Transcription

From New Guinea to Batavia

Septr. 1770
return onboard without doing anything further than a promise of having some Buffaloes in the morning which we had now no great reason to rely on ~ In the morning I went onshore again & was shew'd one small Buffaloe which they asked 5 Guins. for, I offer'd 3, which the man told me he would gladly take & sent a Message to the King to let him know what I had offer'd. the Messenger soon return'd & let me know that I could not have it under 5 Guins. & this I refused to give knowing it was not worth one fifth part of the money, but this my refusal had like to have overset all we had before done, for soon after about 100 Men some Arm'd with Musquets others with Lances came down to the Landing Place, besides the officer that commanded this party, there came along with them a Man who spoke Portuguese & I believe was born of Portuguese Parents. this man is here (as we afterwards Understood) as an Assistant to the Dutch Factor. he deliver'd to me the Kings order; or rather those of the Dutch Factor, the purport of which was that we were to stay no longer than this day, pretending that the People would not trade with us because we wanted their Proviss. for nothing &ct. whereas the Natives shew'd the greatest inclination imaginable to supply us with whatever they had & were far more desirous of goods than money & were before this man came selling us Fowls & Syrup as fast as they could bring these things down. from this & other Circumstances we were well Assured that this was all the Dutchmans doing in order to extort from us a sum of Money to put into his own Pocket. There hapned to be an old Raja at this time upon the beach whose Intrest I had secured in the Morning by Presenting him with a Spyglass, this man I now took by the hand and presented him with an old broad sword, this effectually secured him in our Intrest for the Moment he got it he began to flourish it over the old Portuguese & made him & the Officer commanded the Party to sit down at his backside. immediately after this trade was restored again for Fowls &ct with more Spirit than ever but before I could begain a Trade for Buffaloes, which was what we most wanted I was obliged to give 10 Guins. for 2, one of which weigh'd only 160 lb. after this I bought 7 more at a more reasonable price, one of which we lost after he was paid for. I might now have purchased as many as I pleased for they now drove them down to the Waterside by Herds, but having got as many as I well know'd what to do with & likewise a number of Fowls & a large quantity of Syrup I resolved to make no longer stay ~ 

Friday 21st  We got under sail & stood away to the Wtward along the N side of the Island & another smaller Island which lies farther to the Westward which last bore from us at Noon SSE distt. 2 Leags. - Before we proceed any further it will be proper in this place to say something of the Island we have been last at, which is called by the Natives Savu. the Middle of it lies on abt. the Latde. of 10:35 S Longde. 237.

 

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