Page 279
An.1686
Their Provisions for crossing the Seas.
C H A P. X.
Their Departure from Cape Corrientes for the Ladrone Islands, and the East Indies. Their Course thither, and Accidents by the way; with a Table of each days Run, &c. Of the different accounts of the breadth of these Seas. Guam, one of the Ladrone Islands. The Coco-nut Tree, fruit, &c. The Toddi, or Arack that distils from it; with other uses that are made of it. Coire Cables. The Lime, or Crab Limon. The Bread fruit. The Na- tive Indians of Guam. Their Proe's, a re- markable sort of Boats: and of those used in the East Indies. The State of Guam: and the Provisions with which they were furnisht there.
I Have given an account in the last Chapter of the resolutions we took of going over to the East Indies. But having more calmly considered on the length of our Voyage, from hence to Guam, one of the Ladrone Islands, which is the first place that we could touch at, and there also being not certain to find Provisions, most of our men were almost daunted at the thoughts of it; for we had not 60 days Provision, at a little more than half a pint of Maiz a day for each man, and no other Provision except 3 Meals of salted Jew-fish; and we had a great many Rats aboard, which we could not hinder from eating part of our Maiz. Beside, the great distance between Cape Corrientes and Guam: which is variously set down. The Spa- niards,