we saw many fires ashore. This day a large proa came
aboard of us, and lay by our side an hour. There were only 4 men in her,
all Javians, who spoke the Malayan language. They asked if we were
English; I answered we were; and presently one of them came aboard and
presented me with a small hen, some eggs and coconuts; for which I gave
some beads and a small looking-glass, and some glass bottles. They also
gave me some sugarcane, which I distributed to such of my men as were
scorbutic. They told me there were 3 English ships at Batavia.

The 28th at 2 in the afternoon we anchored in 26 fathom water; presently
it fell calm and began to rain very violently and so continued from 3
till 9 in the evening. At 1 in the morning we weighed with a fine
land-wind at south-south-east; but presently, the wind coming about at
east, we anchored; for we commonly found the current setting west. If at
any time it turned it was so weak that it did us little good; and I did
not think it safe to venture through without a pretty brisk leading gale;
for the passage is but narrow, and I knew not what dangers might be in
the way, nor how the tide sets in the narrow, having not been this way
these 28 years, and all my people wholly strangers: we had the opening
fair before us.

PASSAGE THROUGH THE STRAIT.

While we lay here 4 Malayan proas came from the shore, laden with
coconuts, plantains, bananas, fowls, ducks, tobacco, sugar, etc. These
were very welcome, and we purchased much refreshment of them. At 10
o'clock I dismissed all the boats, and weighed with the wind at
north-west. At half an hour past 6 in the evening we anchored in 32
fathom water in a coarse sort of oaze. We were now past the island
Thwart-the-way, but had still one of the small islands to pass. The tide
began to run strong to the west; which obliged me to anchor while I had
soundings, for fear of being driven back again or on some unknown sand. I
lay still all night. At 5 o'clock the next morning the tide began to
slacken: at 6 I weighed with the wind at south-east by east, a handsome
breeze. We just weathered the Button; and, sounding several times, had
still between 30 and 40 fathom. When we were abreast of the Button, and
about 2 leagues from the westermost point of Java, we had 34 fathom,
small peppery sand. You may either come between this island and Java, or,
if the wind is northerly, run out between the island Thwart-the-way and
this last small island.

The wind for