[Footnote 57:  Negro island reaches from lat. 9 deg. 15’ to 11 deg. 45’ N. and is consequently two and a half degrees from N. to S. about 174 English miles, but does not any where exceed thirty miles from E. to W.—­E.]

At six in the morning of the 29th of January, they began to pass through the straits between Panama and Negro islands, and, after proceeding sixteen leagues, they found a fair opening in these straits, trending S.W. by S. About this time, being rejoined by their boat, which had been sent before them in the morning, Candish sent a Spanish prisoner on shore, with a message to his captain, who commanded a ship which lay at Panama the night before, desiring him to provide an abundant supply of gold against the return of the Desire, as he meant to pay him a visit at Manilla, and as that was a long voyage, it merited good entertainment.  He said farther, that he would have come now, to weigh some of his Spanish gold in English scales, if he had possessed a larger boat for landing his men on the island.

Proceeding on the voyage, they saw Batochina on the 8th of February, an island near Gilolo, in the lat. of 1 deg.  N. The 14th of that month they fell in with eleven or twelve small flat low islands, almost level with the sea, in lat. 3 deg. 10’ S. near the Moluccas.  March 1st, having passed the straits between Java Major and Java Minor, they anchored under the S.W. part of Java Major, where they saw some people fishing in a bay under the island.  The admiral sent a boat to them, in which was a negro who could speak the Moresco[58] language, which is much used in Java.  But, being frightened at the approach of the boat, they all got on shore and ran away into the woods.  One of them, however, came back to the shore, on being called to by the negro, and directed where to find fresh water; besides which, he undertook to carry a message to the king of that part of the island from the admiral, certifying that he had come to purchase victuals, or any commodities the country afforded.  In consequence of this message, nine or ten canoes belonging to the king came off, on the 12th March, loaded with all sorts of provisions as deep as they could swim; bringing oxen, hogs, hens, geese, eggs, sugar, cocoa-nuts, plantains, oranges, lemons, wine, and arrack.

[Footnote 58:  Probably the Malay is here meant, and called Moresco or Moors, an ordinary term for Mahometans.—­E.]

At the same time two Portuguese came off to visit Candish, and to enquire about their king, Don Antonio, then residing in England.  These persons gave him a full account of the manners and customs of the people of this island.  The king of this part was held in prodigious awe by his subjects, over whom he exercised absolute power, insomuch that no man was permitted to make a bargain without his leave, on pain of death.  He had an hundred wives, and his son fifty; who may possibly be happy enough while he lives; but when he dies, and his body is burnt,