become very
bad, for all our beef and pork stunk intolerably, and our bread was
rotten and full of worms; but as soon as the master of this snow learnt
our situation, he generously sent me a sheep, a dozen fowls, and a
turtle, which I verily believe was half his stock, besides two gallons
of arrack, and would accept nothing but our thanks in return. It is with
great pleasure that I pay this tribute to his liberality, and am very
sorry that I cannot recollect his name, or the name of his vessel. In
the afternoon we worked round the first point of Sumatra, and our
soundings on the north side, at the distance of about a mile and a half
from the shore, were fourteen fathom. At half an hour after three we
anchored, and sent a boat to sound for the shoals which lie to the
northward of the island called Lasipara, which bore from us S.E. by S.
distant about six leagues. Little wind, and a strong tide of flood to
the northward, prevented our working between these shoals and the coast
of Sumatra till the afternoon of the 20th; the soundings were very
regular, being nine or ten fathom as we stood over to the island, and
five or six when we stood over to Sumatra. As this strait has been often
navigated, and is well known, it is not necessary to insert all the
particulars of our passage through it; I shall therefore only say, that
at six o'clock in the evening of Tuesday the 27th, we steered between
the islands Edam and Horn, and entered the road of Batavia. At eight we
anchored without the ships, Onrust bearing W.N.W. distant five or six
miles.

SECTION XIII.

_Transactions at Batavia, and Departure from that Place._

The next day, which by our account was the 28th, but by the account of
the Dutch at this place; was the 29th, we having lost a day by having
steered westward a year, we anchored nearer to the town, and saluted the
water-fort with eleven guns, which were returned. We found here above a
hundred sail great and small, and among others, a large English ship
belonging to Bombay, which saluted us with thirteen guns.

There is always lying here a Dutch commodore belonging to the company,
who, among his countrymen, is a person of very great consequence. This
gentleman thought fit to send his boat on board of me, with only the
cockswain, in her, who was a very dirty ragged fellow: As soon as he was
brought to me, he asked whence I came, whither I was bound, and many
other questions, which I thought equally impertinent,