make their distress known, that it might be relieved. They had, they
said, ten years' pay due, in the expectation of which they were grown
old, and which now they would be content to forfeit, and go home
sweepers, rather than continue to suffer the miseries of their present
situation, which were indeed very great. They were not suffered to spend
a single night on shore, whatever was their condition, and when they
were sick, no one visited them on board; they were, besides, robbed by
the Malays, and in perpetual dread of being destroyed by them, as they
had a short time before burnt the Siam prize. I assured them that I
would do my utmost to procure them relief, and they left me with tears
in their eyes.

As I heard nothing more of the anchor and rope for which I had been in
treaty, I made all ready for sea. The ship's company had continued
healthy and sober, and been served with fresh beef every day, from the
time of our first coming to an anchor in the Road; we had also some
beef, and a live ox, to carry out with us. We had now only one man upon
the sick list, except a seaman, who had been afflicted with rheumatic
pains ever since our leaving the Streight of Magellan: And at six
o'clock in the morning, of Tuesday the 8th of December, after a stay of
just one week, we set sail.

On the 11th, at noon, we were off a small island called the Cap, between
the coasts of Sumatra and Java, and several of our people fell down with
colds and fluxes. The next day, a Dutch boat came on board, and sold us
some turtle, which was served to the ship's company. At night, being at
the distance of about two miles from the Java shore, we saw an
incredible number of lights upon the beach, which we supposed were
intended to draw the fish near it, as we had seen the same appearance at
other places.

On Monday the 14th, we anchored off Prince's Island, and began to take
in wood and water. The next morning, the natives came in with turtle,
poultry, and hog-deer, which we bought at a reasonable price. We
continued here, fitting the ship for the sea, till the 19th, during
which time many of the people began to complain of intermitting
disorders, something like an ague. At six o'clock the next morning,
having completed our wood, and taken on board seventy-six tons of water,
we made sail.

While we lay here, one of the seamen fell from the mainyard into the
barge, which lay along-side the ship. His body was dreadfully bruised,
and many of his