rked with figures
so deeply impressed, [_tatooed_] that they never wear out. Being
discovered to be Dutch, but not till they had gained their ends, they
sailed for the Straits of Manilla, all the coasts near which appeared
waste, barren, and rocky. Here a sudden squall of wind from the S.E.
carried away some of their masts and sails, being more furious than any
they had hitherto experienced during the voyage. The 23d some of the
people went ashore, where they eat palmitoes and drank water so
greedily, that they were afterwards seized with the dysentery. The 24th
they entered the straits, sailing past an island in the middle, and came
in the evening past the island of Capul, seven miles within the straits,
near which they found whirlpools, where the sea was of an unfathomable
depth, so far as they could discover.

[Footnote 78: This surely is an error for 18 deg., Guam being in lat. 18 deg.
20' N. yet even here, the fact of meeting ice so far within the tropic
is sufficiently singular.--E.]

They now crowded sail for Manilla, which is eighty miles from Capul, but
wanted both a good wind to carry them, and good maps and a skilful pilot
to direct them to that place. The 7th November they took a junk from
China, laden with provisions for Manilla. The master of this junk told
them there were then at Manilla two great ships, that come every year
from New Spain, and a Dutch ship also which had been brought from
Malacca. He said also that the town of Manilla was walled round, having
two forts for protecting the ships, as there was a vast trade to that
place from China, not less than 400 junks coming every year from
Chincheo, with silk and other valuable commodities, between Easter and
December. There were also two ships expected shortly from Japan, laden
with iron and other metals, and provisions. The 15th they took two
barks, laden with hens and hogs, being part of the tribute to the
Spaniards, but became food to the Dutch, who gave them a few bolts of
linen in return.

They passed the islands of _Bankingle_ and _Mindoro_, right over against
which is the island of _Lou-bou_. at the distance of two miles, and
between both is another small island, beside which there is a safe
passage for ships. The island of Luzon is larger than England and
Scotland,[79] and has a numerous cluster of small islands round about
it; yet is more beholden to trade for its riches, than to the goodness
of its soil. While at anchor, in 15 deg. N. wai