our merchants, to dinner at his
house, where he had a play acted by Chinese actors on a stage erected
for the purpose, which they performed with good pronunciation and
gesture. The 12th January, 1613, the Thomas set sail for England, having
a crew of thirty-six English and three Indians.

Sec. 4. _The Voyage of Captain Saris, in the Clove, towards Japan, with
Observations respecting the Dutch and Spaniards at the Molucca
Islands._[423]

In the morning of the 4th January, 1613, we weighed anchor from the road
of Bantam for Japan, having taken in 700 sacks of pepper to make trial
of trade at that place. Our crew consisted of seventy-four Englishmen,
one Spaniard, one Japanese, and five _Swarts,_ [blacks] or Indians. The
15th, in the morning, having little wind, we hauled off into fourteen
fathoms, and steered E. by S. and E.S.E. leaving _Pulo Lack_ on our
starboard, and eleven or twelve small islands on our larboard; our depth
shoaling from, fourteen to ten fathoms us we passed between two islands
to the east of _Palo Lack._ In this fair way there is a shoal which has
not above six feet water, and does not exceed half a cable's length in
extent either way. Close in with it there are ten fathoms water, and the
very next cast is on ground, as we had sad experience, having lain three
hours beating on it with a reasonably stiff gale, but got off through
God's mercy, and the extraordinary exertions of the crew. Our ship
sprung a leak, which kept every man at the pump, myself only excepted,
during the whole night, and till ten o'clock next day. Every one took
his spell in turn, and little enough to keep the leak from increasing,
so that we were all doubtful of being obliged to put back for Bantam, to
the great risk of losing our men by sickness, and disappointing our
voyage to Japan; but, thank God, our carpenter found the leak, and made
it tight. To avoid this shoal it is necessary to keep close to the
islands, as the main of Java is shoally.

[Footnote 423: In this voyage, being one not now usual, we have followed
the course minutely along with Captain Saris--E.]

The 16th, we anchored at a watering-place called _Tingo Java,_ fourteen
leagues from Bantam, and about three and a half leagues westwards of
_Jacatra._ We rode between two islands, which are about five miles off
the point, having nine and ten fathoms close to the islands, but towards
the main land is shoally. I sent presents to the king of Jacatra and to
his sab