When you go hence to the eastward you may pass between the small island and Timor; and when you are five or six leagues to the eastward of the small island you will see a large valley to the eastward of you; then, running a little further, you may see houses on the bay:  you may luff in, but anchor not till you go about the next point.  Then you will see more houses where you may run in to twenty or thirty fathom, and anchor right against the houses, nearest the west end of them.  This place is called Laphao.  It is a Portuguese settlement, about sixteen leagues from the watering-bay.

There are in it about forty or fifty houses and one church.  The houses are mean and low, the walls generally made of mud or wattled, and their sides made up with boards:  they are all thatched with palm or palmetto leaves.  The church also is very small:  the east end of it is boarded up to the top; but the sides and the west end are only boarded three or four foot high; the rest is all open:  there is a small altar in it, with two steps to go up to it, and an image or two; but all very mean.  It is also thatched with palm or palmetto leaves.  Each house has a yard belonging to it, fenced about with wild canes nine or ten foot high.  There is a well in each yard, and a little bucket with a string to it to draw water withal.  There is a trunk of a tree made hollow, placed in each well, to keep the earth from falling in.  Round the yards there are many fruit-trees planted; as coconuts, tamarinds and toddy-trees.

They have a small hovel by the sea side where there are six small old iron guns standing on a decayed platform, in rotten carriages.  Their vents are so big that when they are fired, the strength of the powder flying out there, they give but a small report like that of a musket.  This is their court of guard; and here were a few armed men watching all the time we lay here.

The inhabitants of the town are chiefly a sort of Indians of a copper-colour, with black lank hair:  they speak Portuguese and are of the Romish religion; but they take the liberty to eat flesh when they please.  They value themselves on the account of their religion and descent from the Portuguese; and would be very angry if a man should say they are not Portuguese; yet I saw but three white men here, two of which were padres.  There are also a few Chinese living here.  It is a place of pretty good trade and strength, the best on this island, Porta Nova excepted.  They have three or four small barks belonging to the place; with which they trade chiefly about the island with the natives for wax, gold, and sandalwood.  Sometimes they go to Batavia and fetch European commodities, rice, etc.