A voyage to the South Sea : $b Undertaken by command of His Majesty for the purpose of conveying the bread-fruit tree to the West Indies in His Majesty's ship the Bounty commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh; including an account of the mutiny on board the said ship and the subsequent voyage of part of the crew in the ship's boat from Tofoa, one of the Friendly Islands, to Timor, a Dutch settlement in the East IndiesBligh, William
History
A voyage to the South Sea : $b Undertaken by command of His Majesty for the purpose of conveying the bread-fruit tree to the West Indies in His Majesty's ship the Bounty commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh; including an account of the mutiny on board the said ship and the subsequent voyage of part of the crew in the ship's boat from Tofoa, one of the Friendly Islands, to Timor, a Dutch settlement in the East Indies
Bligh, William
Bounty (Ship); Bounty Mutiny, 1789; Oceania -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels
We steered to the westward along the coast of Java and on the 10th at
noon we anchored off Passourwang, a Dutch settlement on the coast of
Java, in two fathoms, distant from the shore half a league, the entrance
of the river bearing south-west. The coast hereabouts so is shoal that
large ships are obliged to anchor three or four miles from the land. As
soon as we were at anchor I got in my boat and went on shore. The banks
of the river near the entrance were mud, on which grew a few mangrove
bushes. Among them we saw hogs running and many were laying dead in the
mud, which caused a most intolerable stench and made me heartily repent
having come here; but after proceeding about a mile up the river, the
course of which was serpentine, we found a very pleasant country and
landed at a small and well-constructed fort, where I was received in a
friendly and polite manner by M. Adrian van Rye, the commandant. By the
return of the boat I sent on board a small bullock and other provisions.
I likewise took a pilot to conduct us to Sourabaya.
The houses at Passourwang are neatly built and the country appears to be
well cultivated. The produce of this settlement is rice, of which they
export large quantities. There are but few Dutch here: the Javanese are
numerous and their chief lives with considerable splendour. They have
good roads and posts are established along the coast; and it appears to
be a busy and well-regulated settlement. Latitude 7 degrees 36 minutes
south. Longitude 1 degree 44 minutes west of Cape Sandana.
Friday 11.
The next day about noon we sailed.
Saturday 12.
And on the 12th in the evening anchored in Sourabaya road in seven
fathoms: the flagstaff bearing south one quarter west; distance from the
shore one mile. We found riding here seven square-rigged and several
smaller vessels.
It was too late when we anchored to send a boat on shore.
Sunday 13.
The next morning before daylight three guard-boats stationed themselves
near us and I was informed that I must not land or send a boat on shore.
This restriction I learnt from the officer of the guard-boats was in
conformity to general orders concerning all strange vessels on their
first arrival. At nine in the forenoon leave came off for us to land and
soon after the guard-boats quitted us.
I was received on shore with great civility and friendship by the
governor or Opperhoost M. Ant. Barkay, and the commandant of the troops
M. de Bose. By these gentlemen I was hospitably entertained, and advised
to remain till the 16th when some vessels were to sail, with whom I might
keep company, which they recommended on account of pirates.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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