ir very tops. They are 15 or 20
Fathom long, and much of a bigness from the Root, till within 5 or
6 Fathom of the end. They are of a pale green Colour, cloathed over
with a Coat of short thick hairy Substance, of a dun Colour; but it
comes off by only drawing the Cane through your Hand. We did cut many
of them, and they proved very tough heavy Canes.

We saw no Houses, nor sign of Inhabitants; but while we lay here,
there was a Canoa with 6 Men came into this Bay; but whither they
were bound, or from whence they came, I know not. They were Indians,
and we could not understand them.

In the middle of this Bay, about a Mile from the Shore, there is
a small low woody Island, not above a Mile in Circumference; our
Ship rode about a Mile from it. This Island was the Habitation of
an incredible number of great Batts, with Bodies as big as Ducks,
or large Fowl, and with vast Wings: For I saw at Mindanao one of
this sort, and I judge that the Wings stretcht out in length, could
not be less assunder than 7 or 8 Foot from tip to tip; for it was
much more than any of us could fathom with our Arms extended to the
utmost. The Wings are for Substance like those of other Batts, of a
Dun or Mouse colour. The Skin or Leather of them hath Ribs running
along it, and draws up in 3 or 4 Folds; and at the joints of those
Ribs and the Extremities of the Wings, there are sharp and crooked
Claws, by which they may hang on any thing. [A further description
of the great bats and their habits follows.] At this Isle also we
found plenty of Turtle and Manatee, but no Fish.

We stay'd here till the 10th of February, 1687, and then having
compleated our Business, we sailed hence with the Wind at North. But
going out we struck on a Rock, where we lay two Hours: It was very
smooth Water, and the Tide of Flood, or else we should have lost
our Ship. We struck off a great piece of our Rudder, which was all
the damage that we received, but we more narrowly mist losing our
Ships this time, than in any other in the whole Voyage. This is a
very dangerous Shoal, because it does not break, unless probably it
may appear in foul Weather. It lies about two mile to the Westward,
without the small Batt Island. Here we found the Tide of Flood setting
to the Southward, and the Ebb to the Northward.

After we were past this Shoal, we Coasted along by the rest of the
Philippine Islands, keeping on the West-side of them. Some of them
appeared to be very Mountainous