Page 439
An.1687
The Crew go upon new Projects.
them a piece of Land for them to manage. They were counted thus by several of the Town where they then were : but they took up their head-quar- ters at the house of him with whom they first went ashore. When the Ship appeared in sight again, then they importuned them for some Iron, which is the chief thing that they covet, even above their Ear-rings. We might have bought all their Ear- rings, or other Gold they had, with our Iron-bars, had we been assur'd of its goodness : and yet when it was touch'd, and compared with other Gold, we could not discern any difference, tho it look'd so pale in the lump: but the seeing them polish it fo often, was a new discouragement.
This last Storm put our Men quite out of heart: for although it was not altogether so fierce as that which we were in on the Coast of China, which was still fresh in memory, yet it wrought more powerfully, and frighted them from their design of cruising before Manila, fearing another Storm there. Now every Man wisht himself at home, as they had done an hundred times before : but Captain Reed, and Captain Teat the Master, perswaded them to go towards Cape Comorin, and then they would tell them more of their minds, intending doubtless to cruize in the Red Sea: and they easily prevailed with the Crew.
The Eastern Monsoon was now at hand, and the best way had been to go through the Streights of Malacca : but Captain Teat said it was dangerous, by reason of many Islands and Shoals there, with which none of us were acquainted. Therefore he thought it best to go round on the East side of all the Philippine Islands, and so keeping South toward the Spice Islands, to pass out into the East Indian Ocean about the Island Timor.
This