s. The sea round about them seemed all broken, and tossed the
ship so that she would not answer her helm. These ripplings commonly
lasted 10 or 12 minutes, and then the sea became as still and smooth as a
mill-pond. We sounded often when in the midst of them, and afterwards in
the smooth water; but found no ground, neither could we perceive that
they drove us any way.

We had in one night several of these tides that came most of them from
the west; and, the wind being from that quarter, we commonly heard them a
long time before they came; and sometimes lowered our topsails, thinking
it was a gust of wind. They were of great length from north to south, but
their breadth not exceeding 200 yards, and they drove a great pace: for
though we had little wind to move us, yet these would soon pass away and
leave the water very smooth, and just before we encountered them we met a
great swell but it did not break.

THE ISLAND CERAM DESCRIBED.

The 26th we saw the island Ceram; and still met some ripplings, but much
fainter than those we had the 2 preceding days. We sailed along the
island Ceram to the westward, edging in withal, to see if peradventure we
might find a harbour to anchor in where we might water, trim the ship,
and refresh our men.

In the morning we saw a sail to the north of us, steering in for the west
end of Ceram, as we likewise were. In the evening, being near the shore
on the north side of the island, I stood off to sea with an easy sail;
intending to stand in for the shore in the morning, and try to find
anchoring to fill water, and get a little fish for refreshment.
Accordingly in the morning early I stood in with the north-west point of
Ceram; leaving a small island, called Bonao, to the west. The sail we saw
the day before was now come pretty nigh us, steering in also (as we did)
between Ceram and Bonao. I shortened sail a little for him; and when he
got abreast of us not above 2 miles off I sent my boat aboard. It was a
Dutch sloop, come from Ternate, and bound for Amboina: my men whom I sent
in the boat bought 5 bags of new rice, each containing about 130 pounds,
for 6 Spanish dollars. The sloop had many rare parrots aboard for sale
which did not want price. A Malayan merchant aboard told our men that
about 6 months ago he was at Bencola, and at that time the governor
either died or was killed, and that the commander of an English ship then
in that road succeeded to that government.

In the afternoon