Bouton Describ’d.
Sailing from Bouton to Batavia.
THE Island of Bouton is in Lat. 05. 20. S. and near about 30 Leagues long; the King, they say, can raise fifty Thousand Men, and has all the adjacent Islands under him; they boast of not valuing the Dutch, but I am satisfied, their Poverty is their greatest Security; they speak the Malayan Language, which is universal amongst all the Islands of India. They are a well-set People, of a middle Stature, or rather small, of a dark Olive Colour, with the most indifferent Features of any People, that ever I saw; they profess the Mahometan Religion, but know little of it, save Bathing; a few other Ceremonies, as Forbearance of Hogs Flesh, keeping many Wives, &c. Here were several Mahometan Missionaries that came from Arabia and Persia to propagate their Doctrine; the Dutch have no Settlement here, but trade for Slaves and a little Gold, the Climate being near the same with the Dutch Spice Islands, I admire, they don’t raise Quantities of Spice, but no Sort of it grows here, save a few Nutmegs.
June 9. In the Morning we made Land, from S. W. to N. W. by W. distant about 8 Leagues, which we took to be the Islands of Zalayer [Salayer], S. Lat. 5. 45. Long. W from Lond. 240°. 21´´. We likewise saw a Sail to Windward of us, and taking it to be a Dutch Vessel, we hall’d nearer the Wind, till 8 a Clock, then the Dutchess and we made Sail at once, to speak with her, but the Wind abating soon after, and she making the best of her Way from us, we mann’d our Pinnace, and sent it after her. We made 3 Islands to the Northward of Zalayer, and the Looming of other Land to the Westward of all, which we took to be the Southermost part of Celebes.
June 10. Our Pinnaces came up with this small Vessel, who told them they were bound for Macassar, a Dutch Factory on the South Part of Celebes: The Pinnace took the Master of her aboard, (being a Malayan) who promis’d to pilot us not only through the Streights of Zalayer, but to Batavia, if we would keep it secret, for fear of the Dutch. He sent his Vessel to lie in the narrow Passage, between the Islands, till such Time as our Ships came up. About 4 a Clock we enter’d the Streight, and came betwixt the Islands that are next to Zalayer. And another little one to the Northward of that being the middlemost of the three; where we found a good Passage, 3 Leagues over, all deep Water, steering through N. W. by W. to give the Larboard Islands a good Birth; then we made the Southermost Part of Celebes.
June 11. The Pilot promis’d to carry us thro’ the Channel the great Dutch Ships generally went for Batavia, and by that Means avoid the Shoals call’d the Brill and Bunker Ground; the Brill has very uneven Soundings, and in many Places but 3 Fathom Water and less, so we hall’d away to the Northward, keeping the Islands Celebes aboard, the S. W. Part of which trents away in low Land, with high Mountains at the back of it; and off the Point their lies a Rock pretty high and remarkable; at 4 a Clock we came into Soundings, and had 10 Fathom the first Cast; the Rock off the S. W. Point bore then N. distant about 6 Leagues, and we had an Island a head of us, from N. W. by W. to N. N. W. being low and level, about 3 Leagues long, and near the same Distance from the main as we enter’d betwixt ’em, it grew narrower. We stem’d with the North Part of the Island, till we came within a League and half of it, then steer’d North a little to weather a Spit of Sand, lying off the Island, by which Means we open’d 3 small Keys; after we were clear of the Shoal, we hall’d up N.W. about 7, and came to an Anchor under the Island, behind the Spit of Sand, in 10 Fathom Water, very good clean Ground. The Rock of Celebes then bore N. E. by N. 4 Leagues; the Northermost of the Keys, W. 2 Leagues; and the middlemost W. S. W. 3 Leagues: The other being shut in with the long Island. We kept the Lead going all the way constantly through, and had never less than 6 Fathom, nor more than 10. As soon as it was Day we weigh’d, and went betwixt the two small Keys, keeping nearest the Northernmost, sounding all the Way, and had no more than 10 Fathom. The Water still deepning, being clear of them, we hall’d away West, and then S. W. having a fresh Gale of Wind at S. E. and S. E. by E. no Land in sight at Noon but Part of the high Land of Celebes, which bore East, distant about 12 Leagues. It is well for us, that we met with this Pilot, for having no good Charts, nor any one acquainted with those Seas, we had run greater Hazards.
June 13. We made Land a second time, which bore S. W. by W. distant 6 Leagues.
June 14. We ran by the Island Madura, which is about 40 Leagues long, lying East and West, on the N. Side of Java, the Land we made in the Morning, being the N. E. part of it, which agreeing with the Pilot’s Knowledge made us the more certain.
Sailing from Bouton towards Batavia.
June 15. In the Morning we fell in with the Coast of Java, near the high Land of Japara, which bore W. by S. distant about 5 Leagues. We had Soundings betwixt 10 and 20 Fathom good easy Ground, and saw abundance of Fishing-boats, but all kept at a Distance. We got our Guns out of the Hold, and scal’d them, in order to be in a Readiness against we come to Batavia, where in all Probability we shall get in 2 or 3 Days more, it being not above 90 Leagues from this Place: By Noon we brought the Land of Japara to bear S. by E. distant 4 Leagues, having open’d a large deep Bay, with other high Land, further to the Westward, which bore W. N. W. distant 9 Leagues, Lat. 6°. 19´´. S. Long. 248°. 47´´. W. from London.