[Footnote 155:  Purch.  Pilgr.  I.185.  Astl.  I. 281.]

The 17th July we came to anchor in Saldanha bay, in lat. 33 deg. 56’ S. or 34 deg., having sixty men bad of the scurvy, all of whom, God be praised, recovered their health before we went from thence, where we remained five weeks wanting one day.  Here Mr Cole was drowned, who was master of the Hector, our vice-admiral.  We weighed anchor from Saldanha bay on the 20th August, standing to the westwards with the wind at south.  On Sunday the 23d December, 1604, we came to anchor in Bantam roads, where we found six ships of Holland, and three or four pinnaces.  The 18th January, 1605, we sailed out of Bantam roads, with the Dragon and Ascension, but parted at Amboyna, the general going with the Dragon to the Moluccas, while the Ascension, Captain Colthurst, went for Banda, The Hector and Susan laded pepper at Bantam, and sailed thence for England about the middle of February.

We arrived in the Ascension at Banda on the 20th February, and anchored in 4-1/2 fathoms beside Nera, the principal place in these islands.  From the south part of Amboyna to Banda, the course is E. by S. and to the southwards, 30 leagues.  The latitude of Banda is 4 deg. 40’ N. and the going in is to the westwards.  There is a very high hill which burns continually, which hill must be left to larboard, having the great island on the starboard.  The entry is very narrow, and cannot be seen till within half a mile; but you may stand fearlessly to within two cable’s length of the island on which is the high hill, for so you must do, and will have 20 fathoms.  Then stand along that island, at the distance of a cable’s length, if the wind permit, when you will find the water shoaling, 8, 7, 6 fathoms, and 5 in the narrowest part, which depth continues till you get into the road of Nera.  With God’s help, a man may go in without danger, keeping near the before-mentioned island.  It is somewhat shallow on the starboard side of the narrow passage, but that will shew itself.  There are two small islands, Pulo-way and Pulo-rin, about three leagues west of this entrance, but there is no danger about them that is not quite obvious; and you may leave these islands on either side you find convenient, either in going in or out.

At this place we found the wind variable about the middle of March, and it so continued till about the middle of April; when it became stationary between E. and S.E. four months to our knowledge:  But, as the people of the country say, it continues so for five mouths; and likewise five months between W. and N.W. the other two months being variable.  In the dark moons, they have here much gusty weather with rains.  We staid here twenty-one weeks and six days, in which time eleven of our men died, mostly of the flux.