ter, their constant reply was, trada aer! trada aer! (no water, no
water). No misunderstanding could have taken place, for on our inquiry,
thinking it was for present use, they brought us some to drink. They
afterwards conducted us to a shallow well or spring in which there were
about ten or fifteen gallons; and this was all there was near the sea.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth Coll. volume 3 page 298.)

Amadima, on our landing, sent a horseman to the town with a message, who
soon after returned with a paper which was shown to us; but, the
substance being in Dutch, we could not understand its purport; the sum of
seventy-four rix-dollars was, however, sufficiently plain to show that
money was wanted, and this conjecture was afterwards strengthened by a
petition whispered in my ear by Amadina himself for sato rupee (one
rupee); but, not having provided myself with any, I could not satisfy his
wants.

Gunpowder was in great request among them and we were given to understand
that we might obtain everything we required, excepting water, for money
or for gunpowder. Trada aer was so often repeated that we re-embarked
quite disappointed.

On our way to the boat we were accompanied by the whole mob, which had
now increased to forty or fifty people: all the men were armed with
cresses, and two amongst them had swords and spears; but there was no
appearance of hostility or of any unfriendly disposition towards us. When
they saw our empty barica in the boat they intimated by signs that we
might fill it, and Mr. Bedwell and Mr. Cunningham accordingly accompanied
one of our people to the well to take advantage of their offer; for a few
gallons of water were now of great importance to us.

We then took a friendly leave of these islanders under the full
expectation on their part of our returning in the morning with rupees and
powder to barter with their commodities; whereas I had quite determined
to leave the bay the moment that the day dawned.

The two following modes of proceeding were now only left to us; namely,
either to beat back to Coepang which bore East by North 120 miles, or to
bear up and pass through the straits of Lombock or Allas, and go to
Madura or Sourabaya for water, of which, on a reduced allowance, we had
enough on board for fifteen days.

To do the first would probably take a week or ten days, even if favoured
by the wind. At Coepang we could procure everything we wanted; and the
only arguments against such a mea