*4f
You always have timely notice before it comes, fo that when you would pafs tothe fouthward, it is advifeable to keep the coaft of Java on board, fleering along fhore,within a mile or tw 7 o with the northerly fea-breeze, which lafts till the other comesfrom the fouthward, till you run four or five leagues to the fouthward of the north-eaftend of Java. Then you will open a black fandy bay, which reaches to PooloGilleboang : and when you fee the tornado beating up in the {freights a-head of you,which may be difcerned for about an hour before it reaches you, then get near enoughinto that bay to anchor; for it* will fuddenly fall calm, and the current will horfeyou out again: however, the current runs not always to the fouthward, but youwill find many eddies ; fo you mufl night and day attend the northerly breezes, andanchor in that bay, before the other comes on ; otherwife you will lofe by the lattermore than you gain by the former, and never get through. Note, that there is nofafe anchoring before you reach that bay.
On the 15th of January we were in the {freights ; and it was but a very difmalprofpect to fee thofe vaft mountains on each fide, which by the narrownefs of thepaffage feem ready to fall upon your head ; and the noife which the fea makes in thehollows of the rocks is molt frightful. Sometimes you have gufts of wind from thehills flying round the compafs in three minutes time, and then as fuddenly it becomescalm; fo that I would advife you to keep a boat a head, to prevent your being fwunground by the circling eddies, occafioned by the rapidity of the current to the fouth-ward ; by which means, when once, you are entered the narroweft part, you arefoon through, and the danger is not by half fo great as may be imagined.
The next day we anchored in a bay over againfl a pleafant town on the ifle of Java,called Ballamboang, or Pallamboan, where we defigned to fill all our empty water-calks,and take in new fupplies of what we wanted. This town and road lie fo convenientfor watering and victualling, that I {hall enlarge a little upon it.
Ballamboang is fituated on the fouth-eaft part of Java, near the paffage, betweenthat and the ifland of Bally in the latitude of eight degrees thirty minutes fouth, andin the longitude from London of one hundred and eleven degrees thirty minutes, havingfine meadows, and a pleafant champaign country for many miles round it. Nearthe fea the foil is fandy, and there are feveral fmall rivers on each fide of the town,where you may go with your boat, and water at half tide over the bars; but you muffnot forget to carry a grappling, for you have fometimes an ugly furf on the {hore.The country affords plenty of oxen, the belt and largeft I ever met with out ofEngland ; alfo buffaloes, deer, hogs, ducks, geefe, fowls, eggs, goats, rice, Indiancorn, potatoes, yams, cucumbers, and all forts of delicious fruits ; all which arewonderful cheap : alfo plenty of very fine fifh, either frelh or dried.
This town, or rather city, is the capital of the kingdom ; it is called in our mapsPalamboan, and in fome Palambuam ; but the natives pronounce it Ballamboang, andit gives its name to the whole kingdom. Here .the King generally refides, but fome-times alfo at a place about fifteen miles up in the country, which is called Cota,fignifying a caftle. He ftyles himfelf Raja Mas Boogoos Pettey. His kingdomextends itfelf about feventy or eighty miles from the eaft end of Java, along thefouthern parts and from north to fouth, along the eall end of Java, about fifty orfixty miles. As to the north and weft bounds, I can give no account. He is a greatPrince, and very abfolute; by religion a Pagan , as are moft of his fubjedfs. Thereare fome Mahometans, and a few Chinefe.
On our firft anchoring they were under an alarm, and had fent to their King, whowas in the country, and came down immediately to them before our boat had got
u 2 alhore,