all our vessels in very good condition, our men healthy, and our ships sound, having met with very few contrary winds, and not one storm in the whole voyage from Madagascar, having been seventeen months and two days on the voyage from England.

When we came hither we saluted the Spanish flag, and came to an anchor, carrying French colours. Captain Merlotte, who now acted as commander, sent his boat on shore the next day to the governor, with a letter in French, very respectful, and telling the governor, that having the King of France's commission, and being come into those seas, he hoped, that for the friendship which was between their most Christian and Catholic Majesties, he should be allowed the freedom of commerce and the use of the port, the like having been granted to his most Christian Majesty's subjects in all the ports of New Spain as well in the Southern as in the Northern Seas. The Spanish governor returned a very civil and obliging answer, and immediately granted us to buy what provisions we pleased for our supply, or anything else for our use; but answered, that as for allowing any exchange of merchandizes, or giving leave for European goods to be brought on shore there, that he was not empowered to grant.

We made as if this answer was satisfactory enough to us, and the next morning Captain Merlotte sent his boat on shore with all French sailors, and a French midshipman, with a handsome present to the governor, consisting of some bottles of French wine, some brandy, two pieces of fine Holland, two pieces of English black baize, one piece of fine French drugget, and five yards of scarlet woollen cloth.

a piece of drugget given them sufficient to make them the like suit of clothes. The persons who went to the other ship, and to the brigantine, had presents in proportion.

This, in short, was nothing more or less than trading and bartering, though for the grimace of it, we were in a manner denied. The next day the captain went on shore to visit the governor, and with him several of our officers and the captain of the Madagascar ship, formerly my second mate, and the captain of the brigantine. I did not go myself for that time, nor the supercargo, because whatever might happen I would be reserved on board; besides I did not care to appear in this part of the work.

The captain went on shore like a captain, attended with his two trumpeters, and the ship firing eleven guns at his going off. The governor received him like himself, with prodigious state and formality, sending five gentlemen and a guard of soldiers to receive them on their landing, and to conduct them to his palace. When they came there they were entertained with the utmost profusion and wonderful magnificence, after the Spanish manner, and they all had the honour to dine with his excellency, that is to say, all the officers. At the same time the men were entertained very handsomely in another house, and had very good cheer; but it was observed that they had very little wine, except what we had sent them, which the governor excused, his store, which he had yearly from New Spain, being spent; which deficiency we supplied the next day, and sent him a quarter cask of very good Canary, and a half hogshead of Madeira, which was a present so acceptable, that, in short, after this we might do just as we pleased with him and all his men.

While they were thus conversing together after dinner, Captain Merlotte was made to understand that though the governor could not admit an open avowed trade, yet that the merchants would not be forbid coming on board our ship, and trading with us in such manner as we should be very well satisfied with, after which we should be at no hazard of getting the goods we should sell put on shore; and we had an experiment of this made in a few days, as follows:

This was too considerable a present for a Spaniard to refuse, and yet these were all European goods, which he seemed not to allow to come on shore. The governor let the captain know that he accepted his present, and the men who brought it were handsomely entertained, by the governor's order, and had every one a small piece of gold, and the officer who went at their head had five pieces of gold given him; what coin it was I could not tell, but I think it was a Japan coin, and the value something less than a pistole. The next day the governor sent a gentleman with large boat, and in it a present to our captain, consisting of two cows, ten sheep, or goats rather, for they were between both, a vast number of fowls of several sorts, and twelve great boxes of sweetmeats and conserves, which were indeed very valuable, and invited the cap-rosity, said, he would take his parole of honour tain and any of his attendants on shore, offering to send hostages on board for our safe return; and concluding with his word of honour for our safety and free going back to our ships.

The captain received the present with very great respect, and indeed it was a very noble present; for at the same time a boat was sent to both the other ships with provisions and sweetmeats, in proportion to the bigness of the vessels. Our captains caused the gentleman who came with this present to have a fine piece of crimson English cloth given him, sufficient to make a waistcoat and breeches of their fashion, with a very good hat, two pair of silk stockings, and two pair of gloves; and all his people had

When Captain Merlotte took his leave of the governor, he invited his excellency to come on board our ship, with such of his attendants as he pleased to bring with him, and in like manner offered hostages for his return. The governor accepted the invitation, and, with the same gene

given, as he was the King of France's captain, and in the name of his most Christian majesty, and would come on board.

The governor did not come to the sea side with them, but stood in the window of the palace, and gave them his hat and leg at going into their boats, and made a signal to the platform to fire eleven guns at their boats putting off.

These were unusual and unexpected honours to us, who, but for this stratagem of the French commission, had been declared enemies. It was suggested to me here, that I might with great case surprize the whole island, nay, all the islands, the governor putting such confidence in us, that we might go on shore in the very port unsus

pected. But though this was true, and that we did play them a trick at the Rio de la Plata, I could not bear the thoughts of it here; besides, I had quite another game to play, which also was more advantageous to us and to our voyage than an enterprise of so much treachery could be to England; which, also, we might not be able to support from England before the Spaniards might beat us out again from Acapulco, and then we might pass our time ill enough.

Upon the whole, I resolved to keep every punctilio with the governor very justly, and we found our account in it presently.

About three days afterwards we had notice that the governor would make us a visit, and we prepared to entertain his excellency with as much state as possible; by the way, we had private notice that the governor would bring with him some merchants, who, perhaps, might lay out some money, and buy some of our cargo; nor was it without a secret information that even the governor himself was concerned in the market that should be made.

Upon this intelligence, our supercargo caused several bales of English and French goods to be brought up and opened, and laid so in the steerage and upon the quarter deck of the ship, that the governor and his attendants should see them of course, as they passed by.

When the boats came off from the shore, which we knew by their fort firing eleven guns, as before, our ship appeared as fine as we could make her, having the French flag at the main top, as admiral, and streamers and pennants at the yard arms, waste cloths out, and a very fine awning over the quarter deck. When his excellency entered the ship we fired twenty-one guns, the Madagascar ship fired the like number, and the brigantine fifteen, having loaded her guns nimbly enough to fire twice.

As the governor's entertainment to us was more meat than liquor, so we gave him more ore liquor than meat, for as we had several sorts of very good wines on board, we spared nothing to let him see he was very welcome. After dinner we brought a large bowl of punch upon the table, which was a liquor he did not understand at all; however, to do him justice, he drank very moderately, and so did most of those that were with him. As to the men who belonged to his retinue, (I mean servants and attendants, and the crews of the boats,) we made some of them drunk enough.

derate, seeing they had been used to buy these goods from the Acapulco ships, which came in yearly, from whom, to be sure, they bought dear enough. They bought as many goods at this time as they paid the value of fifteen thousand pieces of eight for, but all in gold by weight.

As for carrying them on shore, the governor being with them, no officer had anything to say to them; it seems they were carried on shore as presents made by us to the governor and his retinue.

The next day three Spanish merchants came on board us, early in the morning before it was light, and desired to see the supercargo. They brought with them a box of diamonds and some pearl, and a great quantity of gold, and to work they went with our cargo, and I thought once they would have bought the whole ship's lading; but they contented themselves to buy about the value of two-and-twenty thousand pieces of eight, which, I suppose, might cost in England one-sixth part of the money, or hardly so much. some difficulty about the diamonds, because we did not understand them very much, but our supercargo ventured upon them at eight thou sand pieces of eight, and took the rest in gold. They desired to stay on board till the next night. when, soon after it was dark, a small sloop cance on board and took in all their goods, and, as we were told, carried them away to some other island.

We had

The same day, and before these merchants were gone, came a large shallop on board with a square sail, towing after her a great heavy boat, which had a deck, but seemed to have been a large ship's long boat, built into a kind of yacht, but ill masted, and sailed heavily. In these two boats they brought seven ton of cloves in mats, some chests of China ware, some pieces of China silks of various sorts, and a great sum of money also.

In short, they sold so cheap and bought so dear, that our supercargo declared he would sell the whole cargo for goods, if they would bring them, for, by his calculation, he had disposed of as many goods as he received the value of one hundred thousand pieces of eight for, all which, by his accounts, did not amount to, first cost, above three thousand pounds sterling in England. Our ship was now an open fair for two or three days after the vessel came back, which went away the night, and with them a Chinese jonque and seven or eight Chineses or Japanners; strange, While this was doing, we found two gentlemen ugly, ill-looking fellows they were, but brought a of the governor's company took occasion to leave Spaniard to be their interpreter, and they came the rest, and walked about the ship, and in doing to trade also, bringing with them seventy great this they seemed as it were by chance to cast chests of China ware, exceeding fine, twelve their eyes upon our bales of cloth and stuffs, and chests of China silks of several sorts, and some baize, inen, silks, &c., and our supercargo and lacquered cabinets, very fine. We dealt with they began to make bargains apace, for he found them for all those, for our supercargo swept all they had not only money enough, but had abun-clean, and took everything they brought. But dance of other things, which we were as willing to take as money,,and of which they had brought specimens with them, as particularly spices, such as cloves and nutmegs, China ware, tea, japanned ware, wrought silks, raw silks, and the like.

However, our supercargo dealt with them at present for nothing but ready money, and they paid all in gold. The price he made here was, to us, indeed extravagant, though to them mo

they were more difficult in the goods, for as for baize, and druggets, and such goods, they would not meddle with them; but our fine cloths and some bales of linen they bought very freely. So we unloaded their vessel, and put our goods on board; we took a good sum of money of them besides, but whither they went we knew not, for they both came and went in the night too, as the other did,

The last merchant who came on board us was a Spaniard, but I found that he spoke very good French and some English, that he had been in England some years ago, and understood English woollen manufactures very well. He told me they had these goods all from Acapulco, but that When I parted from Manilla, and was getting they were then excessive dear; he had consider-through the strait between the island Lucon and able dealings with the Chinese, and some with that of Mindanoa, I had some thoughts of steering the coast of Coromandel, and Bengal, and kept || away north, to try what land we might meet with

north, being near five thousand miles, would be impossible to be done, unless we were sure to victual, and furnish ourselves again with provisions and water by the way, and that in several places.

to the north-east of the Philippines, and with intent || to have endeavoured to make up into the latitude of fifty or sixty degrees, and have come about again to the south, between the Island of California and the main land of America, in which course I did not question meeting with extra- As to the other passage east towards the conordinary new discoveries, and perhaps such as the tinent of America, we had this uncertainty also, age might not expect to hear of, relating to the namely, that it was not yet discovered whether northern world, and the possibility of a passage the land of California was an island or a contiout of those seas, either east or west, both which nent, and that if it should prove the latter, so as I doubt not would be found, if they were searched that we should be obliged to come back to the after this way, and which, for aught I know, re- west, and not be able to find an opening between main undiscovered for want only of an attempt | California and the land of North America, so as being made by those seas, where it would be to come away to the coast of Mexico, to Acaeasy to find whether the Tartarian Seas are navi-pulco, and so into the South Sea, and at the gable or not; and whether Nova Zembla be an same time should not find a passage through island or joined to the main; whether the inlets Hudson's Bay, &c., into the North Sea, and so of Hudson's Bay have any opening into the West to Europe, we should not only spoil the voyage Sea; and whether the vast lakes, from whence that way also, but should infallibly perish by the Great River of Canada is said to flow have the severity of the season and want of proany communication this way or not.

But though these were valuable discoveries, yet when I began to cast up the account in a more serious manner, they appeared to have no relation to or coherence with our intended voyage, or with the design of our employers, which we were to consider in the first place; for though it is true that we were encouraged to make all such kinds of useful discoveries, as might tend to the advantage of trade, and the improvement of geographical knowledge and experience, yet it was all to be so directed as to be subservient to the profits and advantages of a trading and cruising voyage.

It is true that these northern discoveries might be inimitably fine, and most glorious things to the British nation, and infinitely for the future advantage of commerce in general, yet, as I have said, it was evident that they tended directly to destroy the voyage, either as to trading or to cruising, and might perhaps end in our own destruction also for example, first of all, if adventuring into those northern seas, we should, by our industry, make out the discovery, and find a passage, either east or west, we must follow the discovery so as to venture quite through, or else we could not be sure that it was really a discovery, for these passages would not be like doubling Cape de Bon Esperance, on the point of Africa, or going round Cape Horn, the southernmost point of America, either of which were compassed in a few days, and then immediately gave an opening into the Indian or Southern oceans, where good weather and certain refreshment were to be had.

visons.

All these things argued against any attempt that way, whereas on the other hand, for southern discoveries we had this particular encouragement,-that whatever disappointment we might meet with in the search after unknown countries, yet we were sure of an open sea behind us, and that whenever we thought fit to run south, beyond the tropic, we should find innumerable islands, where we might get water and some sort of provisions, or come back into a favourable climate, and have the benefit of the trade winds to carry us either backward or forward, as the season should happen to guide us.

Last of all, we had this assurance, that the dangers of the seas excepted, we were sure of an outlet before us if we went forward, or be hind us if we were forced back, and having a rich cargo, if we were to do nothing but go home, we should be able to give our employers such an account of ourselves as that they would be very far from being losers by the voyage; but that if we reached safe to the coast of New Spain, and met with an open commerce there, as we expected, we should perhaps make the most prosperous voyage that was ever made round the globe before.

These considerations put an end to all my thoughts of going northward; some of our secret council,-for, by the way, we consulted eur foremast-men no more, but had a secret council among ourselves, the resolutions of which we solemnly engaged not to disclose,-some of these, I say, were for steering the usual course from the Philippines to New Spain, viz., keeping in the latitutes of eleven or thirteen degrees north of the line, and so making directly for California, in which latitude they proposed that we might perhaps, by cruising there about, meet with the Manilla ships, going from New Spain to Manida which we might take as a prize, and then stand directly for the coast of Peru.

Whereas, for the discovery of the north, after having passed the northernmost land of Grand Tartary, in the latitude of seventy-four, even to eighty degrees, and perhaps to the very North Pole; there must be a run west beyond the most northerly point of Nova Zembla, and on again W. S. W. about the North Kyn and North Cape above six hundred leagues, before we could have But I opposed this, principally because it would any relief of the climate after that, one hundred effectually overthrow all my meditated discoand sixty leagues more, and even to Shetland veries to the southward, and secondly, because I and the north of Scotland, before we could meet had observed that on the north of the line there with any relief of provisions, which, after the are no íslands to be met with in all the long length we must have run, from the latitude of run of near two thousand leagues, from the three degrees and a half, where we now were at Guam, one of the Ladrones, to the land of Calithe Philippine islands, to seventy-four degreesfornia, and that we did not find we were able to

subsist during so long a run, especially for want of water, whereas on the south of the line, as well within the tropic as without, we were sure to meet with islands innumerable, and that even all the way, so that we were sure of frequent relief of fresh water, of plants, fowl and fish, if not bread and flesh, almost all the way.

This was a main consideration to our men, and so we soon resolved to take the southern course; yet, as I said, we stood away for the Ladrones first. These are a cluster of islands, which lie in about eleven to thirteen degrees north latitude, north-east from the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, and E. and by N. from that part of the Philippines where we were, and at the distance of about four hundred leagues, and all the ships which go and come between the Philippines and New Spain, touch at them for the convenience of provisions, water, &c., those that go to Spain put in there, in order to recruit and furnish for, and those that come from Spain, to relieve themselves after so long a run as that of six thousand miles, for so much it is at least from Guam to Acapulco; on these accounts and with these reasonings, we came to the islands of the Ladrones.

During our run between the Philippine and Ladrone islands, we lived wholly upon our fresh provisions, of which we laid in a great stock at Manilla, such as hogs, fowls, calves, and six or seven cows, all alive, so that our English beef and pork, which lay well stored, was not touched for a long time.

At the Ladrones we recruited, and particularly took on board, as well alive as pickled up, near two hundred hogs, with a vast store of roots, and such things as are their usual food in that country. We took in also above three thousand cocoa-nuts and cabbages, yams, potatoes, and other roots, for our own use, and in particular we got a large quantity of maize, or Indian wheat, for bread, and some rice.

We stored ourselves likewise with oranges and lemons, and buying a great quantity of very good limes, we made three or four hogsheads of limejuice, which was a great relief to our men in the hot season, to mix with their water; as for making punch, we had some arrack and some sugar, but neither of them in any quantity, so as to have much punch made afore the mast.

We were eighteen days on our passage from the strait of Mindanoa to Guam, and stayed six days at Guam, furnishing ourselves with provisions, appearing all this while with French colours, and Captain Merlotte as commander. However, we made no great ceremony here with the Spanish governor, as I have said already, only that Captain Merlotte, after we had been here two days, sent a letter to him by a French officer, who showing his commission from the King of France, the governor presently gave us product, as we called it, and leave to buy what provisions we wanted. In compliment for this civility, we sent him a small present of fine scarlet camblet, and two pieces of baize; and he made a very handsome return, in such refreshments as he thought we most wanted.

There was another reason for our keeping in this latitude till we came to the Ladrones, namely, that all the southern side of that part of the way

between the Philippines and the Ladrones is so full of islands, that unless we had very good pilots it would have been very hazardous; and add to this, that beyond these islands, south, is no passage, the land which they call Nova Guinea lying away East and E. S. E., farther than has yet been discovered, so that it is not yet known whether that country be an island or the continent.

Having, for all these reasons, gone to the Ladrones, and being sufficiently satisfied in our reasons for going away from thence to the southward, and having stored ourselves as above, with whatever those islands produced, we left the Ladrones about the tenth day of September, in the evening, and stood away E. S. E., with the wind N. N. W., a fresh gale; after this, I think it was about five days, when having stretched by our account about a hundred and fifty leagues, we steered away more to the southward, our course S. E. by S.

And now, if ever, I expected to do something by way of discovery; I knew very well there were few, if any had ever steered that course; or, that if they had, they had given very little account of their travels. The only person who leaves anything worth notice being Cornelius Vanscouton and Francis Le Mare, who, though they sailed very much south, yet say very little to the purpose, as I shall show presently.

The sixteenth day after we parted from the Ladrones being, by observation, in the latitude of seventeen degrees south of the line, one of our men cried, "A sail, a sail," which put us into some fit of wonder, knowing nothing of a ship of any bulk could be met with in those seas; but our fit of wonder was soon turned into a fit of laughter, when one of our men from the foretop cried out, "Land,"-which indeed was the case; and the first sailor was sufficiently laughed at for his mistake, though, give him his due, it looked at first as like a sail as ever any land at a distance could look.

Towards evening, we made the land very plain, distance about seven leagues S. by E. and found that it was not an island, but a vast tract of land, extending, as we had reason to believe, from the side of Gillolo, and the Spice Islands, or that which we call Nova Guinea, and never yet fully discovered; the land lying away from the west N. W. to the S. E. by south, still southerly.

I, that was for making all possible discovery, was willing, besides the convenience of water, and perhaps fresh provisions, to put her in, and see what kind of a country it was; so I ordered the brigantine to stand in for the shore. They sounded, || but found no ground within half a league of the shore; so they hoisted out their boat, and went close in with the shore, where they found good anchor-hold in about thirty-six fathom, and a large creek, or mouth of a river; here they found eleven to thirteen fathom soft oozy sand, and the water half fresh at the mouth of the creek.

Upon notice of this we stood in, and came all to an anchor in the very creek; and sending out boats up the creek, found the water perfectly fresh, and very good upon the ebb, about a leagu up the river.

Among all the islands in this part of the world that is to say, from the Philippines eastward, o which there are an infinite number, we neve