Chapter I (9)

[Sidenote: Mazatlan.] The town of _Mazatlan_ was within 5 leagues of the NE part of the _lagune_, and Swan with 150 men went thither. The inhabitants wounded some of the Buccaneers with arrows, but could make no effectual resistance. There were rich mines near _Mazatlan_, and the Spaniards of _Compostella_, which is the chief town in this district, kept slaves at work in them. The Buccaneers however found no gold here, but carried off some Indian corn.

[Sidenote: February 2d. Rosario, an Indian Town.] February the 2d, the canoes went to an Indian town called _Rosario_, situated on the banks of a river and nine miles within its entrance. '_Rosario_ was a fine little town of 60 or 70 houses, with a good church.' The river produced gold, and mines were in the neighbourhood; but here, as at _Mazatlan_, they got no other booty than Indian corn, of which they conveyed to their ships between 80 and 90 bushels.

[Sidenote: 3d. River Rosario, 22 deg. 51' N. Sugar-loaf Hill. Caput Cavalli.] On the 3d, the ships anchored near the _River Rosario_ in seven fathoms oozy ground, a league from the shore; the latitude of the entrance of the river 22 deg. 51' N. A small distance within the coast and bearing NEbN from the ship, was a round hill like a sugar-loaf; and North Westward of that hill, was another 'pretty long hill,' called _Caput Cavalli_, or the _Horse's Head_.

[Sidenote: 8th.] On the 8th, the canoes were sent to search for a river named the _Oleta_, which was understood to lie in latitude 22 deg. 27' N; but the weather proving foggy they could not find it.

[Sidenote: 11th. Maxentelbo Rock. Hill of Xalisco.] On the 11th, they anchored abreast the South point of the entrance of a river called the _River de Santiago_, in seven fathoms soft oozy bottom, about two miles from the shore; a high white rock, called _Maxentelbo_, bore from their anchorage WNW, distant about three leagues, and a high hill in the country, with a saddle or bending, called the _Hill Xalisco_, bore SE. [Sidenote: River of Santiago, 22 deg. 15' N.] 'The _River St. Iago_ is in latitude 22 deg. 15' N, the entrance lies East and West with the _Rock Maxentelbo_. It is one of the principal rivers on this coast: there is ten feet water on the bar at low-water; but how much the tide rises and falls, was not observed. The mouth of the river is nearly half a mile broad, with very smooth entering. Within the entrance it widens, for three or four rivers meet there, and issue all out together. The water is brackish a great way up; but fresh water is to be had by digging two or three feet deep in a sandy bay just at the mouth of the river. Northward of the entrance, and NEbE from _Maxentelbo_, is a round white rock.'

'Between the latitudes 22 deg. 41' and 22 deg. 10' N, which includes the _River de Santiago_, the coast lies NNW and SSE[75].'

No inhabitants were seen near the entrance of the _River St. Iago_, but the country had a fruitful appearance, and Swan sent seventy men in four canoes up the river, to seek for some town or village. After two days spent in examining different creeks and rivers, they came to a field of maize which was nearly ripe, and immediately began to gather; but whilst they were loading the canoes, they saw an Indian, whom they caught, and from him they learnt that at four leagues distance from them was a town named _S^{ta} Pecaque_. With this information they returned to the ship; and the same evening, Swan with eight canoes and 140 men, set off for _S^{ta} Pecaque_, taking the Indian for a guide. This was on the 15th of the month.

[Sidenote: 16th.] They rowed during the night about five leagues up the river, and at six o'clock in the morning, landed at a place where it was about a pistol-shot wide, with pretty high banks on each side, the country plain and even. Twenty men were left with the canoes, and Swan with the rest marched towards the town, by a road which led partly through woodland, and partly through savannas well stocked with cattle. They arrived at the town by ten in the forenoon, and entered without opposition, the inhabitants having quitted it on their approach.

[Sidenote: Town of S^{ta} Pecaque.] The town of _Santa Pecaque_ was small, regularly built after the Spanish mode, with a Parade in the middle, and balconies to the houses which fronted the parade. It had two churches. The inhabitants were mostly Spaniards, and their principal occupation was husbandry. It is distant from _Compostella_ about 21 leagues. _Compostella_ itself was at that time reckoned not to contain more than seventy white families, which made about one-eighth part of its inhabitants.

There were large storehouses, with maize, salt-fish, salt, and sugar, at _Santa Pecaque_, provisions being kept there for the subsistence of some hundreds of slaves who worked in silver mines not far distant. The chief purpose for which the Cygnet had come so far North on this coast was to get provisions, and here was more than sufficient to supply her wants. For transporting it to their canoes, Swan divided the men into two parties, which it was agreed should go alternately, one party constantly to remain to guard the stores in the town. The afternoon of the first day was passed in taking rest and refreshment, and in collecting horses. [Sidenote: 17th.] The next morning, fifty-seven men, with a number of horses laden with maize, each man also carrying a small quantity, set out for the canoes, to which they arrived, and safely deposited their burthens. The Spaniards had given some disturbance to the men who guarded the canoes, and had wounded one, on which account they were reinforced with seven men from the carrying party; and in the afternoon, the fifty returned to _Santa Pecaque_. Only one trip was made in the course of the day.

[Sidenote: 18th.] On the morning of the 18th, the party which had guarded the town the day before, took their turn for carrying. They loaded 24 horses, and every man had his burthen. This day they took a prisoner, who told them, that nearly a thousand men, of all colours, Spaniards, Indians, Negroes, and Mulattoes, were assembled at the town of _Santiago_, which was only three leagues distant from _Santa Pecaque_. This information made Captain Swan of opinion, that separating his men was attended with much danger; and he determined that the next morning he would quit the town with the whole party. In the mean time he employed his men to catch as many horses as they could, that when they departed they might carry off a good load.

[Sidenote: February 19th.] On the 19th, Swan called his men out early, and gave order to prepare for marching; but the greater number refused to alter the mode they had first adopted, and said they would not abandon the town until all the provision in it was conveyed to the canoes. Swan was forced to acquiesce, and to allow one-half of the company to go as before. They had fifty-four horses laden; Swan advised them to tie the horses one to another, and the men to keep in two bodies, twenty-five before, and the same number behind. His directions however were not followed: 'the men would go their own way, every man leading his horse.' The Spaniards had before observed their careless manner of marching, and had prepared their plan of attack for this morning, making choice of the ground they thought most for their advantage, and placing men there in ambush. The Buccaneer convoy had not been gone above a quarter of an hour when those who kept guard in the town, heard the report of guns. Captain Swan called on them to march out to the assistance of their companions; but some even then opposed him, and spoke with contempt of the danger and their enemies, till two horses, saddled, with holsters, and without riders, came galloping into the town frightened, and one had at its side a carabine newly discharged. [Sidenote: Buccaneers defeated and slain by the Spaniards.] On this additional sign that some event had taken place which it imported them to know, Swan immediately marched out of the town, and all his men followed him. When they came to the place where the engagement had happened, they beheld their companions that had gone forth from the town that morning, every man lying dead in the road, stripped, and so mangled that scarcely any one could be known. This was the most severe defeat the Buccaneers suffered in all their _South Sea_ enterprises.

The party living very little exceeded the number of those who lay dead before them, yet the Spaniards made no endeavour to interrupt their retreat, either in their march to the canoes, or in their falling down the river, but kept at a distance. 'It is probable,' says Dampier, 'the Spaniards did not cut off so many of our men without loss of many of their own. We lost this day fifty-four Englishmen and nine blacks; and among the slain was my ingenious friend Mr. Ringrose, who wrote that part of the _History of the Buccaneers_ which relates to Captain Sharp. He had engaged in this voyage as supercargo of Captain Swan's ship.'--'Captain Swan had been forewarned by his astrologer of the great danger they were in; and several of the men who went in the first party had opposed the division of their force: some of them foreboded their misfortune, and heard as they lay down in the church in the night, grievous groanings which kept them from sleeping[76].'

Swan and his surviving crew were discouraged from attempting any thing more on the coast of _New Galicia_, although they had laid up but a small stock of provisions. On the 21st, they sailed from the _River of St. Jago_ for the South Cape of _California_, where it was their intention to careen the ship; but the wind had settled in the NW quarter, and after struggling against it a fortnight, on the 7th of March, they anchored in a bay at the East end of the middle of the _Tres Marias Islands_, in eight fathoms clean sand. [Sidenote: March. At the Middle Island of the Tres Marias.] The next day, they took a birth within a quarter of a mile of the shore; the outer points of the bay bearing ENE and SSW.

None of the _Tres Marias Islands_ were inhabited. Swan named the one at which he had anchored, _Prince George's Island_. Dampier describes them of moderate height, and the Westernmost Island to be the largest of the three. 'The soil is stony and dry, producing much of a shrubby kind of wood, troublesome to pass; but in some parts grow plenty of straight large cedars. [Sidenote: A Root used as Food.] The sea-shore is sandy, and there, a green prickly plant grows, whose leaves are much like the penguin leaf; the root is like the root of the _Sempervive_, but larger, and when baked in an oven is reckoned good to eat. The Indians of _California_ are said to have great part of their subsistence from these roots. We baked some, but none of us greatly cared for them. They taste exactly like the roots of our English Burdock boiled.'

At this Island were guanoes, raccoons, rabbits, pigeons, doves, fish, turtle, and seal. They careened here, and made a division of the store of provisions, two-thirds to the Cygnet and one-third to the Tender, 'there being one hundred eaters in the ship, and fifty on board the tender.' The maize they had saved measured 120 bushels.

[Sidenote: A Dropsy cured by a Sand Bath.] Dampier relates the following anecdote of himself at this place. 'I had been a long time sick of a dropsy, a distemper whereof many of our men died; so here I was laid and covered all but my head in the hot sand. I endured it near half an hour, and then was taken out. I sweated exceedingly while I was in the sand, and I believe it did me much good, for I grew well soon after.'

This was the dry season, and they could not find here a sufficient supply of fresh water, which made it necessary for them to return to the Continent. Before sailing, Swan landed a number of prisoners, Spaniards and Indians, which would have been necessary on many accounts besides that of the scantiness of provisions, if it had been his design to have proceeded forthwith Westward for the _East Indies_; but as he was going again to the American coast, which was close at hand, the turning his prisoners ashore on a desolate Island, appears to have been in revenge for the disastrous defeat sustained at _S^{ta} Pecaque_, and for the Spaniards having given no quarter on that occasion.

[Sidenote: Bay of Vanderas.] They sailed on the 26th, and two days after, anchored in the _Bay of Vanderas_ near the river at the bottom of the bay; but the water of this river was now brackish. Search was made along the South shore of the bay, and two or three leagues towards _Cape Corrientes_, a small brook of good fresh water was found; and good anchorage near to a small round Island which lies half a mile from the main, and about four leagues NEastward of the Cape. Just within this Island they brought the ships to anchor, in 25 fathoms depth, the brook bearing from them E-1/2N half a mile distant, and _Point Ponteque_ NWbN six leagues.

The Mosquito men struck here nine or ten jew-fish, the heads and finny pieces of which served for present consumption, and the rest was salted for sea-store. The maize and salted fish composed the whole of their stock of eatables for their passage across the _Pacific_, and at a very straitened allowance would scarcely be sufficient to hold out sixty days.

CHAP. XX.

_The =Cygnet=. Her Passage across the =Pacific Ocean=. At the
=Ladrones=. At =Mindanao=._

[Sidenote: 1686. March. The Cygnet quits the American Coast.] March the 31st, they sailed from the American coast, steering at first SW, and afterwards more Westerly till they were in latitude 13 deg. N, in which parallel they kept. 'The kettle was boiled but once a day,' says Dampier, 'and there was no occasion to call the men to victuals. All hands came up to see the Quarter-master share it, and he had need to be exact. We had two dogs and two cats on board, and they likewise had a small allowance given them, and they waited with as much eagerness to see it shared as we did.' [Sidenote: Large flight of Birds. Lat. 13 deg. N. Long. 180 deg.] In this passage they saw neither fish nor fowl of any kind, except at one time, when by Dampier's reckoning they were 4975 miles West from _Cape Corrientes_, and then, numbers of the sea-birds called boobies were flying near the ships, which were supposed to come from some rocks not far distant. Their longitude at this time may be estimated at about 180 degrees from the meridian of Greenwich[77].

[Sidenote: May 21st.] Fortunately, they had a fresh trade-wind, and made great runs every day. 'On May the 20th, which,' says Dampier, 'we begin to call the 21st, we were in latitude 12 deg. 50' N, and steering West. [Sidenote: Shoals and Breakers SbW-1/2W 10 or 11 leagues from the S end of Guahan. Bank de Santa Rosa.] At two p. m. the bark tender being two leagues ahead of the Cygnet, came into shoal water, and those on board plainly saw rocks under her, but no land was in sight. They hauled on a wind to the Southward, and hove the lead, and found but four fathoms water. They saw breakers to the Westward. They then wore round, and got their starboard tacks on board and stood Northward. The Cygnet in getting up to the bark, ran over a shoal bank, where the bottom was seen, and fish among the rocks; but the ship ran past it before we could heave the lead. Both vessels stood to the Northward, keeping upon a wind, and sailed directly North, having the wind at ENE, till five in the afternoon, having at that time run eight miles and increased our latitude so many minutes. We then saw the Island _Guam_ [_Guahan_] bearing NNE, distant from us about eight leagues, which gives the latitude of the Island (its South end) 13 deg. 20' N. We did not observe the variation of the compass at _Guam_. At _Cape Corrientes_ we found it 4 deg. 28' Easterly, and an observation we made when we had gone about a third of the passage, shewed it to be the same. I am inclined to think it was less at _Guam_[78].'

The shoal above mentioned is called by the Spaniards the _Banco de Santa Rosa_, and the part over which the Cygnet passed, according to the extract from Dampier, is about SbW-1/2W from the South end of _Guahan_, distant ten or eleven leagues.

[Sidenote: At Guahan.] An hour before midnight, they anchored on the West side of _Guahan_, a mile from the shore. The Spaniards had here a small Fort, and a garrison of thirty soldiers; but the Spanish Governor resided at another part of the Island. As the ships anchored, a Spanish priest in a canoe went on board, believing them to be Spaniards from _Acapulco_. He was treated with civility, but detained as a kind of hostage, to facilitate any negociation necessary for obtaining provisions; and Swan sent a present to the Spanish Governor by the Indians of the canoe.

No difficulty was experienced on this head. Both Spaniards, and the few natives seen here, were glad to dispose of their provisions to so good a market as the buccaneer ships. Dampier conjectured the number of the natives at this time on _Guahan_ not to exceed a hundred. In the last insurrection, which was a short time before Eaton stopped at the _Ladrones_, the natives, finding they could not prevail against the Spaniards, destroyed their plantations, and went to other Islands. 'Those of the natives who remained in _Guahan_,' says Dampier, 'if they were not actually concerned in that broil, their hearts were bent against the Spaniards; for they offered to carry us to the Fort and assist us to conquer the Island.'

Whilst Swan lay at _Guahan_, the Spanish Acapulco ship came in sight of the Island. The Governor immediately sent off notice to her of the Buccaneer ships being in the road, on which she altered her course towards the South, and by so doing got among the shoals, where she struck off her rudder, and did not get clear for three days. The natives at _Guahan_ told the Buccaneers that the Acapulco ship was in sight of the Island, 'which,' says Dampier, 'put our men in a great heat to go out after her, but Captain Swan persuaded them out of that humour.'

[Sidenote: Flying Proe, or Sailing Canoe.] Dampier praises the ingenuity of the natives of the _Ladrone Islands_, and particularly in the construction of their sailing canoes, or, as they are sometimes called, their flying proes, of which he has given the following description. 'Their Proe or Sailing Canoe is sharp at both ends; the bottom is of one piece of good substance neatly hollowed, and is about 28 feet long; the under, or keel part is made round, but inclining to a wedge; the upper part is almost flat, having a very gentle hollow, and is about a foot broad: from hence, both sides of the boat are carried up to about five feet high with narrow plank, and each end of the boat turns up round very prettily. But what is very singular, one side of the boat is made perpendicular like a wall, while the other side is rounding as other vessels are, with a pretty full belly. The dried husks of the cocoa-nuts serve for oakum. At the middle of the vessel the breadth aloft is four or five feet, or more, according to the length of the boat. The mast stands exactly in the middle, with a long yard that peeps up and down like a ship's mizen yard; one end of it reaches down to the head of the boat, where it is placed in a notch made purposely to keep it fast: the other end hangs over the stern. To this yard the sail is fastened, and at the foot of the sail is another small yard to keep the sail out square, or to roll the sail upon when it blows hard; for it serves instead of a reef to take up the sail to what degree they please. Along the belly side of the boat, parallel with it, at about seven feet distance, lies another boat or canoe very small, being a log of very light wood, almost as long as the great boat, but not above a foot and a half wide at the upper part, and sharp like a wedge at each end. The little boat is fixed firm to the other by two bamboos placed across the great boat, one near each end, and its use is to keep the great boat upright from oversetting. They keep the flat side of the great boat against the wind, and the belly side, consequently, with its little boat, is upon the lee[79]. The vessel has a head at each end so as to be able to sail with either foremost: they need not tack as our vessels do, but when they ply to windward and are minded to make a board the other way, they only alter the setting of the sail by shifting the end of the yard, and they take the broad paddle with which they steer instead of a rudder, to the other end of the vessel. I have been particular in describing these their sailing canoes, because I believe they sail the best of any boats in the world. I tried the swiftness of one of them with our log: we had twelve knots on our reel, and she ran it all out before the half-minute glass was half out. I believe she would run 24 miles in an hour. It was very pleasant to see the little boat running so swift by the other's side. I was told that one of these proes being sent express from _Guahan_ to _Manila_, [a distance above 480 leagues] performed the voyage in four days.'

[Sidenote: Bread Fruit.] Dampier has described the Bread-fruit, which is among the productions of the _Ladrone Islands_. He had never seen nor heard of it any where but at these Islands. Provisions were obtained in such plenty at _Guahan_, that in the two vessels they salted above fifty hogs for sea use. The friar was released, with presents in return for his good offices, and to compensate for his confinement.

[Sidenote: June.] June the 2d, they sailed from _Guahan_ for the Island _Mindanao_. The weather was uncertain: 'the Westerly winds were not as yet in strength, and the Easterly winds commonly over-mastered them and brought the ships on their way to _Mindanao_.'

[Sidenote: Eastern side of Mindanao, and the Island St. John.] There is much difference between the manuscript Journal of Dampier and the published Narrative, concerning the geography of the East side of _Mindanao_. The Manuscript says, 'We arrived off _Mindanao_ the 21st day of June; but being come in with the land, knew not what part of the Island the city was in, therefore we run down to the Northward, between _Mindanao_ and _St. John_, and came to an anchor in a bay which lieth in six degrees North latitude.'

In the printed Narrative it is said, 'The 21st day of June, we arrived at the _Island St. John_, which is on the East side of _Mindanao_, and distant from it 3 or 4 leagues. It is in latitude about 7 deg. or 8 deg. North. This Island is in length about 38 leagues, stretching NNW and SSE, and is in breadth about 24 leagues in the middle of the Island. The Northernmost end is broader, and the Southern narrower. This Island is of good height, and is full of small hills. The land at the SE end (where I was ashore) is of a black fat mould; and the whole Island seems to partake of the same, by the vast number of large trees that it produceth, for it looks all over like one great grove. As we were passing by the SE end, we saw a canoe of the natives under the shore, and one of our boats went after to have spoken with her, but she ran to the shore, and the people leaving her, fled to the woods. We saw no more people here, nor sign of inhabitant at this end. When we came aboard our ship again, we steered away for the Island _Mindanao_, which was fair in sight of us, it being about 10 leagues distant from this part of _St. John's_. The 22d day, we came within a league of the East side of _Mindanao_, and having the wind at SE, we steered towards the North end, keeping on the East side till we came into the latitude of 7 deg. 40' N, and there we anchored in a small bay, a mile from the shore, in 10 fathoms, rocky foul ground; _Mindanao_ being guarded on the East side by _St. John's Island_, we might as reasonably have expected to find the harbour and city on this side as any where else; but coming into the latitude in which we judged the city might be, we found no canoes or people that indicated a city or place of trade being near at hand, though we coasted within a league of the shore[80].'

This difference between the manuscript and printed Journal cannot well be accounted for. The most remarkable particular of disagreement is in the latitude of the bay wherein they anchored. At this bay they had communication with the inhabitants, and learnt that the _Mindanao City_ was to the Westward. They could not prevail on any Mindanao man to pilot them; the next day, however, they weighed anchor, and sailed back Southward, till they came to a part they supposed to be the SE end of _Mindanao_, and saw two small Islands about three leagues distant from it.

[Sidenote: Sarangan and Candigar.] There is reason to believe that the two small Islands here noticed were _Sarangan_ and _Candigar_; according to which, Dampier's _Island St. John_ will be the land named _Cape San Augustin_ in the present charts. And hence arises a doubt whether the land of _Cape San Augustin_ is not an Island separate from _Mindanao_. Dampier's navigation between them does not appear to have been far enough to the Northward to ascertain whether he was in a Strait or a Gulf.

[Sidenote: July. Harbour or Sound on the South Coast of Mindanao.] The wind blew constant and fresh from the Westward, and it took them till the 4th of July to get into a harbour or sound a few leagues to the NW from the two small Islands. This harbour or sound ran deep into the land; at the entrance it is only two miles across, but within it is three leagues wide, with seven fathoms depth, and there is good depth for shipping four or five leagues up, but with some rocky foul ground. On the East side of this Bay are small rivers and brooks of fresh water. The country on the West side was uncultivated land, woody, and well stocked with wild deer, which had been used to live there unmolested, no people inhabiting on that side of the bay. Near the shore was a border of savanna or meadow land which abounded in long grass. Dampier says, 'the adjacent woods are a covert for the deer in the heat of the day; but mornings and evenings they feed in the open plains, as thick as in our parks in England. I never saw any where such plenty of wild deer. We found no hindrance to our killing as many as we pleased, and the crews of both the ships were fed with venison all the time we remained here.'

They quitted this commodious Port on the 12th; the weather had become moderate, and they proceeded Westward for the River and City of _Mindanao_. The Southern part of the Island appeared better peopled than the Eastern part; they passed many fishing boats, 'and now and then a small village.'

[Sidenote: River of Mindanao.] On the 18th, they anchored before the _River of Mindanao_, in 15 fathoms depth, the bottom hard sand, about two miles distant from the shore, and three or four miles from a small Island which was without them to the Southward. The river is small, and had not more than ten or eleven feet depth over the bar at spring tides. Dampier gives the latitude of the entrance 6 deg. 22' N.

[Sidenote: City of Mindanao.] The buccaneer ships on anchoring saluted with seven guns, under English colours, and the salute was returned with three guns from the shore. 'The City of _Mindanao_ is about two miles from the sea. It is a mile long, of no great breadth, winding with the banks of the river, on the right hand going up, yet it has many houses on the opposite side of the river.' The houses were built upon posts, and at this time, as also during a great part of the succeeding month, the weather was rainy, and 'the city seemed to stand as in a pond, so that there was no passing from one house to another but in canoes.'

The Island _Mindanao_ was divided into a number of small states. The port at which the Cygnet and her tender now anchored, with a large district of country adjacent, was under the dominion of a Sultan or Prince, who appears to have been one of the most powerful in the Island. The Spaniards had not established their dominion over all the _Philippine Islands_, and the inhabitants of this place were more apprehensive of the Hollanders than of any other Europeans; and on that account expressed some discontent when they understood the Cygnet was not come for the purpose of making a settlement. On the afternoon of their arrival, Swan sent an officer with a present to the Sultan, consisting of scarlet cloth, gold lace, a scymitar, and a pair of pistols; and likewise a present to another great man who was called the General, of scarlet cloth and three yards of silver lace. The next day, Captain Swan went on shore and was admitted to an audience in form. The Sultan shewed him two letters from English merchants, expressing their wishes to establish a factory at _Mindanao_, to do which he said the English should be welcome. A few days after this audience, the Cygnet and tender went into the river, the former being lightened first to get her over the bar. Here, similar to the custom in the ports of _China_, an officer belonging to the Sultan went on board and measured the ships.

Voyagers or travellers who visit strange countries, generally find, or think, it necessary to be wary and circumspect: mercantile voyagers are on the watch for occasions of profit, and the inquisitiveness of men of observation will be regarded with suspicion; all which, however familiarity of manners may be assumed, keeps cordiality at a distance, and causes them to continue strangers. The present visitors were differently circumstanced and of different character: their pursuits at _Mindanao_ were neither to profit by trade nor to make observation. Long confined with pockets full of money which they were impatient to exchange for enjoyment, with minds little troubled by considerations of economy, they at once entered into familiar intercourse with the natives, who were gained almost as much by the freedom of their manners as by their presents, and with whom they immediately became intimates and inmates. The same happened to Drake and his companions, when, returning enriched with spoil from the _South Sea_, they stopped at the Island _Java_; and we read no instance of Europeans arriving at such sociable and friendly intercourse with any of the natives of _India_, as they became with the people of _Java_ during the short time they remained there, except in the similarly circumstanced, instance of the crew of the Cygnet among the Mindanayans.

By the length of their stay at _Mindanao_, Dampier was enabled to enter largely into descriptions of the natives, and of the country, and he has related many entertaining particulars concerning them. Those only in which the Buccaneers were interested will be noticed here.

The Buccaneers were at first prodigal in their gifts. When any of them went on shore, they were welcomed and invited to the houses, and were courted to form particular attachments. Among many nations of the East a custom has been found to prevail, according to which, a stranger is expected to choose some individual native to be his friend or comrade; and a connexion so formed, and confirmed with presents, is regarded, if not as sacred, with such high respect, that it is held most dishonourable to break it. The visitor is at all times afterwards welcome to his comrade's house. The _tayoship_, with the ceremony of exchanging names, among the South Sea islanders, is a bond of fellowship of the same nature. The people of _Mindanao_ enlarged and refined upon this custom, and allowed to the stranger a _pagally_, or platonic friend of the other sex. The wives of the richest men may be chosen, and she is permitted to converse with her pagally in public. 'In a short time,' says Dampier, 'several of our men, such as had good clothes and store of gold, had a comrade or two, and as many pagallies.' Some of the crew hired, and some purchased, houses, in which they lived with their comrades and pagallies, and with a train of servants, as long as their means held out. 'Many of our Squires,' continues Dampier, 'were in no long time eased of the trouble of counting their money. This created a division of the crew into two parties, that is to say, of those who had money, and those who had none. As the latter party increased, they became dissatisfied and unruly for want of action, and continually urged the Captain to go to sea; which not being speedily complied with, they sold the ship's stores and the merchants' goods to procure arrack.' Those whose money held out, were not without their troubles. The Mindanayans were a people deadly in their resentments. Whilst the Cygnet lay at _Mindanao_, sixteen Buccaneers were buried, most of whom, Dampier says, died by poison. 'The people of _Mindanao_ are expert at poisoning, and will do it upon small occasions. Nor did our men want for giving offence either by rogueries, or by familiarities with their women, even before their husbands' faces. They have poisons which are slow and lingering; for some who were poisoned at _Mindanao_, did not die till many months after.'

Towards the end of the year they began to make preparation for sailing. It was then discovered that the bottom of the tender was eaten through by worms in such a manner that she would scarcely swim longer in port, and could not possibly be made fit for sea. The Cygnet was protected by a sheathing which covered her bottom, the worms not being able to penetrate farther than to the hair which was between the sheathing and the main plank.

[Sidenote: January, 1687.] In the beginning of January (1687), the Cygnet was removed to without the bar of the river. Whilst she lay there, and when Captain Swan was on shore, his Journal was accidentally left out, and thereby liable to the inspection of the crew, some of whom had the curiosity to look in it, and found there the misconduct of several individuals on board, noted down in a manner that seemed to threaten an after-reckoning. This discovery increased the discontents against Swan to such a degree, that when he heard of it he did not dare to trust himself on board, and the discontented party took advantage of his absence and got the ship under sail. Captain Swan sent on board Mr. Harthope, one of the Supercargoes, to see if he could effect a reconciliation. The principal mutineers shewed to Mr. Harthope the Captain's Journal, 'and repeated to him all his ill actions, and they desired that he would take the command of the ship; but he refused, and desired them to tarry a little longer whilst he went on shore and communed with the Captain, and he did not question but all differences would be reconciled. They said they would wait till two o'clock; but at four o'clock, Mr. Harthope not having returned, and no boat being seen coming from the shore, they made sail and put to sea with the ship, leaving their Commander and 36 of the crew at _Mindanao_.' Dampier was among those who went in the ship; but he disclaims having had any share in the mutiny.

CHAP. XXI.

_The =Cygnet= departs from =Mindanao=. At the =Ponghou Isles=.
At the =Five Islands=. =Dampier's= Account of the =Five
Islands=. They are named the =Bashee Islands=._

[Sidenote: 1687. January. South Coast of Mindanao.] It was on the 14th of January the Cygnet sailed from before the _River Mindanao_. The crew chose one John Reed, a Jamaica man, for their Captain. They steered Westward along the coast of the South side of the Island, 'which here tends WbS, the land of a good height, with high hills in the country.' The 15th, they were abreast a town named _Chambongo_ [in the charts _Samboangan_] which Dampier reckoned to be 30 leagues distant from the _River of Mindanao_. The Spaniards had formerly a fort there, and it is said to be a good harbour. 'At the distance of two or three leagues from the coast, are many small low Islands or Keys; and two or three leagues to the Southward of these Keys is a long Island stretching NE and SW about twelve leagues[81].'

[Sidenote: Among the Philippine Islands.] When they were past the SW part of _Mindanao_, they sailed Northward towards _Manila_, plundering the country vessels that came in their way. What was seen here of the coasts is noticed slightly and with uncertainty. They met two Mindanao vessels laden with silks and calicoes; and near _Manila_ they took some Spanish vessels, one of which had a cargo of rice.

[Sidenote: March. Pulo Condore.] From the _Philippine Islands_ they went to the Island _Pulo Condore_, where two of the men who had been poisoned at _Mindanao_, died. 'They were opened by the surgeon, in compliance with their dying request, and their livers were found black, light, and dry, like pieces of cork.'

[Sidenote: In the China Seas.] From _Pulo Condore_ they went cruising to the _Gulf of Siam_, and to different parts of the _China Seas_. What their success was, Dampier did not think proper to tell, for it would not admit of being palliated under the term Buccaneering. Among their better projects and contrivances, one, which could only have been undertaken by men confident in their own seamanship and dexterity, was to search at the _Prata Island and Shoal_, for treasure which had been wrecked there, the recovery of which no one had ever before ventured to attempt. In pursuit of this scheme, they unluckily fell too far to leeward, and were unable to beat up against the wind.

[Sidenote: July. Ponghou Isles. The Five Islands.] In July they went to the _Ponghou Islands_, expecting to find there a port which would be a safe retreat. On the 20th of that month, they anchored at one of the Islands, where they found a large town, and a Tartar garrison. This was not a place where they could rest with ease and security. Having the wind at SW, they again got under sail, and directed their course to look for some Islands which in the charts were laid down between _Formosa_ and _Luconia_, without any name, but marked with the figure 5 to denote their number. These Buccaneers, or rather pirates, had no other information concerning the _Five Islands_ than seeing them on the charts, and hoped to find them without inhabitants.

Dampier's account of the _Five Islands_ would lose in many respects if given in any other than his own words, which therefore are here transcribed.

[Sidenote: Dampier's Description of the Five Islands.] 'August the 6th, We made the _Islands_; the wind was at South, and we fetched in with the Westernmost, which is the largest, on which we saw goats, but could not get anchor-ground, therefore we stood over to others about three leagues from this, and the next forenoon anchored in a small Bay on the East side of the Easternmost Island in fifteen fathoms, a cable's length from the shore; and before our sails were furled we had a hundred small boats aboard, with three, four, and some with six men in them. [Sidenote: August 7th.] There were three large towns on the shore within the distance of a league. Most of our people being aloft (for we had been forced to turn in close with all sail abroad, and when we anchored, furled all at once) and our deck being soon full of Indian natives, we were at first alarmed, and began to get our small-arms ready; but they were very quiet, only they picked up such old iron as they found upon our deck. At last, one of our men perceived one of them taking an iron pin out of a gun-carriage, and laid hold of him, upon which he bawled out, and the rest leaped into their boats or overboard, and they all made away for the shore. But when we perceived their fright, we made much of him we had in hold, and gave him a small piece of iron, with which we let him go, and he immediately leaped overboard and swam to his consorts, who hovered near the ship to see the issue. Some of the boats came presently aboard again, and they were always afterward very honest and civil. We presently after this, sent our canoe on shore, and they made the crew welcome with a drink they call Bashee, and they sold us some hogs. We bought a fat goat for an old iron hoop, a hog of 70 or 80 _lbs._ weight for two or three pounds of iron, and their bashee drink and roots for old nails or bullets. Their hogs were very sweet, but many were meazled. We filled fresh water here at a curious brook close by the ship.

'We lay here till the 12th, when we weighed to seek for a better anchoring place. We plied to windward, and passed between the South end of this Island and the North end of another Island South of this. These Islands were both full of inhabitants, but there was no good riding. We stopped a tide under the Southern Island. The tide runs there very strong, the flood to the North, and it rises and falls eight feet. It was the 15th day of the month before we found a place we might anchor at and careen, which was at another Island not so big as either of the former.

'We anchored near the North East part of this smaller Island, against a small sandy bay, in seven fathoms clean hard sand, a quarter of a mile from the shore. We presently set up a tent on shore, and every day some of us went to the towns of the natives, and were kindly entertained by them. Their boats also came on board to traffic with us every day; so that besides provision for present use, we bought and salted 70 or 80 good fat hogs, and laid up a good stock of potatoes and yams.

[Sidenote: Names given to the Islands. Orange Island.] 'These Islands lie in 20 deg. 20' N.[82] As they are laid down in the charts marked only with a figure of 5, we gave them what names we pleased. The Dutchmen who were among us named the Westernmost, which is the largest, the _Prince of Orange's Island_. It is seven or eight leagues long, about two leagues wide, and lies almost North and South. _Orange Island_ was not inhabited. It is high land, flat and even at the top, with steep cliffs against the sea; for which reason we could not go ashore there, as we did on all the rest.

[Sidenote: Grafton Island.] 'The Island where we first anchored, we called the _Duke of Grafton's Isle_, having married my wife out of his Dutchess's family, and leaving her at Arlington House at my going abroad. _Grafton Isle_ is about four leagues long, stretching North and South, and one and a half wide.

[Sidenote: Monmouth Island.] 'The other great Island our seamen called the _Duke of Monmouth's Island_. It is about three leagues long, and a league wide.

[Sidenote: Goat Island. Bashee Island. The Drink called Bashee.] 'The two smaller Islands, which lie between _Monmouth_, and the South end of _Orange Island_; the Westernmost, which is the smallest, we called _Goat Island_, from the number of goats we saw there. The Easternmost, at which we careened, our men unanimously called _Bashee Island_, because of the plentiful quantity of that liquor which we drank there every day. This drink called Bashee, the natives make with the juice of the sugar-cane, to which they put some small black berries. It is well boiled, and then put into great jars, in which it stands three or four days to ferment. Then it settles clear, and is presently fit to drink. This is an excellent liquor, strong, and I believe wholesome, and much like our English beer both in colour and taste. Our men drank briskly of it during several weeks, and were frequently drunk with it, and never sick in consequence. [Sidenote: The whole group named the Bashee Islands.] The natives sold it to us very cheap, and from the plentiful use of it, our men called all these Islands the _Bashee Islands_.

[Sidenote: Rocks or small Islands North of the Five Islands.] 'To the Northward of the Five Islands are two high rocks.' [These rocks are not inserted in Dampier's manuscript Chart, and only one of them in the published Chart; whence is to be inferred, that the other was beyond the limit of the Chart.]

[Sidenote: Natives described.] 'These Islanders are short, squat, people, generally round visaged with thick eyebrows; their eyes of a hazel colour, small, yet bigger than those of the Chinese; they have short low noses, their teeth white; their hair black, thick, and lank, which they wear short: their skins are of a dark copper colour. They wear neither hat, cap, nor turban to keep off the sun. The men had a cloth about their waist, and the women wore short cotton petticoats which reached below the knee. These people had iron; but whence it came we knew not. The boats they build are much after the fashion of our Deal yawls, but smaller, and every man has a boat, which he builds himself. They have also large boats, which will carry 40 or 50 men each.

'They are neat and cleanly in their persons, and are withal the quietest and civilest people I ever met with. I could never perceive them to be angry one with another. I have admired to see 20 or 30 boats aboard our ship at a time, all quiet and endeavouring to help each other on occasion; and if cross accidents happened, they caused no noise nor appearance of distaste. When any of us came to their houses, they would entertain us with such things as their houses or plantations would afford; and if they had no bashee at home, would buy of their neighbours, and sit down and drink freely with us; yet neither then nor sober could I ever perceive them to be out of humour.

'I never observed them to worship any thing; they had no idols; neither did I perceive that one man was of greater power than another: they seemed to be all equal, only every man ruling in his own house, and children respecting and honouring their parents. Yet it is probable they have some law or custom by which they are governed; for whilst we lay here, we saw a young man buried alive in the earth, and it was for theft, as far as we could understand from them. There was a great deep hole dug, and abundance of people came to the place to take their last farewell of him. One woman particularly made great lamentations, and took off the condemned person's ear-rings. We supposed her to be his mother. After he had taken leave of her, and some others, he was put into the pit, and covered over with earth. He did not struggle, but yielded very quietly to his punishment, and they crammed the earth close upon him, and stifled him.

[Sidenote: Situations of their Towns.] _Monmouth_ and _Grafton Isles_ are very hilly with steep precipices; and whether from fear of pirates, of foreign enemies, or factions among their own clans, their towns and villages are built on the most steep and inaccessible of these precipices, and on the sides of rocky hills; so that in some of their towns, three or four rows of houses stand one above another, in places so steep that they go up to the first row with a ladder, and in the same manner ascend to every street upwards. _Grafton_ and _Monmouth Islands_ are very thick set with these hills and towns. [Sidenote: Bashee Islands.] The two small Islands are flat and even, except that on _Bashee Island_ there is one steep craggy hill. The reason why _Orange Island_ has no inhabitants, though the largest and as fertile as any of these Islands, I take to be, because it is level and exposed to attack; and for the same reason, _Goat Island_, being low and even, hath no inhabitants. We saw no houses built on any open plain ground. Their houses are but small and low, the roofs about eight feet high.

The vallies are well watered with brooks of fresh water. The fruits of these Islands are plantains, bananas, pine-apples, pumpkins, yams and other roots, and sugar-canes, which last they use mostly for their bashee drink. Here are plenty of goats, and hogs; and but a few fowls. They had no grain of any kind.

[Sidenote: September. 26th.] 'On the 26th of September, our ship was driven to sea, by a strong gale at NbW, which made her drag her anchors. Six of the crew were on shore, who could not get on board. The weather continued stormy till the 29th. [Sidenote: October.] The 1st of October, we recovered the anchorage from which we had been driven, and immediately the natives brought on board our six seamen, who related that after the ship was out of sight, the natives were more kind to them than they had been before, and tried to persuade them to cut their hair short, as was the custom among themselves, offering to each of them if they would, a young woman to wife, a piece of land, and utensils fit for a planter. These offers were declined, but the natives were not the less kind; on which account we made them a present of three whole bars of iron.'

Two days after this reciprocation of kindness, the Buccaneers bid farewell to these friendly Islanders.

CHAP. XXII.

_The =Cygnet=. At the =Philippines=, =Celebes=, and =Timor=. On
the Coast of =New Holland=. End of the =Cygnet=._

[Sidenote: 1687. October.] From the _Bashee Islands_, the Cygnet steered at first SSW, with the wind at West, and on that course passed 'close to the Eastward of certain small Islands that lie just by the North end of the Island _Luconia_.'

[Sidenote: Island near the SE end of Mindanao. Candigar.] They went on Southward by the East of the _Philippine Islands_. On the 14th, they were near a small low woody Island, which Dampier reckoned to lie East 20 leagues from the SE end of _Mindanao_. The 16th, they anchored between the small Islands _Candigar_ and _Sarangan_; but afterwards found at the NW end of the Eastern of the two Islands, a good and convenient small cove, into which they went, and careened the ship. They heard here that Captain Swan and those of the crew left with him, were still at the _City of Mindanao_.

[Sidenote: December. 27th. Near the SW end of Timor.] The Cygnet and her restless crew continued wandering about the Eastern Seas, among the _Philippine Islands_, to _Celebes_, and to _Timor_. December the 27th, steering a Southerly course, they passed by the West side of _Rotte_, and by another small Island, near the SW end of _Timor_. Dampier says, 'Being now clear of all the Islands, and having the wind at West and WbN, we steered away SSW,[83] intending to touch at _New Holland_, to see what that country would afford us.'