the Dutch, who are enemies to all Europeans
but such as are under their own government. Therefore I chose rather to
fish and hunt for provisions than to be beholden to the Dutch and pay
dearly for it too.

HIS STAY SEVEN WEEKS AT BABAO.

We found here, as I said before, plenty of game; so that all the time we
lay at this place we spent none or very little of our salt provisions;
having fish or fresh buffalo every day. We lay here 7 weeks; and,
although the north-north-west monsoon was every day expected when I was
at Laphao, yet it was not come, so that if I had prosecuted my voyage to
the eastward without staying here it had been but to little advantage.
For if I had gone out and beaten against the wind a whole month I should
not have got far; it may be 40, 50 or 60 leagues; which was but 24 hours
run for us with a large wind; besides the trouble and discontent which
might have arisen among my men in beating to windward to so little
purpose, there being nothing to be got at sea; but here we lived and did
eat plentifully every day without trouble. The greatest inconveniency of
this place was want of water; this being the latter part of the dry
season, because the monsoon was very late this year. About 4 days before
we came away we had tornadoes with thunder, lightning and rain, and much
wind; but of no long continuance; at which time we filled some water. We
saw very black clouds, and heard it thunder every day for near a month
before in the mountains; and saw it rain, but none came near us: and even
where we hunted we saw great trees torn up by the roots, and great havoc
made among the woods by the wind; yet none touched us.

CHAPTER 2.

A DESCRIPTION OF TIMOR.

A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND TIMOR.

The island Timor, as I have said in my Voyage round the World, is about
seventy leagues long and fourteen or sixteen broad. It lies nearly
north-east and south-west. The middle of it lies in about 9 degrees south
latitude. It has no navigable rivers nor many harbours; but abundance of
bays for ships to ride in at some seasons of the year. The shore is very
bold, free from rocks, shoals or islands, excepting a few which are
visible and therefore easily avoided. On the south side there is a shoal
laid down in our charts about thirty leagues from the south-west end; I
was fifteen or twenty leagues further to the east than that distance, but
saw nothing of the shoal; neither could I find any harbour. It is a
p