Page 443
An.1687
West side of Mindanao. Spanish Pumps.
spake of on the Coast of China. This I have alrea- dy described to be a very woody Island. Here the Wind coming Southerly, forced us to keep farther from the Islands.
The 14th day of October we came close by a small low Woody Island, that lyeth East from the S. E. end of Mindanao, distant from it about 20 leagues. I do not find it set down in any Sea-Chart.
The 15th day we had the Wind at N. E. and we steered West for the Island Mindanao, and arri- ved at the S. E. end again on the 16th day. There we went in and anchored between two small Islands, which lye in about 5 d. 10 m. N. Lat. I mentioned them when we first came on this Coast. Here we found a fine small Cove, on the N. W. end of the Easternmost Island, fit to Careen in, or hale ashore : so we went in there, and pre- fently unrigged our Ship, and provided to hale our Ship ashore, to clean her bottom. These Islands are about 3 or 4 leagues from the Island Mindanao : they are about 4 or 5 miles in circumference, and of a pretty good heighth. The mold is black and deep; and there are two small Brooks of fresh Water.
They are both plentifully stored with great high Trees: therefore our Carpenters were sent ashore to cut down some of them for our use; for here they made a new Boltsprit, which we did set here also, our old one being very faulty. They made a new Fore-Yard too, and a Fore Top-Mast: and our Pumps being faulty, and not serviceable, they did cut a Tree to make a Pump. They first squa- red it, then sawed it in the middle, and then hol- lowed each side exactly. The two hollow sides were made big enough to contain a Pump-box in the midst of them both, when they were joyned together : and it required their utmost skill to close them exactly to the making a tight Cylinder for the Pump