on the 24th, the _Desire_ ran along the coast, past
Manilla, putting to flight some frigates which had been sent after her,
and dispersing some Spaniards who fired at her boat.

One or two men died at this time, and on the last day of February
Captain Havers succumbed to a burning ague, from which he had suffered
several days, to the great grief of all on board.

Passing by the Moluccas, the _Desire_, after various adventures, reached
Java, where she was visited by the chief Rajah, named Bolamboam, an aged
despot who possessed a hundred wives, while his son had fifty. His
people were said to be the bravest of all those inhabiting the
south-east part of the world, for they never feared any death.

Several Portuguese who were settled in this part of the island visited
the ship, and, hearing that their King, Don Antonio, was a friend of the
Queen of England, urged Cavendish to advise him to come out and found a
kingdom which would comprehend the Moluccas, Ceylon, China, and the
Philippines. A friendly reception was also promised to the English.

Firing a parting salute on the 16th of March, Cavendish took his
departure, traversing for forty days that "mightie and vaste sea between
the yle of Java and the main of Africa, observing the heavens, the
crosiers or southern cross, the other starres, the fowles, which are
marks unto seamen of fair weather or foul weather, approaching of lands
or islands, the winds, the tempests, the rains and thunder, with the
alterations of the tides and currents."

On the 10th of May the _Desire_ was overtaken by a terrific storm, but
it calmed in a few hours, and the next day a look-out from the masthead
saw land, which was supposed to be the Cape of Good Hope, but was
ultimately proved to be False Cape.

It was not until the 16th of May that, with a brisk gale, the ship
passed the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 8th of June she came in sight
of the island of Saint Helena. Only four people were found upon the
island, but it was abundantly stored with fruits and vegetables of all
sorts, carefully cultivated, while there were numberless goats and hogs
running wild among the mountains.

The Portuguese homeward-bound East Indian fleet, the smallest of which
vessels were of eight or nine hundred tons burden, laden with spices,
Calicut cloth, precious stones, pearls, and treasure, had called off
there only twenty days before.

Having touched at the Azores on the 3rd of September, the _Desire