Sec.5. Voyage of Captain Pring from Bantam, to Patania and Japan, and return to Jacatra.[277]

The 26th of April, 1620, we sailed from Bantam roads, with the James Royal and Unicorn in company, intending, by the grace of God, to go for Japan, there to careen and trim our ships.  Mr Brockendon departed at the same time for Jacatra with six ships; proposing, about a month after our departure, to send five good English ships after us to Japan, that we might have the fittest season of the year to go from thence to the Manillas.  The 27th, we took leave of this fleet, and steered towards the north, borrowing within half a league of the eastern point of Pulo-Tunda; and came to anchor in the evening about a league off the N.E. point of that island, in twenty-three fathoms upon ooze, waiting till the western stream of the tide began to return to the eastwards which was about ten at night, when we proceeded on our course.

[Footnote 277:  Purchas gives two relations of this voyage, one brief, “lest the longer one might interrupt the more delicate muses of some readers with sea-sickness, the other for those that are more studious of nautical knowledge.”  On the present occasion, we have preferred the more extended narrative, and have therefore united both accounts as given by Purchas, being the remainder of Sec.4. joined to the whole of Sec.5. giving one instance of minute nautical remarks of our earlier navigators.—­E.]

The 28th at night, we anchored in 18 f. on ooze, Pulo Antekero bearing N.E. three leagues off.  Pulo Antekero bears N.N.E. 1/2 E. from Pulo Tunda, about eight leagues distant.  The depth of water between the two islands, runs-from 16 f. to 26, and so to 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, and 12 f. all ooze.  Pulo Antekero is westernmost of the islands which extend in a row from the bay of Jacatra, [or Batavia,] to the westward.  Continuing our course, we anchored, in the evening of the 29th, in 15 f, Pulo Kero bearing N. by E. 1/2 E. 2-1/2 leagues off.  Pulo Kero bears N.N.E. nearly from Antekero, six leagues off.  After passing halfway between these islands we had 20, 18, 16, 14, 12 f. on ooze.  At noon on the 30th we had Pulo Kero six leagues off, S. 1/2 E. our depth continuing 13,12,11 f. all ooze.

At noon on the 1st May, Pulo Kero bore S. 1/2 W nine leagues, and the depth 12 f. being just able to see that island from our top-mast head.  By observation of the sun, we were then in lat. 4 deg. 45’ S. From noon till five p.m. our course was N.N.E. four leagues.  We then anchored in 11 f. on ooze, having Pulo Kero by estimation thirteen league S by W. This night at nine, being still at anchor in the same place, I made the ship, by observation of the Crozies, in lat. 4 deg. 40’ S. allowing 29 deg. for the complement of declination.  We set sail at four a.m. of the 2d, and by noon had run about six leagues N.N.E. the depths continuing as before, 13, 12, 11 f.  By noon of the 3d our course was S. by E. five