Page 493
An.1688
They proceed on their Voyage.
was Mr. Hall so well provided as I was, for before we left the Ship, I had purposely consulted our Draft of the East Indies, (for we had but one in the Ship) and out of that I had written in my pocket- book an account of the bearing and distance of all the Malacca Coast, and that of Sumatra, Pegu, and Siam, and also brought away with me a pocket Com- pass for my direction, in any enterprize that I should undertake.
The weather at our setting out, was very fair, clear and hot. The Wind was still at S. E. a ve- ry small breeze, just fanning the Air, and the Clouds were moving gently from West to East, which gave us hopes that the Winds were either at West already, abroad at Sea, or would be so in a very short time. We took this opportunity of fair weather, being in hopes to accomplish our Voyage to Achin, before the western Monsoon was set in strong, knowing that we should have very blustring weather after this fair weather, especially at the first coming of the western Monsoon.
We rowed therefore away to the Southward, supposing that when we were clear from the Island, we should have a true Wind, as we call it, for the Land hales the Wind ; and we often find the Wind at Sea different from what it is near the Shore. We rowed with 4 Oars, taking our turns: Mr. Hall and I steered also by turns, for none of the rest were capable of it. We rowed the first afternoon, and the night ensuing, about twelve leagues, by my judgment. Our course was South South East, but the 16th day in the morning, when the Sun was an hour high, we saw the Island from whence we came, bearing N. W. by N. Therefore I found we had gone a point more to the East than I intended, for which reason we steered S. by E.
In