Designs of making further searches upon and about the island.  Port Sesial.

I asked him if there was no harbour hereabouts where I might be secured from the fury of these winds at their first coming.  He told me that the best harbour in the island was at a place called Babao on the north side of Kupang Bay; that there were no inhabitants there, but plenty of buffaloes in the woods, and abundance of fish in the sea; that there was also fresh water:  that there was another place, called port Sesial, about 20 leagues to the eastward of Laphao; that there was a river of fresh water there, and plenty of fish, but no inhabitants:  yet that if I would go thither he would send people with hogs, goats and buffaloes, to truck with me for such commodities as I had to dispose of.

I was afterwards told that on the east end of the island Ende there was also a very good harbour, and a Portuguese town; that there was great plenty of refreshments for my men, and dammer for my ship; that the governor or chief of that place was called Captain More; that he was a very courteous gentleman, and would be very glad to entertain an English ship there; and if I designed to go thither, I might have pilots here that would be willing to carry me, if I could get the lieutenant’s consent.  That it was dangerous going thither without a pilot, by reason of the violent tides that run between the islands Ende and Solor.  I was told also that at the island Solor there were a great many Dutchmen banished from other places for certain crimes.  I was willing enough to go thither, as well to secure my ship in a good harbour, where I might careen her (there being dammer also, which I could not get here, to make use of instead of pitch, which I now wanted) and where I might still be refreshing my men and supporting them in order to my further discoveries; as also to inform myself more particularly concerning these places as yet so little known to us.  Accordingly I accepted the offer of a pilot and two gentlemen of the town, to go with me to Larentuca on the island Ende:  and they were to come on board my ship the night before I sailed.  But I was hindered of this design by some of my officers who had here also been very busy in doing me all the injury they could underhand.

But to proceed.  While I stayed here I went ashore every day and my men took there turns to go ashore and traffic for what they had occasion for; and were now all very well again:  and to keep themselves in heart every man bought some rice, more or less, to recruit them after our former fatigues.  Besides, I ordered the purser to buy some for them, to serve them instead of peas which were now almost spent.  I filled up my water-casks again here, and cut more wood; and sent a present to the lieutenant, Alexis Mendosa, designing to be gone; for while I lay here we had some tornadoes and rain, and the sky in the