A VOYAGE TO BORNEO.

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indifferent, the wells being near the fea-fhore, ebb and flow with the tide ; fo that thewater cannot be very freffi, being drained only that Ihort fpace through the veins of theearth ; it is always belt at low water.

In all thefe parts you find fomebody who has the title of Shabander, and feemsto govern the reft in refpect of trade, and exchanging your money, to whom fomefmall prefent muft be made. We had not been long on fhore ere the old Ihabandercame to us, and charged us, as a friend, to be gone from the place, or elfe it wouldbe. worfe for us ; whereupon we all went on board the fame evening, which, if wehad not done, I do not queftion but we fhould have repented it. I did not know thedanger thereof till afterwards. The reafon it feems was, that after we had fettled theprices of the provifions we wanted with the Ihabander, feveral of their own people ftoletheir neighbours’ oxen, &c. and in the fhabander’s abfence brought them to us, andfold them at a cheap rate, then ran away with the money and hid themfelves, andleft us to be punifhed for what we were innocent of. This, it feems, is a trick theycommonly put upon ftrangers, therefore I thought fit to give other perfons a cautionthereof that they may avoid it, which may be done by buying only of the Ihabander,or fuch of his friends as you will foon find out, or in his prefence.

Having got all things ready, we weighed on the fifth of January, about fix in themorning, and ftood away fouth-fouth-weft, and fouth-weft-by-fouth, from the fouthpoint of the bay. Note, that in running out this bay, if you are bound for the ftreightsof Bally, it is beft to keep the fouth point on board, in about eight, nine or ten fathomswater, and not farther from the Ihore; to which you have gradual good foundings;but farther in the offing are fundry Ihoals, funk rocks and uncertain depths, whichare not laid down in any fea-cards as ever I faw. We were like to have run on oneof thefe Ihoals in the day-time; but feeing the water coloured, we avoided it, broughtto, and fent the boat to found where we found no more than eleven feet water,though a Ihip’s length farther we found fourteen fathoms, fo that there is no warning,by foundings there. This Ihoal is a quarter of a mile long, lying north-eaft, and fouth-weft neareft. When you are on the rocks or Ihoal the fouth-eaft end of Madura willbear weft-half-fouth, and Poolo Pondy north-half-eaft. Thefe Ihoals are the moredangerous, becaufe of the uncertain ftrong currents ; but whoever follows the fore*going directions may go fafe in and out of this bay.

The courfe from the fouth-eaft point of Madura to Cape Zandareen is fouth-fouth-eaft diftant about twenty leagues, and no danger between, but what is called in ourcards Muyden’s rock, which is there very erroneoufly laid down ; its bearing fromthe north-eaftermoft point of Java is fouth-by-weft, diftant eight miles. Neither is ita rock as the cards reprefent, but feveral Ihoals of fand that lie eaft and weft, a mileand more in length. Some at high water are juft covered, and the higheft is not to befeen above a mile in the day-time. I failed all round them, and had no groundwith eighty fathoms of line, when we were within mulket-lhot of the faid Ihoals.

The faid north-eaft end of Java is exceeding mountainous, and may be feen plainlyfrom the aforefaid Bay of Madura. South half eaft, from the faid point, diftant abouttwo leagues, is the cape called Cape Zandareen, being a low rocky point, but fteepwithal. From Cape Zandareen to Poolo Gilleboang, which is a fmall ifland lyingabout a third part over the entrance of the ftreights of Bally, the courfe is fouth-by-eaft half-eaft diftant about four leagues. The ifland is low, full of trees and breakersall round, but you may fail on ejther fide, giving the ifland a good birth. I failed tothe weftward, between it and Java, and could get no ground with our lead. ThePaflage there is very narrow, but between ‘the ifland and Cape Zandareen is a large

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