CHA P. VIII. Some Account of the Coaft of Mindanao, and the Islands near it, in which feveral Miftakes of Dampier are corrected. N the 26th, we discovered land again, but O not being able to make an obfervation, not being able to make an observation, 1767. October. we could ascertain our latitude and longitude Monday 26. only by our dead reckoning; the next day, how- Tuesday 27. ever, was more favourable, and I then found the effect of the current had been fo great, that I was obliged to add to the log S. W. by S. no less than 64 miles for the laft two days. We now knew that the land we had feen was the northeaft part of the inland of Mindanao: as I had many fick people on board, and was in the most preffing need of refreshments, I determined to try what could be procured in a bay which Dampier has described as lying on the foutheast part of the island, and which, he says, furnished him with great plenty of deer from a favannah. I therefore coafted that fide of the island, and that I might be fure not to miss the bay, I fent out the lieutenant with the boat and a proper number of hands, to keep in fhore ahead of the thip. No fuch bay however was to be found, but at the very fouthermost extremity of 1767. October. of the island they opened a little nook, at the bottom of which was a town, and a fort. As foon Tueiday 27. as our boat was difcovered by the people on shore, they fired a great gun, and sent off three boats or canoes full of people. As the lieute nant had not a fufficient force to oppose them, he immediately made towards the fhip, and the canoes chaced him till they came within fight of her, and being then over-matched in their turn, they thought fit to go back. Being thus difappointed in my search of Dampier's Bay and Savannah, I would have anchored off this town, notwithstanding thefe hoftile appearances, if it had not been neceffary firft to get up fome guns from the hold, and make a few neceffary repairs in the rigging; this however being the case, I November. ran a little to the eastward, where, on the 2d of November, I came to an anchor in a little bay, having a bottom of foft mud, and seven fathom of water, at the distance of a cable's length from the shore; the westermost point of the bay bore W. S. W. diftant about three miles; the eaftermost point E. by S. diftant about one mile; a river, which empties itself into the bay, about N. W. and the peak of an island, called Hummock Ifland, S. 7° E. diftant about five leagues. Before it was dark the fame day, our two boats went to the river, and brought off their loads of water: they faw no figns of inhabitants where they were on fhore, but we obferved a canoe Monday 2. come 1767. November. come round the weftermoft point of the bay, which we fuppofed had been dispatched from the town, to learn what we were, or at least to Monday 2. fee what we were doing. As foon as I difcovered this canoe, I hoifted English colours, and was not without hope that she would come on board, but after viewing us fome time, she returned. As we had feen no inhabitants, nor any figns of inhabitants where we got our water, I in. tended to procure a further fupply the next day from the fame place, and endeavour alfo to recruit our wood; but about nine o'clock at night, we were fuddenly furprised by a loud noife on that part of the shore which was a-breast of the ship: it was made by a great number of human voices, and very much resembled the war-whoop of the American Savages, a hideous shout which they give at the moment of their attack, and in which all who have heard it, agree there is something inexpreffibly terrifying and horrid. As I was now farther convinced that it was neceffary to difpofe of our little force to the greatest advantage, we began the next day by Tuesday 3. getting the guns up from the hold, and making the necessary repairs to our rigging. At eleven o'clock, not having feen any thing of the people, who had endeavoured to terrify us by their yells in the night, I fent the long-boat on shore for more water; but, as I thought it probable that they might have concealed themselves November. 1767. in the woods, I kept the cutter manned and armed, with the lieutenant on board, that immeTuesday 3. diate fuccour might be fent to the waterers, if any danger should threaten them. It foon appeared that my conjectures were well founded, for our people had no fooner left their boat, than a number of armed men rufhed out of the woods, one of whom held up fomewhat white, which I took to be a fignal of peace. Upon this occafion I was again fenfible of the mortifying deficiency in the fhip's equipment, which I had fo often experienced before. I had no white flag on board, and therefore, as the best expedient in my power, I ordered the lieutenant, whom I fent on fhore in the cutter, to display one of my table-cloths: as foon as the officer landed, the ftandard-bearer and another came down to him unarmed, and received him with great appearance of friendship. One of them addreffed him in Dutch, which none of our people understood; he then spoke a few words in Spanish, in which one of the perfons of the cutter was a confiderable proficient: the Indian however fpoke it fo very imperfectly, that it was with great difficulty, and by the help of many figns, he made himself understood; poffibly if any of our people had spoken Dutch, he might have been found equally deficient in that language. He asked for the Captain however by the name of the fkipper, and inquired whe ther 1767. November. ther we were Hollanders; whether our ship was intended for merchandife or for war; how many guns and men fhe carried; and whether the had Tuesday 3. heen, or was going to Batavia. When we had fátisfied him in all these particulars, he said that we should go to the town, and that he would introduce us to the Governor, whom he diftinguished by the title of Raja. The lieutenant then told him, that we intended to go to the town, but that we were in immediate want of water, and therefore defired permiffion to fill fome cafks; he also requested that the people who were armed with bows and arrows might be ordered to a greater diftance. With both these requifitions the Indian, who feemed to be invefted with confiderable authority, complied; and as he seemed to take particular notice of a filk handkerchief which the lieutenant had tied round his neck, it was immediately prefented to him; in return for which he defired him to acéept a kind of cravat, made of coarfe callico, which was tied round his own, his dress being fomewhat after the Dutch fashion. After this interchange of cravats, he inquired of the officer whether the ship was furnished with any articles for trade; to which he answered that fhe was fufficiently furnished to trade for provifions, but nothing more: the Chief replied, that whatever we wanted we should have. After this.cons ference, which I confidered as an earnest of |