my gloves to keep it from being hurt. The ceremonies at my departure were too many to trouble the reader with at this time. I ftored the boat with the carcafes of an hundred oxen, and three hundred sheep, with bread and drink proportionable, and as much meat ready dreffed as four hundred cooks could provide. I took with me fix cows and two bulls alive, with as many ewes and rams, intending to carry them into my own country, and propagate the breed. And to feed them on board I had a good bundle of hay, and a bag of corn. I would gladly have taken a dozen of the natives, but this was a thing. the emperor would by no means permit; and, befides a diligent search into my pockets, his majesty engaged my honour not to carry away any of his fubjects, although with their own confent and defire. Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able, I fet fail on the twenty-fourth day of September 1701, at fix in the morning; and when I had gone about four leagues to the northward, the wind being at fouth-eaft, at fix in the evening I defcried a small island about half a league to the north-west. I advanced forward, and caft anchor on the leefide of the island, which feemed to be uninhabited. I then took fome refreshment, and went to my reft. I flept well, and as I conjecture at least fix hours, for I found the day broke in two hours after I awaked. It was a clear night. I eat my breakfast before the fun fnn was up; and heaving anchor, the wind being favourable, I fteered the fame courfe, that I had done the day before, wherein I was directed by my pocket-compafs. My intention was to reach, if poffible, one of thofe iflands which I had reafon to believe lay to the north-east of Van Diemen's land. I difcovered nothing all that day; but upon the next, about three in the afternoon, when I had by my computation made twenty-four leagues from Blefufcu, I defcried a fail steering to the fouth-east; my course was due east. I hailed her, but could get no answer; yet I found I gained upon her, for the wind flackened. I made all the fail I could, and in half an hour the fpied me, then hung out her antient, and difcharged a gun. It is not eafy to express the joy I was in upon the unexpected hope of once more feeing my beloved country, and the dear pledges I left in it. The fhip flackened her fails, and I came with her between five and fix in the evening, September 26; but my heart leapt within me to fee her English colours. I put my cows and fheep into my coat-pockets, and got on board with all my little cargo of provifions. The veffel was an English merchant-man returning from Japan by the north and fouth-feas; the captain Mr. John Biddel of Deptford, a very civil man, and an excellent failor. We were now in the latitude of 30 degrees fouth, there were about fifty men in the fhip; and here I met an old comrade of mine, one Peter Wil up liams, who gave me a good character to the captain. This gentleman treated me with kindness, and defired I would let him know what place I came from last and whither I was bound; which I did in few words, but he thought I was raving, and that the dangers I had underwent had disturbed my head; whereupon I took my black cattle and fheep out of my pocket, which, after great aftonishment, clearly convinced him of my veracity. I then fhewed him the gold given me by the empe ror of Befufcu, together with his majesty's picture at full length, and fome other rarities of that country. I gave him two purfes of two hundred fprugs each, and promifed, when we arrived in England, to make him a present of a cow and a sheep big with young. - I fhall not trouble the reader with a particular account of this voyage, which was very profperous for the most part. We arrived in the Downs on the 13th of April 1702. I had only one misfortune, that the rats on board carried away one of my fheep; I found her bones in a hole, picked clean from the flesh. The reft of my cattle I got fafe a-fhore, and fet them a grazing in a bowling-green at Greenwich, where the fineness of the grafs made them feed very heartily, though I had always feared the contrary: neither could I poffibly have preferved them in fo long a voyage, if the captain had not allowed me fome of his best bifket, which rubbed to powder, and mingled with water, was their conftant food. The fhort fhort time I continued in England, I made a confiderable profit by fhewing my cattle to many persons of quality, and others: and before I began my fecond voyage, I fold them for fix hundred pounds. Since my last return I find the breed is confiderably increased, efpecially the sheep, which I hope will prove much to the advantage of the woollen manufacture by the fineness of the fleeces. I ftayed but two months with my wife and family; for my infatiable defire of seeing foreign countries would fuffer me to continue no longer. I left fifteen hundred pounds with my wife, and fixed her in a good house at Redriff: My remaining stock I carried with me, part in money and part in goods, in hopes to improve my fortunes. My eldeft uncle John had left me an estate in land, near Epping, of about thirty pounds a year; and I had a long lease of the Black Bull in Fetter-Lane, which yielded me as much more: fo that I was not in any danger of leaving my family upon the parish. My fon Johnny, named fo after his uncle, was at the grammar fchool, and a towardly child. My daughter Betty (who is now well married, and has children) was then at her needle-work. I took leave of my wife, and boy and girl, with tears on both fides, and went on board the Adventure, a merchant-ship of three hundred tons bound for Surat, captain John Nicholas of Leverpool commander. But my account of this voyage must be referred to the fecond part of my travels. A VOYAGE A VOYAGE то BRO BDINGNA G. CHA P. I. A great ftorm defcribed, the long-boat fent to. fetch water, the author goes with it to difcover the country. He is left on fhore, is feized by one of the natives, and carried to a farmer's boufe. His reception, with feveral accidents that happened there. A defcription of the inbabitants. H AVING been condemned by nature and fortune to an active and restless life, in two months after my return I again left my native country, and took fhipping in the Downs on the 20th day of June 1702, in the Adventure, captain John Nicholas a Gornish man commander, bound for Surat. We had a very profperous gale till we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, where we landed for fresh water, but discovering a leak, we unshipped our goods, and wintered there; for, the captain falling fick of an ague, we could not leave the Cape till the end of March. We then fet fail, and had a good voyage till we paffed the Streights of Madagafcar; but having got northward of that island, and to about five degrees fouth la titude, |