point of the road, this point being the lowest of
all. The distance from the Gurnet's Head to that low point is six
leagues, all the way of fair depth till coming near the low point of the
road, to which a good birth must be given, as there lies a shoal from it
half-way over to the western shore, wherefore it must not be approached
too near, till you find in the first place the shoaling of the western
shore, which is the softest ground. From the low point, in going across
the bay to the western shore there are only from 5 f. to 4 1/2 when in
the road; and then the low point bears from the anchorage, E.N.E. 1/3 E.
the highest mountains in the western side of the bay bearing S.S.W. 1/3
W.
We anchored in the road of Patani on Thursday the 25th of May, when we
found the Sampson and a Dutch pinnace there at anchor. I went ashore the
day before to the English factory, where I found Mr Adam Denton and Mr
Richard Welding, lately come from Jambee in Sumatra in a proa, with
several of the Sampson's people, who were all rejoiced to see our ships
coming into the port. On getting to the English house, I told Mr Denton
that my chief purpose for coming here was for arrack and fresh victuals,
of which we were in great need, upon which he gave immediate orders to
procure every thing we needed, so that in six days we were supplied with
sixteen butts of arrack and arrack-apee; three butts of which last we
had from the Dutch, for which courtesy we were chiefly obliged by their
anxiety to have us away. We had also beeves, goats, and poultry, in
abundance. We also bought here _dammar_ and oil, for the purpose of
repairing our ships, as I understood these things were dear at Japan. I
here found a small frigate or country bark, which had been bought by the
English; and as she was of no great use there, it was agreed that she,
with most of the English sailors, should attend upon us to Japan.
We departed from Patani on the 31st May; and at seven a.m. of the 1st
June, we saw a small rock, just above water, being very dangerous for
ships bound from Patani for the point of Camboja. When this rock bore
N.N.E. 1/2 E. at the distance of a league, the high land over Gurnet
Head was S.S.W. 1/4 W. eighteen leagues off; and by computation, the low
point of Patani road was then eighteen leagues off, W.S.W. 1/2 S. After
getting out of Patani road into 7 f. the depth increased regularly to 9,
10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24 f. till we got sight of the
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