Page 398
An.1687
Two Men poyfoned at Mindanao dye here.
pitchy Liquor, which we boyled, and used about our Ships bottom. We mixed it first with Lime, which we made here; and it made an excellent coat, and stuck on very well.
We staid in this Harbour from the 16th day of March till the 16th day of April; in which time we made a new Suit of Sails of the Cloath that was taken in the Prize. We cut a spare Main-top-mast, and sawed Plank to sheath the Ships bottom; for she was not sheathed all over at Mindanao, and that old Plank that was left on then we now ript off, and clapt on new.
While we lay here 2 of our men dyed, who were poyfoned at Mindanao: they told us of it, when they found themselves poyfon'd, and had lingred ever since. They were open d by our Doctor, accord- ing to their own request before they dyed, and their Livers were black, light and dry, like pieces of Cork.
Our business being finished here, we left the Spanish Prize taken at Manila, and most of the Rice, taking out enough for our selves : and on the 17th day we went from hence to the place where we first Anchored, on the North side of the great Island, purposely to water ; for there was a great stream, when we first came to the Island, and we thought it was so now. But we found it dryed up, only it stood in holes, 2 or 3 Hogsheads, or a Tun in a hole : Therefore we did immediately cut Bamboos, and made Spouts, through which we conveyed the Water down to the Sea-side ; by ta- king it up in Bowls, and pouring it into these Spouts or Troughs. We conveyed some of it thus near half a mile. While we were filling our Wa- ter, Captain Read engaged an old man, one of the Inhabitants of this Island, the same, who, I faid, could speak the Malayan Language, to be his Pilot to the Bay of Siam: for he had often been telling us,