The Tryal rocks.

On the 11th we found the variation 8 degrees 1 minute west; on the 12th, 6 degrees 0 minutes.  I kept on my course to the westward till the 15th, and then altered it.  My design was to seek for the Tryal Rocks; but, having been sick 5 or 6 days without any fresh provision or other good nourishment aboard, and seeing no likelihood of my recovery, I rather chose to go to some port in time than to beat here any longer; my people being very negligent when I was not upon deck myself; I found the winds variable, so that I might go any way, east, west, north, or south; wherefore it is probable I might have found the said rocks had not sickness prevented me; which discovery (whenever made) will be of great use to merchants trading to these parts.

The coast of Java.  Princes isle.  Straits of Sunda.  Thwart-the-way island.

From hence nothing material happened till we came upon the coast of Java.  On the 23rd we saw Princes Isle plain, and the mouth of the Straits of Sunda.  By my computation the distance between Timor and Princes Isle is 14 degrees 22 minutes.  The next day in the afternoon, being abreast of Crockadore Island, I steered away east-north-east for an island that lies near midway between Sumatra and Java but nearest the Java shore; which is by Englishmen called Thwart-the-way.  We had but small winds till about 3 o’clock when it freshened, and I was in good hopes to pass through before day:  but at 9 o’clock the wind fell and we got but little.  I was then abreast of Thwart-the-way, which is a pretty high long island; but before 11 the wind turned, and presently afterward it fell calm.  I was then about 2 leagues from the said island; and, having a strong current against us, before day we were driven astern 4 or 5 leagues.  In the morning we had the wind at north-north-west; it looked black and the wind unsettled:  so that I could not expect to get through.  I therefore stood toward the Java shore, and at 10 anchored in 24 fathom water, black oazy ground, 3 leagues from the shore.  I sounded in the night when it was calm, and had 54 fathom, coarse sand and coral.

Indian proas, and their traffic.

In the afternoon before we had seen many proas; but none came off to us; and in the night we saw many fires ashore.  This day a large proa came aboard of us, and lay by our side an hour.  There were only 4 men in her, all Javians, who spoke the Malayan language.  They asked if we were English; I answered we were; and presently one of them came aboard and presented me with a small hen, some eggs and coconuts; for which I gave some beads and a small looking-glass, and some glass bottles.  They also gave me some sugarcane, which I distributed to such of my men as were scorbutic.  They told me there were 3 English ships at Batavia.