A VOYAGE TO BORNEO.

127

We fent meffengers on the 29th of September,- to acquaint the Sultan of Caytongee,that the expiration of our time was near at hand (there being but fifteen days to come),and that we had not yet the fourth part of our loading ; and moreover that the Chi-nefe and feveral of his fubjects had hoarded up their pepper, in hopes to fell it for agreater price to the Chinefe junks, when they fhould come, which was not accordingto our contract : that in cafe we were not foon fupplied, we fhould have the wefterlymonfoons to encounter with : that Iikewife his fubjedts refufed to take two-thirds of ourmoney, though it be fuch as all other nations accept of: and in fine, we defired thathe would be pleafed to think of fome expedient to load us both, otherwife we fhouldbe obliged to fend one away to fome other port. On the 3d of Odtober the meffen-gers returned, and told us, that His Majefty expreffed great concern for our difappoint-ment, and was againfl our fending away one of our fhips, affuring us that he wouldoblige his fubjedts to bring in all their pepper at the contradted price, and hoped tofind an expedient for our light money. Accordingly he fent fome perfons the nextday down to fearch both Tatas and Quaen, with orders to feize all fuch pepper as thepeople fhould refufe to fell us at the price firfl agreed on. However we found noprobability of loading both ; therefore we difpatched away the Borneo with the over-plus of our money (being eleven thoufand pieces of eight), alfo two hundred andtwenty-four bags of faltpetre, referving to ourfelves as much as would be fufficient, asnear as we could guefs, to purchafe the remainder of my loading.

On the 21 ft of October I, with two other fupercargoes, went in my long-boat overthe bar with the faid fhip, and took our leave of the captain about nine at night, inorder to return to mine. We rowed and failed moft part of the night for the river’smouth; but it being very dark we loft our way, and had like to have gone up thenver Byajo, amongft the wild Indians ; but perceiving our miftake we came to anchor,and waited till day, keeping a ftrict watch for fear of being furprifed by any of the•Byajo men. The evening following we arrived on board, much tired, and from thenceWe proceeded towards Tatas, where we arrived the 23d, towards night.

■ We were not long there ere we were fenfible how exactly 1 the King’s orders wereput in execution for feizing the pepper, and forcing the owners to bring and fell it toThere was alfo a larger quantity brought into town than we could have imagined,by reafon of many dry days that happened, which is very uncommon in this feafon, fomat now we began to repent that we had fent away the other fhip; therefore, hearingmat fhe was ftill not far off on the coaft, we difpatched our long-boat w'ith orders forher return, but could not find her. This pepper foon filled my fhip, and the overplusuf the money I employed in buying gold. The price and manner of purchafing it Imall hereafter mention.

My fhip being loaded, I failed out of the port of Banjar Maffeen on the ift of No-vember 1714, and anchored on the other fide of the bar, in four fathoms and halfwater, about four leagues from the fhore, having good anchor ground there. We haduow our water to fill and provifions to bring on board, becaufe I was willing to goover the bar as light as I could to prevent our grounding, which we performed very^Ppfiy, though it was in the night, and we drew thirteen feet eight inches water : andw atever may, or has been faid of that bar, if care be taken to find out the deepeftHfety 3n y t fi° u gfi fhe draws fifteen feet water, may go over with great

^Phe next day about three in the afternoon (having taken care to fee the fhip welln j°? re d) I fet out in my pinnace towards the factory, the wind blowing very hard : atg t we reached the river’s mouth, and fo rowed all night, till about four in the

morning