The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898—Volume 39 of 55, 1683-1690: Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of The Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898—Volume 39 of 55, 1683-1690: Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of The Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Among the rest of our Men that did use to Dance thus before the
General, there was one John Thacker, who was a Seaman bred, and
could neither Write nor Read; but had formerly learnt to Dance in
the Musick-Houses about Wapping: This Man came into the South Seas
with Captain Harris, and getting with him a good quantity of Gold,
and being a pretty good Husband of his Share, had still had some
left, besides what he laid out in a very good Suit of Cloaths. The
General supposed by his Garb and his Dancing, that he had been of
noble Extraction; and to be satisfy'd of his Quality, asked of our
Men, if he did not guess aright of him? The Man of whom the General
asked this Question told him, he was much in the right; and that
most of our Ship's Company were of the like Extraction; especially
all those that had fine Cloaths; and that they came aboard only to
see the World, having Money enough to bear their expences where-ever
they came; but that for the rest, those that had but mean Clothes,
they were only common Seamen. After this, the General shew'd a great
deal of Respect to all that had good Clothes, but especially to John
Thacker, till Captain Swan came to know the Business, and marr'd all;
undeceiving the General, and drubbing the Noble-Man: For he was so
much incensed against John Thacker, that he could never indure him
afterwards; tho' the poor Fellow knew nothing of the Matter.
About the middle of November we began to work on our Ship's bottom,
which we found very much eaten with the Worm: For this is a horrid
place for Worms. We did not know this till after we had been in
the River a Month; and then we found our Canoas bottoms eaten like
Honey-combs; our Bark, which was a single bottom, was eaten thro';
so that she could not swim. But our Ship was sheathed, and the Worm
came no farther than the Hair between the sheathing Plank, and the
main Plank. We did not mistrust the General's Knavery till now: for
when he came down to our Ship, and found us ripping off the sheathing
Plank, and saw the firm bottom underneath, he shook his Head, and
seemed to be discontented; saying he did never see a Ship with two
bottoms before. We were told that in this place, where we now lay,
a Dutch Ship was eaten up in two months time, and the General had all
her Guns; and it is probable he did expect to have had Ours: Which I
do believe was the main Reason that made him so forward in assisting
us to get our Ship into the River, for when we went out again we had
no Assistance from him. We had no Worms till we came to this place:
For when we Careen'd at the Marias, the Worm had not touch'd us; nor at
Guam, for there we scrubb'd; nor after we came to the Island Mindanao;
for at the S.E. end of the Island we heel'd and scrubb'd also. The
Mindanaians are so sensible of their destructive Insects, that whenever
they come from Sea, they immediately hale their Ship into a dry Dock,
and burn her bottom, and there let her lye dry till they are ready
to get to Sea again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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