took on the 8th a boat belonging to San Thome.  The 9th, at noon, the town of Meliapore bore N.N.W. two leagues off.  The best mark by which to know this place is a high hill up the country.  There is a shoal about two leagues south of Pullicatt, and about a mile or more from the shore, the N.E. end of it being about a league off.  We went over the end of it in three fathoms; but if you keep in ten or twelve fathoms, you will always be safe.  The 9th we anchored off Pullicatt, which bore from us W. by N. There is a cross to the north of the town, which may be seen between two and three miles offshore, but you cannot see the town.  Not liking our situation, we weighed on the 10th, and stood farther north, and anchored again in eight fathoms, the cross now bearing W. by S. the western point W. by N. and the northernmost point N.W.  The 10th, at noon, the governor sent off a boat for our gentlemen, when Mr Brown and Mr Floris went on shore in our skiff which sunk when going over the bar; but, blessed be God, none of our men were drowned.  Pullicatt is in 13 deg. 30’,[370] the variation being 1 deg. 15’.  The 15th Captain Hippon went ashore to speak with the governess, and returned aboard with all the merchants on the 16th, as they could have no trade.

[Footnote 370:  More correctly lat. 13 deg. 26’ N. and long, 80 deg. 24’ E. from Greenwich.—­E]

We set sail the same day for Petepoly [Pattapilly,] and on the 18th, at five p.m. we made a tuft of trees near that place, bearing from us N.E. by E. six leagues off; and at seven p.m. we came to anchor in nine fathoms, the tuft being then N. by W. five leagues.  The 19th we weighed early, and came to anchor again in five fathoms, two leagues from the tuft, which then bore E.N.E.  Presently there came off to us two gingathas, or boats, by which our merchants sent a letter on shore; and, in the afternoon, another boat brought off a messenger from the sabandar, who sent off two boats next day for our merchants, when Messrs Floris, Essington, and Lucas went ashore, together with Adam Dounton, the purser’s mate, and one named Lemon.  The 21st, our merchants sent off a letter, saying they were kindly entertained.  The 28th, Mr Floris and Simon Evans came aboard, when we weighed for Masulipatam, in the road of which place we arrived on the 30th, anchoring in three fathoms and a foot; the great tree, which is the mark for the road, bearing from us W.N.W. the southermost land S.W. by S. and the northermost N.E. by E. The 31st, Mr Floris, Mr Essington, Simon Evans, Cuthbert Whitfield, and Arthur Smith, went ashore in our skiff to remain.  I made the latitude to be 15 deg. 57’ and that of Pattapilly 15 deg. 49’.[371]

[Footnote 371:  The latitude of Masulipatam is 16 deg. 5’ N. but that mentioned in the text seems to apply to some point not well defined, to the southwards.  The latitude of Pattapilly appears to have been taken with sufficient accuracy.—­E.]