We sailed from Comoro on the 29th November, and on the 10th December, at three a.m. we suddenly descried a low land, about a league a-head, having high trees growing close to the shore.  We took this at first to be the island of Zanjibar, till one of the natives told us it was Pemba.[277] We immediately stood off till day-break, when we again made sail for the shore, along which we veered in search of a harbour or anchoring place, and sent Mr Elmore in the boat to look out for a convenient watering-place.  On landing, some of the inhabitants demanded in Portuguese who we were; and being told we were English, they asked again what we had to do there, as the island belonged to the King of Portugal?  Answer was made that we knew not this, and only wanted a supply of water.  The ship came next day to anchor, near two or three broken islands, close by Pemba, in lat. 5 deg. 20’ S. The 12th, Mr Jordan went ashore, and conversed with some of the people in Portuguese, but they seemed not the same who had been seen before, as they said the king of the island was a Malabar.  Mr Jordan told them, though the ship was English, that he was a Portuguese merchant, and the goods were belonging to Portugal.  They then said he should have every thing he wanted, and sent a Moor to shew them the watering-place, which was a small hole at the bottom of a hill, more like a ditch than a well.  Having filled their borachios, or goat-skins, they carried the Moor aboard, and going again next day for water, set him ashore.  The report he made of his good usage, brought down another Moor who could speak a little Portuguese, and said he was one of the king’s gentlemen.

[Footnote 277:  Jones says they overshot Zanjibar by the fault of their master, so that all their misfortunes seem attributable to his ignorance.—­E.]

This man went also on board and was well treated, and on landing next day, he promised to bring hens, cocoa-nuts, and oranges, which he did.  I went this day on shore along with the master, Mr Revet, and some others, and dined on shore.  When we had done dinner, there came two head men and a Moor slave to the watering-place, who asked if the chief men belonging to the ship were ashore, and where they were.  Edward Churchman told them that the master and one of the merchants were ashore, and he would bring us to them if they pleased.  At our meeting they saluted us after the Portuguese fashion, and told us that we were welcome, and that every thing in the island was at our command:  But all these sugared words were only a cloak to their treacherous designs.  We asked who the chief person among them was, and were told he was the king’s brother; who immediately produced a plate of silver, on which were engraven the names of all the villages and houses in the island, telling us that he was governor of all these.  On asking if there were any Portuguese on the island, they said no, for they were all banished, because they would have refreshments there by force, and endeavoured to make slaves of the people; wherefore they had made war upon them ever since their first appearance.