to the west; but there is no going there at this season.  In both monsoons there is a very heavy sea on the coast of Arabia, and the currents there set along with the wind.  There is no riding at anchor at the entrance to Surat, so as to have shelter in the west monsoons, both on account of bad ground, and because the tides run with such rapidity as to overset ships that are not aground.  This road of Delisa is very safe in the west monsoon; but only two miles either east or west it continually blows so strong that no ship can ride.  I can give no reason for this, unless that the distance of the high mountains produce this remarkable difference, as there is much low ground between us and them.

[Footnote 171:  This is the Portuguese orthography; in English it should be Shael, or Shaer; but the true name is Shahr, or Shohr, while some call it Seer.—­ASTL.  I. 318.I.]

We departed from Delisa on the 24th June, 1608; and on the 23d July we saw an island, and about noon two more, in lat. 4 deg. 2’ S. We left two of these to the north and one to the south of our course; the most northerly being a large high island full of trees.  Between the two southermost of these three islands, ten leagues distant, and half way between them, there is a dangerous reef of rocks, to avoid which we steered through a very good passage within two leagues of the middle island, the reef being then to the south, about three leagues from us, and is very dangerous for ships going through by night.  There seemed a likeness of a passage through between the middle island and the northermost, but it was not a league broad.  The southern island is the largest of the three.[172]

[Footnote 172:  These three islands seem to have been Pulo Minton, Good-Fortune, and Nassau, off the south-western coast of Sumatra.—­E.]

The 26th July we were halfway between Priaman and Tecu, about three leagues from the shore, the two hummocks of Tecu, with high land over them, bearing N. by W. and S. by E. half a point east.  There is a shoal four miles from shore, bearing N. and S. with the high land of Tecu.  We had here 45 fathoms water 21/2 leagues from shore, being then N.E. by E. from the road of Priaman.  In the afternoon we got into the road of Priaman, and saluted the town with five guns.

The governor of the town sent me a goat, and I sent him in return three yards of stammel cloth, one piece of blue calico, a stocked musket, a musket-barrel, and two sword blades.  The messenger spoke good Portuguese, to whom I gave a piece of blue calico.  He was accompanied by a person of Acheen, with whom I conversed in Arabic, and by whom I had great hope of trade.  I went ashore early on the 29th, and going to the governor’s house, he presented me with a buffalo, and appointed some of his chief men to make the price of pepper with me.  Sitting down with about sixty of these men, they first proposed that the pepper should be weighed in town, while I