Page 380
An.1687
Canes. Isle of Bats.
Sebo. It is about 8 or 10 leagues long, Mountain- ous and Woody. At this place Captain Read, who was the same Captain Swan had so much railed a- gainst in his Journal, and was now made Captain in his room (as Captain Teat was made Master, and Mr. Henry More Quartermaster) ordered the Carpenters to cut down our Quarter Deck, to make the Ship snug, and the fitter for sailing. When that was done we heeled her, scrubbed her bottom and tallowed it. Then we fill'd all our Water, for here is a delicate small run of Water.
The Land was pretty low in this Bay, the Mould black and fat, and the Trees of several kinds, very thick and tall. In some places we found plenty of Canes, such as we use in England for Walking-canes. These were short jointed not above two foot and a half, or two foot ten inches the longest, and most of them not above two foot. They run along on the ground like a Vine; or taking hold of the Trees they climb up to their very tops. They are 15 or 20 fathom long, and much of a bigness from the root, till within 5 or 6 fathom of the end. They are of a pale green colour, clothed over with a coat of a short thick hairy substance, of a dun colour: but it comes off by only drawing the Cane thro your hand. We did cut many of them and they proved very tough heavy Canes.
We saw no Houses, nor sign of Inhabitants; but while we lay here there was a Canoa with 6 men came into this Bay; but whether they were bound, or from whence they came, I know not. They were Indians, and we could not understand them.
In the middle of this Bay, about a mile from the shore, there is small low woody Island, not above a mile in circumference: our Ship rode a- bout a mile from it. This Island was the habita- tion