The inhabitants are originally from Cochin-china, being of a middle stature and well shaped, but of much darker colour than the natives of Mindanao, having lank black hair, small black eyes, and small noses, yet tolerably high, with small mouths, thin lips, and white teeth.  They are civil, but very poor, their only employment being to collect tar, and to prepare a little oil from tortoises, both of which they export to Cochin-china.  They offer their women to strangers for a small matter; a custom universal in Pegu, Siam, Cochin-China, Cambadia, Tonquin, and India, as also on the coast of Guinea.  They are pagans, worshipping chiefly the elephant and the horse, besides images of birds and fishes, but I saw none resembling the human shape.

Having careened our ship, and laid in a supply of fresh water, we sailed from Pulo Condore on the 21st of April, steering W. by S. for the bay of Siam, and on the 23d came to the isle of Ubi, off the S.W. cape of Cambadia, forty leagues W. of Condore.  This isle is seven or eight leagues in circuit, and is higher land than any of the Condore isles.  It has good water on the north side, where there is also good anchorage, but the best anchorage is on the W. side, opposite a small bay.  On the 24th we entered the bay of Siam, which is very deep, and went among the islands at the bottom of the bay, in one of which we found a small village inhabited by fishermen, but no fish, so we turned back, and did not return to the isle of Ubi till the 13th, and were detained there by storms till the 21st, when we sailed for Condore, where we anchored on the 24th.  Here five or six of our men, going on board a Malay vessel, were stabbed by the crew.  Having provided our ship with wood and water, we sailed from Condore on the 4th June, intending to proceed for Manilla; but, by contrary winds, were forced to steer for Pratas, a small low island inclosed with rocks, in lat. 21 deg.  N. between Canton and Manilla; and the east winds continuing, were obliged to approach the coast of China, where we anchored on the 25th June, at the east end of the island of St John, on the coast of Quan-tong, or Canton, in China, in lat. 22 deg. 30’ N.[198] They have here great plenty of rice, with hogs, buffaloes, goats, and some oxen.  The inhabitants were Chinese, and were consequently, at this time, under the dominion of the Tartars.

[Footnote 198:  This Island of St John is probably that named Sancianor, or Tchang-te-huen, in lat. 21 deg. 33’ N. long. 112 deg. 25’ E. to the S.W. of the bay of Canton.  The latitude in the text would lead deep among the islands of that bay, which does not appear to have been the case.—­E.]