Beknopte aantekeningen van een Oost-Indische reys, gedaan uyt Engeland, met 3 scheepen de Samaritaan, de ...

1615

That which they called the Forced Bay.

Rare Tree.

...the storm, 2 or 3 miles out at sea. In this place, which I might well call the Forced Bay, we did not find a single human being, but the seashore was full of coconut trees, palms, and 100 other species. Some of these trees had various roots sprouting from the tops of the branches which, being 40 or 50 feet high, sagged down toward the ground and, having taken hold, formed new roots, such that the tree forms something like a forest. I do not believe that any Christian person has ever been there, or if he can avoid it, ever will come, yet the General set his name and coat of arms on one of those trees. We were barely 2 miles from our anchorage, to which we had barely enough wind to return, or else such a squall of rain and wind arose that we had to take in our top-sails and shorten our mainsail.

Another Bay.

On the 23rd, having considered everything and signed a document for the relief of the General, we set out toward the land and let our anchor fall in a bay, which I might call the Voluntary [Bay], where we found a Dutchman on anchor whom we had previously seen at Sestos likely referring to a coastal location or harbor.

Where people lived.

Called Middleton's Bay.

On the 24th, we went ashore and found a town inhabited by people who were not black, but brownish-yellow. The houses were built of reeds; some of the people were clothed from the waist down, and others entirely so. They did not value the trinkets we had and would not give us anything worth mentioning; their weapons were a pike and a cleaver. The Dutchman called this place Middleton’s Bay. The island has a good harbor and a river and lies fully 50 miles to the East of the North end of Java, just as the Dutchman, who had sailed this entire coast, reported to us. It lies at 7 degrees, 35 minutes.

On the 2nd of February, we were at 10 degrees, 12 minutes.