They depart from the Bashee Islands, and passing by some
others, and the N. End of Luconia. St. John's Isle, and other
of the Philippines. They stop at the two Isles near Mindanao;
where they re-fit their Ship, and make a Pump after the Spanish
fashion. By the young Prince of the Spice Island they have
News of Captain Swan, and his Men, left at Mindanao: The Author
proposes to the Crew to return to him; but in vain; The Story
of his Murder at Mindanao. The Clove-Islands. Ternate. Tidore,
&c. The Island Celebes, and Dutch Town of Macasser. They
coast along the East side of Celebes, and between it and other
Islands and Sholes, with great difficulty. Shy Turtle. Vast
Cockles. A wild Vine of great Virtue for Sores. Great Trees;
one excessively big. Beacons instead of Buoys on the Sholes. A
Spout: a Description of them, with a Story of one. Uncertain
Tornadoes. Turtle. The Island Bouton, and its chief Town and
Harbour Callasusung. The Inhabitants Visits given and receiv'd
by the Sultan. His Device in the Flag of his Proe: His Guards,
Habit, and Children. Their Commerce. Their different esteem
(as they pretend) of the English and Dutch. Maritime Indians
sell others for Slaves. Their Reception in the Town. A
Boy with 4 rows of Teeth. Parakites. Crockadores, a sort
of White Parrots. They pass among other inhabited Islands,
Omba, Pentare, Timore, &c. Sholes. New Holland: laid down
too much Northward. Its Soil, and Dragon-trees. The poor
winking inhabitants: their Feathers, Habit, Food, Arms,
&c. The way of fetching Fire out of Wood. The Inhabitants
on the Islands. Their Habitations, Unfitness for Labour,
&c. The great Tides here. They design for the Island Cocos,
and Cape Comorin.
The third Day of October 1687, we sailed from these Islands, standing
to the Southward; intending to sail through among the Spice Islands. We
had fair Weather, and the Wind at West. We first steer'd S.S.W. and
passed close by certain small Islands that lye just by the North-end
of the Island Luconia. [28] We left them all on the West of us, and
past on the East-side of it, and the rest of the Philippine Islands,
coasting to the Southward.
The N. East-end of the Island Luconia appears to be good Champion
Land, of an indifferent heighth, plain and even for many Leagues;
only it has some pretty high Hills standing upright by themselves in
these Plains; but no ridges of Hills, or chains of Mountains joyning
one to another. The Land on this side seems to be most Savannah,
or Pasture: The S.E. part is more Mountainous and Woody.
Leaving the Island Luconia, and with it our Golden Projects, we
sailed on to the Southward, passing on the East-side of the rest
of the Philippine Islands. These appear to be more Mountainous,
and less Woody, till we came in sight of the Island St. John; the
first of that name I mentioned: the other I spake of on the Coast of
China. This I have already described to be a very woody Island. Here
the Wind coming Southerly, forced us to keep farther from the Islands.
The 14 day of October we came close by a small low woody Island,
that lieth East from the S.E. end of Mindanao, distant from it about
20 Leagues. I do not find it set down in any Sea-Chart.
The 15th day we had the Wind at N.E. and we steered West for the Island
Mindanao, and arrived at the S.E. end again in the 16th day. There
we went in and anchored between two small Islands, which lie in
about 5 d. 10 m. North Lat. I mentioned them when we first came on
this Coast. Here we found a fine small Cove, on the N.W. end of the
Easternmost Island [i.e., Sarangani], fit to careen in, or hale ashore;
so we went in there, and presently unrigg'd our Ship, and provided to
hale our Ship ashore, to clean her bottom. These Islands are about 3
or 4 Leagues from the Island Mindanao; they are about 4 or 5 Leagues
in Circumference, and of a pretty good heighth. The Mold is black
and deep; and there are two small Brooks of fresh Water.
They are both plentifully stored with great high Trees; therefore
our Carpenters were sent ashore to cut down some of them for our
use; for here they made a new Boltsprit, which we did set here also,
our old one being very faulty. They made a new Fore-yard too, and a
Fore-top-mast: And our Pumps being faulty, and not serviceable, they
did cut a Tree to make a Pump. They first squared it, then sawed it in
the middle, and then hollowed each side exactly. The two hollow sides
were made big enough to contain a Pump-box in the midst of them both,
when they were joined together; and it required their utmost Skill to
close them exactly to the making a tight Cylinder for the Pump-box;
being unaccustomed to such work. We learnt this way of Pump-making
from the Spaniards; who make their Pumps that they use in their Ships
in the South-Seas after this manner; and I am confident that there
are no better Hand-pumps in the World than they have.
While we lay here, the young Prince that I mentioned in the 13th
Chapter, came aboard. He understanding that we were bound farther
to the Southward, desired us to transport him and his Men to his own
Island. He shewed it to us in our Draft, and told us the Name of it;
which we put down in our Draft, for it was not named there; but I
quite forgot to put it into my Journal.
This Man told us, that not above six days before this, he saw Captain
Swan, and several of his Men that we left there, and named the Names of
some of them, who, he said, were all well, and that now they were at
the City of Mindanao; but that they had all of them been out with Raja
Laut, fighting under him in his Wars against his Enemies the Alfoores;
and that most of them fought with undaunted Courage; for which they
were highly honoured and esteemed, as well by the Sultan, as by the
General Raja Laut; that now Capt. Swan intended to go with his Men
to Fort St. George, and that in order thereto, he had proffered forty
Ounces of Gold for a Ship; but the Owner and he were not yet agreed;
and that he feared that the Sultan would not let him go away till
the Wars were ended.
All this the Prince told us in the Malayan tongue, which many of us
had learnt; and when he went away he promised to return to us again
in 3 days time, and so long Captain Read promised to stay for him
(for we had now almost finished our Business) and he seemed very glad
of the opportunity of going with us.
After this I endeavoured to perswade our Men, to return with the Ship
to the River of Mindanao, and offer their Service again to Captain
Swan. I took an opportunity when they were filling of Water, there
being then half the Ships Company ashore; and I found all these very
willing to do it. I desired them to say nothing, till I had tried
the Minds of the other half, which I intended to do the next day;
it being their turn to fill Water then; But one of these Men, who
seemed most forward to invite back Captain Swan, told Captain Read
and Captain Teat of the Project, and they presently disswaded the Men
from any such Designs. Yet fearing the worst, they made all possible
haste to be gone.
I have since been informed, that Captain Swan and his Men stayed
there a great while afterward; and that many of the Men got passage
from thence in Dutch Sloops to Ternate, particularly Mr. Rofy,
and Mr. Nelly. There they remained a great while, and at last got
to Batavia (where the Dutch took their Journals from them) and so to
Europe; and that some of Captain Swan's Men died at Mindanao; of which
number Mr. Harthrope, and Mr. Smith, Captain Swan's Merchants were
two. At last Captain Swan and his Surgeon going in a small Canoa aboard
of a Dutch Ship then in the Road, in order to get Passage to Europe,
were overset by the Natives at the Mouth of the River; who waited
their coming purposely to do it, but unsuspected by them; where they
both were kill'd in the Water. This was done by the General's Order, as
some think, to get his Gold, which he did immediately seize on. Others
say, it was because the General's House was burnt a little before,
and Captain Swan was suspected to be the Author of it; and others say,
That it was Captain Swan's Threats occasioned his own Ruin; for he
would often say passionately, that he had been abused by the General,
and that he would have satisfaction for it; saying also, that now he
was well acquainted with their Rivers, and knew how to come in at any
time; that he also knew their manner of Fighting, and the Weakness of
their Country; and therefore he would go away, and get a Band of Men
to assist him, and returning thither again, he would spoil and take
all that they had, and their Country too. When the General had been
informed of these Discourses, he would say, What, is Captain Swan made
of Iron, and able to resist a whole Kingdom? Or does he think that we
are afraid of him, that he speaks thus? Yet did he never touch him,
till now the Mindanayans kill'd him. It is very probable there might
be somewhat of Truth in all this; for the Captain was passionate,
and the General greedy of Gold. But whatever was the occasion, so
he was killed, as several have assured me, and his Gold seized on,
and all his Things; and his Journal also from England, as far as Cape
Corrientes on the Coast of Mexico. This Journal was afterwards sent
away from thence by Mr. Moody (who was there both a little before and
a little after the Murder) and he sent it to England by Mr. Goddard,
Chief Mate of the Defence.
But to our purpose: Seeing I could not persuade them to go to Captain
Swan again, I had a great desire to have had the Prince's Company:
But Captain Read was afraid to let his fickle Crew lie long. That
very day that the Prince had promised to return to us, which was
November 2, 1687, we sailed hence, directing our course South-West,
and having the Wind at N.W.
[The course of the ship after leaving Mindanao may be seen from the
heading to this chapter. Of Australia (or New Holland, as it was then
called) Dampier says: "New Holland is a very large tract of Land. It
is not yet determined whether it is an Island or a main Continent;
but I am certain that it joyns neither to Asia, Africa, nor America."]
[From Australia (chap. xvii) the adventurers sail along until they
reach Nicobar Island, where Dampier and two others receive permission
to remain, together with four Malays and a Portuguese; and have various
adventures with the natives of that island. Finally leaving there
(chap. xviii), they go to Sumatra, where the small band is decimated
by the death of one Malay and the Portuguese. The two Englishmen go to
the English factory. Leaving the island, Dampier sets out as boatswain
of an English ship for Nicobar, but returns to Achin. Thence he makes
various voyages (in 1688 and 1689) in Eastern waters, and finally
becomes gunner at the English factory at Bencouli (1690); but, that
post proving uncongenial, he deserts and takes passage for England
(January 2, 1691). The journey to the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good
Hope (chap. xix--misnumbered xx) witnesses a slight engagement between
the French, with whom hostilities have broken out, and the Dutch and
English; and the mysterious death of many of the sailors on the English
vessel, from the bad water, Dampier thinks. England is finally reached
(chap. xx), and the author's long voyage is over, September 16, 1691.]