The 13th of August, 1612, we set sail from Mokha in the Clove, having on board seventy-five men, all in perfect health.  The 14th we got sight of the Bab, but the wind being large at N.W. we steered through the great channel on the Abyssinian side, having 18 fathoms water about one league from the island of Babo, where is a good and safe harbour for shipping, but the place is barren.  The 3d September we arrived at Socotora in Delisha road; when we understood the Thomas had been here three months before, but made no stay, as they could not agree for the aloes.  The 4th the merchant and linguist went ashore, and were kindly treated by the king, but could not agree in the price, as he asked 40 dollars the quintal of 104 pounds, saying he had only 25 quintals, and was much solicited for it by the Portuguese.  At length we agreed to give 30 dollars for one parcel, and 38 for another, and he delivered us 4067 pounds, which cost 1418-1/2 rials of eight, or dollars.  On this occasion we found the king false both in his weights and word, yet we treated him well for the good of future voyages.  We sailed for Bantam on the 8th September.

[Footnote 421:  Perhaps turmeric is here meant—­E.]

The 22d, in lat. 8 deg. 12’ N. by the stars, steering E. by S. with the wind W.S.W. we fell at midnight into the strangest and most terrifying shining water that any of us had ever seen, the water throwing so great a glare about the ship that we could discern the letters in a book perfectly, whereas it had been so dark only half an hour before, that we could not see half the length of our ship any way.  We doubted it had been the breach of some sunken ground, and thought to have cast about; but after sailing in it half an hour without any alteration, we held on our course, and at length it proved to be cuttle-fish that made this fearful show.

We got sight of the island of Ceylon on the 27th in the morning, bearing N.E. by E. about 7 leagues off, being very high land up the country, but very low near the sea.  The 29th we saw Cape Comorin about 14 leagues off, being very high land.  This cape is in the latitude of 7 deg. 42’ [more accurately 7 deg. 57’ N.] whereas our charts lay it down in 6 deg. 10’.  During our course we did not fall in with any of the islands laid down in our charts, neither did we see any of the Maldive islands, which are said to be so numerous.

The 15th October, when in lat. 4 deg. 49’ S. we got sight of Sumatra, where we found a strong current setting us from the land.  Such as are bound for the straits of Sunda, must keep the coast of Sumatra on board after they get into lat. 1 deg. 30’ S. as the current begins there.  It is proper to keep thirty leagues off the coast of that island and with a good look-out, as there are many cayos[422] fifteen or twenty leagues out at sea, but which we did not see, as we were kept farther out by the current.  The 24th we came to anchor in the road of Bantam, all