Page 376
An.1687
Change of time in compassing the World.
They refit their Ship. Two of them dye of Poyson they took at Mindanao. They take in Water, and a Pilot for the Bay of Siam, Pulo Uby, and Point of Cambodia. Two Cambodian Vessels. Isles in the Bay of Siam. The tight Vessels and Seamen of the Kingdom of Champa. Storms. A Chinese Jonk from Palimbam in Sumatra. They come again to Pulo Condore. A bloody fray with a Ma- layan Vessel. The Surgeons and the Authors defires of leaving their Crew.
THe 14th day of January 1687, at 3 of the clock in the afternoon, we sailed from the River of Mindanao, designing to cruise before Ma- nila.
It was during our stay at Mindanao, that we were first made sensible of the change of time, in the course of our Voyage. For having Travell'd so far Westward, keeping the same course with the Sun, we must confequently have gain'd some- thing insensibly in the length of the particular days, but have lost in the tale, the bulk, or num- ber of the days or hours. According to the diffe- rent longitudes of England and Mindanao, thi Isle being West from the Lizzard, by common computation, about 210 degrees, the difference of time at our arrival at Mindanao ought to be about 14 hours: and so much we should have anticipated our reckoning, having gained it by bearing the Sun company. Now the natural day in every par- ticular place must be consonant to it felf: but this going about with, or against the Suns course, will of necessity make a difference in the calculation of the civil day between any two places. Accord- ingly, at Mindanao, and all other places in the East Indies,