A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
The 13th of February we got out from the straits of Sunda, in which the
tide of flood sets twelve hours to the eastwards, and the ebb twelve
hours to the westwards. On the 16th of May we anchored in the bay of
Saldanha, where we found the Concord of London, being the first ship set
out by the united company. We now found the natives of this place very
treacherous, making us to understand by signs; that two of their people
had been forcibly carried off. They had sore wounded one of the people
belonging to the Concord; and while we were up in the land, they
assaulted the people who were left in charge of our skiff, carried away
our grapnel, and had spoiled the boat-keepers if they had not pushed off
into deep water. The 19th a Dutch ship arrived bound for Bantam, the
master being Cornelius van Harte.
We remained here twenty-three days, where we thoroughly refreshed the
ship's company, and took away with us alive fourteen oxen and seventy
sheep, besides good store of fish and beef, which we _powdered_ there,
finding it to take salt well, contrary to former reports. For ten days
after leaving Saldanha, we had the wind N.W. and W.N.W. but after that
we had a fine wind at S.W. so that we could hold our course N.W. On the
27th September, thanks be to God, we arrived at Plymouth; where, for the
space of five or six weeks, we endured more tempestuous weather, and
were in greater danger of our lives, than during the whole voyage
besides.
§13. _Intelligence concerning Yedzo, or Jesso, received from a Japanese
at Jedo, who had been twice there_.[46]
Yedzo, or Jesso, is an island to the N.W. of Japan, from which it is ten
leagues distant. The natives are of white complexions, and
well-conditioned, but have their bodies covered all over with hair like
monkies. Their weapons are bows and poisoned arrows. The inhabitants of
the south extremity of this country understand the use of weights and
measures; but those who inhabit the inland country, at the distance of
thirty days journey, are ignorant of these things. They have much silver
and gold-dust, in which they make payment to the Japanese for rice and
other commodities; rice and cotton-cloth being of ready sale among them,
as likewise iron and lead, which are carried there from Japan. Food and
cloathing are the most vendible commodities among the natives of that
country, and sell to such advantage, that rice often yields a profit of
four for one.
[Footnote 46: This article is appended to the Voyage of Saris, in the
Pilgrims, vol. I. p. 384.--E.]
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