Page 413
An.1687
Great Masts. They leave China.
Fore-mast has a square Yard and a square Sail, but the Main-mast has a Sail narrow aloft, like a Sloops Sail, and in fair weather they use a Top-sail, which is to hale down on the Deck in foul weather, Yard and all; for they do not go up to furl it. The Main-mast in their biggest Jonks seemed to me as big as any third rate Man of Wars Mast in England, and yet not pierced as ours, but made of one grown Tree: and in all my Travels I never saw any single Tree-masts so big in the body, and so long, and yet so well tapered, as I have seen in the Chinese Jonks.
Some of our men went over to a pretty large Town on the Continent of China, where we might have furnished our selves with Provision, which was a thing we were always in want of, and was our chief business here: but we were afraid to lye in this place any longer, for we had some signs of an approaching Storm: this being the time of the year in which Storms are expected on this Coast; and here was no safe Riding. It was now the time of the year for the S. W. Mon- soon, but the Wind had been whistling about from one part of the Compass to another for two or three days, and sometimes it would be quite calm. This caused us to put to Sea, that we might have Sea-room at least; for such flattering weather is commonly the fore-runner of a Tempest.
Accordingly we weighed Anchor, and set out: yet we had very little Wind all the next night. But the day ensuing, which was the 4th day of July, about 4 a clock in the afternoon, the Wind came to the N. E. and freshened upon us, and the Sky look'd very black in that quarter, and the black clouds began to rise apace and move towards us; having hung all the morning in the Horizon. This made us take in our Top-fails, and the Wind still increa- sing, about 9 a clock we rift our Main-sail and Fore- sail: