Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

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rigged them up, and having faved our mizen-yard and enfign-ftaff, fitted them foryards, to which we bent fails, and flood towards the land, and, before it was dark,anchored near fome iflands called Les Ilhos de Viados by the Portugueze. Next morn-ing we had much trouble to get our long-boat out of the fhip. It was about ten tons ofburden, and ftrongly built; but, after four hours labour we put it into the fea, andfent it afhore to try if we could get a pilot, but found nobody on that ifland ; however,they met with two pieces of marts of fmall veffels that had been cart on the ifland, andthofe they brought with them ; which did us very great fervice in bringing us to theMaccao iflands, which were about 15 leagues from us.

We kept the boat founding the depths before the fhip, till we got about eight leagueson our way, and anchored in good oozy ground, under an ifland that kept the rollingfeas from difturbing us, and, in the morning, by break of day, we difpatched the boatin quell of Maccao, and to bring us pilots. Before night they landed at the .city, andnext day returned with a pilot and a junk to attend us, and, in two days more, thepilot brought us fafe totm anchor in Teipe Oueberado, a very fecure place for flippingto ride in. It is about four miles from the city of Maccao, where I found a company fhipcalled the Canterbury, commanded by Captain Kinsford, who had come from Amoy,in March, and could not reach the Streights of Malacca, fo was forced to pafs the fouth-wefl monfoons -in this harbour.

I went to the city, and applied myfelf to the captain-general and the procuradorefor afliftance, and they made large promifes. I addrefied each of them with a prefentof fcarlet cloth, and Surat atlaffes, which they thankfully received, but foon after 1 foundthey were in no condition to aflifl me. They indeed defigned to compliment me withfome frefli provifions, but had not intereft enough with the China mandereen to getliberty to fend them on board of my fhip.

Nor would he fuffer any body to fupply me with neceffaries, till he received ordersfrom the Chontock or Viceroy of Canton . That incivility prefaged but ill fuccefs tomy affairs there .; however, I went and paid him a vifit, and prefented him with a filverfalver and a piece of atlas on it, both in value about 45 tayels, or 15I. fterling, which hereceived, and made an apology for his prohibiting commerce with my fhip till he hadreceived advices from the Viceroy .

He treated me with Tartarian tea, which I took to be beans boiled in milk, with fomefait in it, and it was ferved in wooden difhes, as big as chocolate cups. When ourregailia was over, I took leave, and he loaded me with fair promifes, and fent after mea prefent of an hog, two geefe, a goat and fome wheat flour, and a fmall jar of fain*fhew, or rice arrack.

Having nothing to do till the Viceroy ’s orders came, I went among fome iflands tofind a watering-place, and, on a pretty high ifland about a mile long, and half as broad,I faw a line clear ftream trickling down the face of a rock, about half a league fromour fhip. I ordered my men to fill about twenty tuns of it, and being clearer thanwe had before, we made ufe of it for drinking and boiling rice. About ten days afterwe had made ufe of it, all my men were affected with a violent heach-ache, and, amongthe reft, myfelf, which was a diftemper I never had been troubled with before.

I began to fufpecl that the water might be the caufe, and ordered a large copper-pot tobe filled with it, and to boil one half of it away, and fet the reft to cool a day and a night,which was accordingly done, and, on pouring off the water, I found about a large hand-ful of a dark grey fait at the bottom, of a fharp unfavoury tafte, which made me emptywhat remained of it into the fea; but there was an high large ifland about two leaguesfrom our fhip, that had many fprings of water, which I tried, and found to be good.

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