CHAPTER 6.

Home voyage and Loss of ship.

The author continues in Batavia road to refit, to get provisions.

We found in Batavia Road a great many ships at anchor, most Dutch, and but one English ship named the Fleet frigate, commanded by one Merry.  We rode a little without them all.  Near the shore lay a stout China junk, and a great many small vessels, namely brigantines, sloops and Malayan proas in abundance.  As soon as I anchored I sent my boat aboard the Fleet frigate with orders to make them strike their pennant, which was done soon after the boat went aboard.  Then my clerk, whom I sent in the boat, went for the shore, as I had directed him, to see if the government would answer my salute:  but it was now near night, and he had only time to speak with the ship-bander, who told him that the government would have answered my salute with the same number of guns if I had fired as soon as I anchored; but that now it was too late.  In the evening my boat came aboard and the next morning I myself went ashore, visited the Dutch general, and desired the privilege of buying such provision and stores as I now wanted; which he granted me.

I lay here till the 17th of October following, all which time we had very fair weather, some tornadoes excepted.  In the meantime I supplied the carpenter with such stores as were necessary for refitting the ship; which proved more leaky after he had caulked her than she was before:  so that I was obliged to careen her, for which purpose I hired vessels to take in our guns, ballast, provision and stores.

English ships then in the road.

The English ships that arrived here from England were first the Liampo, commanded by Captain Monk, bound for China; next the Panther commanded by Captain Robinson; then the Mancel frigate, commanded by Captain Clerk.  All these brought good tidings from England.  Most of them had been unfortunate in their officers; especially Captain Robinson, who said that some of them had been conspiring to ruin him and his voyage.  There came in also several English country vessels; first a sloop from Benjarr, commanded by one Russel, bound to Bengal, next the Monsoon, belonging to Bengal:  she had been at Malacca at the same time that His Majesty’s ship the Harwich was there:  afterwards came in also another small ship from Bengal.

While we stayed here all the forenamed English ships sailed hence; the 2 Bengal ships excepted.  Many Dutch ships also came in here, and departed again before us.  We had several reports concerning our men-of-war in India, and much talk concerning rovers who had committed several spoils upon the coast and in the Straits of Malacca.  I did not hear of any ships sent out to quash them.  At my first coming