed. We slept one night on shore and (having been out three days) came in good safety again to the ship. Next day we went again to the island where the ship lay and there procured some more lemons, apples, milk, rice, and bananas.

During the time that we lay there all our men were cured of their sickness and became as cheerful and healthy as when we first sailed out of Holland.

The 9th day that we had lain there, our men being as above-said, in good health and cheerful, we canted our ship as far as we could venture and cleansed it by scraping and scrubbing, and then set sail, lay to South till at the height of 33 degrees and then veered again eastwards and set our course for the Strait of Sunda. And coming at the height of 5^½ degrees, being that of the aforesaid Strait of Sunda, being the 19th day of November, 1619, on that day when drawing the brandy from the cask it was set on fire.

Thereby the brandy was set afire and flamed up out of the cask, the heads of the cask burst and the burning brandy ran down into the ship where the smith’s coals lay.

Lying thus I saw no living creature whatsoever way I looked, and while I lay in thought, there a young man did bubble up beside me, beating with hands and feet and he got hold of the point of the prow (that had drifted up again) saying: ‘I am all right’. Then I looked round and said: ‘O God, is there still a man alive?’ This young man was named Harmen van Kniphuysen, from the Eider region. I saw near him a spar or yard floating and because the mainmast (on which I lay) rolled continually from side to side so that I could not well remain on it, I said to him: ‘Push that spar towards me, I will lie on it, then pull me to you and we can sit together’. This he did and I came to him. The reason why I could not otherwise have come to him was that in being blown up I was sorely hit. My back was much hurt, I had two [Page 43] holes in my head, nay, it was so bad that I thought, ‘O Lord! in a little while I shall be dead’. Yea, it seemed that my sight and hearing were going. We sat here side by side each with his arm round a rib of the ship’s forepart. We stood up and looked out for the longboat and yawl; and at last had sight of them but they were so far off that we could hardly see if it were the head or the stern that faced us. The sun was come down to the water ready to set. I said to my comrade: ‘Harmen, it seems that our hope is lost, for it is late, the sun goes down, the boat and sloop are so far we can scarce see them; the ship is gone to pieces and we cannot endure long on the wreck; therefore let us pray God Almighty to deliver us’. We did so and prayed God earnestly for deliverance; which was sent us, for as we again raised our eyes, there were the sloop with the boat nigh us at which we rejoiced exceedingly.

By night the cold was so great that the men’s teeth chattered, yet by day so hot that one felt like dying of heat, for the sun was mostly right overhead. The 21st, 22nd and 23rd November we put together a sextant to take our height; cast a quadrant on the quarter deck and drew a stick with a cross piece therefrom. We had the coffin-maker, Teunis Sybrantsz, of Hoorn, in the boat, he had a pair of compasses. He also had some knowledge of drawing a stick so that together in that way we made and shaped a sextant, with which we shot the sun. I also cut a sea-chart on the board aft and laid the island of Sumatra therein, with the island of Java and the Strait of Sunda that runs in between the two islands. And that same day wherein we lost the ship, in the afternoon I had taken the height of the sun and found 5^½ degrees South of the Æquinoctial Line, and the specification on the chart showed about [Page 47] ninety miles from land. I also cut a compass therein, and measured each day with a pair of compasses by guesswork and set the course seventy miles to the side or above the hole, so as the better to know what direction we must take if we saw land. We sailed thus by the shooting with our sextant and by our measuring.

From the seven or eight pounds of bread I gave each man every day his portion so long as it might last, but it was soon finished. Each man had every day a piece the size of a finger-joint. We had no drink; therefore when it rained we took down our sails and spread them across the boat and caught up the water on the sail and stored it in our two barrels, and when these were filled we put them aside for a day when it was dry and no rain fell. I cut off the toe of a shoe and each man came to the barrel and filled it and drank and returned to the place where he had sat. And although we were in such distress, the men said: ‘Captain, take as much as you will, for in any case it is not enough for all of us.’ Seeing their courtesy, I would not have more than they did. [Page 48] The distress among us was great; we had no more bread and could see no land. I continually made the men believe that we were near land, so they should keep of good courage, but they began to murmur against it among themselves and said one to another: ‘The Captain may say we are sailing towards land, but maybe we are sailing away from land’.

On a certain day (when it seemed that we could endure no longer without food) God Almighty sent sea-gulls to fly over the boat, verily as if they desired to be caught, for they flew almost into our hands, letting themselves be caught. We plucked off their feathers and cut them into small pieces and gave some to each man, we ate them raw and it tasted to me as good as any food that ever I did eat in my life; yea, it tasted as sweet honey in my mouth and throat. Had there only been more of it, it was just enough or hardly so much as to keep us alive, and no more.

And seeing that no land yet came in sight we became so disheartened that the men resolved (when those on the yawl again begged they might come to us) to take them in, for as there came no deliverance by land we feared that we must die of hunger and thirst and if we must die then we resolved rather to die all of us together. We then took over the men from the yawl into the boat and took all the oars out of the yawl with the sails, and placed them in the boat. We had then in the [Page 49]

[Page 50] boat a sprit-sail, fore-sail, main-sail and mizzen-sail. We had also about thirty oars, we laid them across the thwarts as an orlop. The boat was so deep that the men could sit comfortably on their bottoms under the oars, so we set one-half of the men beneath the oars and the other half above the oars and could thus dispose the men conveniently. We were then seventy-two persons in the boat; and looked upon one another most woefully, having neither food or drink. There was now no more bread, nor did the sea-gulls come any more and it would rain no more.

Now when there seemed again the poorest prospect of keeping our lives, all unforeseen there came (by the Lord’s mercy) bursting up out of the sea a school of flying fishes about the size of a large smelt, like a flock of sparrows they flew into the boat. Then there was a general grabbing and snatching, each doing his utmost to catch them. We divided them among us and ate them raw, they tasted sweet as honey, but they did not carry us very far. It refreshed us more or less and prevented (by God’s help) that any of us died, which was a marvel, for the men were already beginning to drink sea-water in spite of my warnings. I said to them: ‘Men, drink no salt water for it will not cure your thirst; you will get dysentry therefrom and die’. Others chewed shot and musket-balls, others drank their own urine. I drank my own urine as long as it was good, but it became later unsuitable for drinking.

Our distress became every day greater and heavier to bear, and the men began to look with [Page 51] such despair, distrust and malevolence at one another as if almost they would devour each other, verily they did speak of it among themselves, deeming fit to eat first the boys, and when these were finished, they should draw lots who should be the next one; I was sore troubled at this and in great distress of mind prayed to God Almighty that in his Fatherly compassion he would have mercy and not let it come to this; that he would not afflict us beyond our endurance, knowing the weakness of his creatures. I cannot express how the fear of this proposal did oppress me, the more because (so I judged) I saw some who would have begun to kill the boys, yet (with God’s help) I dissuaded them, praying for the boys and said: ‘Men, let us not do this thing. God will deliver us, for we cannot be far from land, as shown by our daily measurements and shooting’. They answered: ‘You have told us that many times, yet we find no land; yea, maybe we are sailing away from the land’; they being much dissatisfied. Whereat they fixed with me the time of three days, after which if we came not in sight of land, the boys should be eaten. Truly a desperate resolve! So I prayed to God most fervently to look graciously upon us and bring us before that time to land, that we might commit no abominations before His eyes. The time passed and our distress was so great that we could bear it no longer. We thought many times: were we but on land, it would not matter if we might eat nothing but grass. I diverted the men with such comfortable counsel as I could at that time call to [Page 52] mind. I said they must be of good courage, that the Lord would provide, but I myself was but faint-hearted, would give comfort to others yet was myself in need to be comforted. I spoke many words that my heart misgave me. We endured and suffered thus together and became so faint and feeble that we had scarce strength to stand. Heyn Rol, the Merchant, had come to such a pass that where he sat there he stuck and could come no further. I had so much energy left that I could move from one end of the boat to the other. We drifted thus as God directed till the second day of December, 1619, being the thirteenth, day of our losing the ship. It was then a clouded sky with rain and calm; we loosened the sails, spread them across the boat and crept all together under the sails and filled our barrels full of water. The men had very little clothing by their setting out with such haste and their shirts were made into sails, as before related; most of the men had no more on than a linen drawers and the upper part of them bare. They crept in this way together under the sails (to get warmth) and I stood at the time at the rudder and did surmise we were nearing land. I hoped it would clear while I stood at the helm, but it continued misty. I became so cold through the fog and damp in the air that I could keep no hold on the rudder any longer therefore called to one of the quartermasters and said: ‘Come and relieve me of the helm, for I can hold out no longer’. Then came the quartermaster and relieved me and I crept under to the men to gain warmth.

The quartermaster had not stood an hour at the helm when the mist began to clear and he looked and forthwith he saw land. He cried out with great rejoicing: ‘Come out men, there is land, just in front of us! Land! Oh, Land!’ You should have seen with what speed we came out from under the sail. We set up the sails again and sailed to the land; we came that same day to land. God Almighty be praised, who thus answered our prayers and entreaties; for we prayed morning and evening with fervent worship of God and sang a psalm before and after our prayer, for we had a few psalmbooks with us. Most of the time I had acted as clerk, but later when the reader came out of the yawl into our boat he did it himself.

On coming to the land, the sea ran so high on to the shore that we dared not land, but we found on the inside of the island (for island it was) an inlet; there we let fall the grapnel and having another one we set it on to the land so that the boat was moored head and stern, and we sprang (as well as we were able) all men on shore, going each his way to forage. But as soon as I was on land I fell on my knees, kissing the earth with joy and thanking God for His mercy and compassion that He had not tried us but thus far helped us out; for this day was the last of those after which the men had resolved to attack the boys and eat them. By this was shown that the Lord was the best Steersman Who did guide and steer us till we made the land, as I have related.

We found on this island abundance of coconuts, but could not find (what we sought) fresh [Page 54] water; we satisfied ourselves therefore with the sap of the young coco-nuts which was a good drink. And we ate of the old nuts that had become hard; this we did too eagerly, without forethought, for the same night we all fell grievously sick with such distressful pain and cramps in the stomach and belly that we were like to burst. We crept together in the sand, each one groaning his hardest; after that purging of the bowels did begin to work, by which we felt immediate relief; the next day we were recovered and almost made the round of the island. We found there no people, but did see signs of people having been there. Here was no other thing to eat save coco-nuts. Our men told me they had sight of a snake that was as much as a fathom thick, but I saw it not myself.

This island lies about fourteen to fifteen miles from the coast of Sumatra. We brought as many coco-nuts as we could into the boat for provision, the old nuts to eat and the young ones to drink from. At evening we weighed and went off from the island to the coast of Sumatra; the following day we had sight of it. We came near, kept in along the shore with the wind behind us, held East until the nuts were finished. Then the men desired again to go on land; we sailed close along the breakers on the coast, but found no place to land because the sea ran so high.

At last they found a river. And they took off their hose and waved to us that we should come in there. Seeing which we sailed directly thereto. Being come, there lay a bank right before the mouth of the river on which the seas beat with such force that I said; ‘Men, I shall not go in here, save with the consent of every man, for should the boat capsize you shall not reproach me with it’. And being asked, every man in his turn, what they said, they answered, Yea, they would venture it. Then I said: ‘I venture my life with yours’. I hastily gave order that at the stern of the boat they should put out an oar on each side and two men at each oar. I stood at the helm to keep the boat straight ahead. In this way we went into the breakers. The first sea that came plunged the boat half full of water. I called out: ‘Bale out, men! Bale out!’ And they baled, with hats and shoes and with the empty barrels we had in the boat; and threw most of the water out. Then came the next sea; this threw the boat full of water almost up to the thwarts, whereby she lay so vilely as if ready to sink. And I called to them: ‘Men, hold straight, hold straight! Bale out, bale out, or we are all dead men’. We drove straight before the sea and baled out all the water we could. Then came the third sea and that fell short of us so that we took in but little water and then it was at once calm water. So with God’s help we came through.

We tasted the water and it was already fresh, at which we all rejoiced exceedingly, and we moored the boat to the land on the right-hand side of the river. Coming on to the land it was overgrown with long grass and looking round we saw beans among the grass like to the Eider beans. Then all men sought for them and ate them. I myself did my best, thinking: ‘I had better try to get my share’, and our men walked a little beyond. There they found a fire with some tobacco lying beside it, at which we rejoiced greatly. It seemed that people of the country had been there, kindled fire and having smoked tobacco had left some of it lying either by accident or on purpose. We had two axes in the boat; with these we hacked down trees and cut off the branches, and made fires in five or six places. There our men in companies of ten or twelve stood or sat around and smoked tobacco. When it was evening we made blazing fires and set a watch in three places for fear of the inhabitants of the country, for there was no moon.

Now that same night we became so ill from the beans which we had eaten that we were like to burst with the pain and cramps in our bellies (the same as overtook us before with the coco-nuts). And while we were lamenting, the inhabitants of the land came with intent to slay us all.

In the morning when it was day and the sun had risen, there came three of the inhabitants out of the woods on to the beach. We sent to them three of our men who could speak some Malay for they had been in the East Indies before and partly learned the speech.

they came to us near the boat and asked if we also had arms, We gave answer: ‘Yea, plenty of arms, muskets, powder and shot’. I had the sails put over the boat so that they could not see what was within. Then they brought us rice, that was boiled, and several fowls. We inquired of one another what money we had and put it together. One brought out five, another six, another twelve, some more, some less, reales of eight, so that altogether we had [Page 58] about eighty reales of eight, from which money we paid for the fowls and rice they brought us. Having these I said to the men: ‘Now men, sit down together and let us first eat our belly-ful and then see how it is’. The which we did. The meal being finished we consulted what was to be done in order to supply ourselves with what was needful. And as we were not sure of our latitude, we inquired of them the name of their country,but could not understand it clearly, but thought it to be Sumatra.

we needed more victuals to continue our voyage, we resolved that I with four of the men in a proa should go up the river to the village that lay a way up, and with the money we had, buy victuals there as much as we could procure.

Which I did and we went up the river. Being come into the village we bought rice and fowls, which we sent to the boat to Heyn Rol the Merchant, giving order that each should have his portion so there should be no quarrelling, and I with the four men in the village then had two or three fowls boiled with some rice; we sat down together and ate as much as we would. There was [Page 59]

[Page 60] drink too, which they take out of the trees, it is so strong that a man may well become drunk by it. We drank thereof with each other, after we had eaten. While we ate, the people of the town sat round about us and looked upon every bite we took.

After our meal I bought a buffalo for 5^½ pieces of eight, but the buffalo being paid for we could not get hold of him because of his great wildness; did thereby lose much time, and it growing late in the day, I would return to the boat with the four men: the buffalo, so I thought, we could catch the following day. But hereover the four men did beg me to allow they might stay there that night, saying that at night when the beast lay down they would secure him. Although I did advise against this, at last by their continued insistence I yielded. I took leave of them and we wished one another good-night.