Page 420
An.1687
They leave the Piscadores.
the mouth of the Jar they put a thin chip cut round, just so as to cover the mouth, over that a piece of paper, and over that they put a great lump of clay, almost as big as the Bottle or Jar it self, with a hollow in it, to admit the neck of the Bottle, made round and about 4 inches long; this is to preserve the Liquor. If the Liquor take any vent it will be fowre presently, so that when we buy any of it, of the Ships from China returning to Maderas, or Fort St. George, where it is then sold, or of the Chinese themselves, of whom I have bought it at Achin, and Bancouli in Sumatra, if the clay be crackt, or the Liquor mothery, we make them take it again. A quart Jar there is worth Sixpence. Besides this present from the Governour, there was a Captain of a Jonk sent two Jars of Arack, and abundance of Pine-apples, and Water-melons.
Captain Read sent ashore, as a Present to the Governour, a curious Spanish Silver-hilted Rapier, an English Carbine, and a Gold Chain, and when the Officer went ashore, three Guns were fired. In the afternoon the Governour sent off the same Officer again, to complement the Captain for his civility, and promised to retaliate his kindness before we departed; but we had such bluftring weather afterward, that no Boat could come a- board.
We stayed here till the 29th day, and then sailed from hence with the wind at S. W. and pretty fair weather. We now directed our course for some Islands we had chosen to go to, that lye be- tween Formosa and Luconia. They are laid down in our plots without any name, only with a figure of 5, denoting the number of them. It was sup- posed by us, that these Islands had no Inhabitants, because they had not any name by our Hydrogra- phers. Therefore we thought to lye there secure, and be pretty near the Island Luconia, which we did still intend to visit.
In