recovered all their bullion, which was in chests, and several of their guns, which were large. Their companions which they had left upon the road were all missing; the Indians it was supposed had either by force or persuasion kept them among them, as they are very desirous of having Europeans among them to instruct them in the art of war. After a stay of two months at Concordia, their company was diminished more than half by sickness, chiefly in consequence of the great fatigues they had endured in the days when they got ashore, and travelled to that place. These were then furnished with a small ship, in which they sailed for Europe.
We inquired much for the island of Anabao or Anambao, mentioned by Dampier; he assured us that he knew of no island of that name anywhere in these seas. I since have observed that it is laid down in several charts by the name of Selam,[1] which is probably the real name of it. Rotte is upon much the same footing as Savu: a Dutchman resides upon it to manage the natives; its produce is also much like that of Savu. It has also some sugar, which was formerly made by simply bruising the canes and boiling the juice to a syrup, as they do the palm wine; lately, however, they have made great improvements in that manufacture. There are three islands of the name of Solar lying to the eastward of Ende or Flores: they are flat and low, abounding with vast quantity of provisions and stock: they are also managed in the same manner as Savu. On the middlemost of them is a good harbour, the other two are without shelter. Ende is still in the hands of the Portuguese, who have a town and good harbour called Larntuca on the northeast corner of it: the old harbour of Ende, situated on the south side of it, is not nearly so good, and therefore now entirely neglected.
The inhabitants of each of these different islands speak different languages, and the chief policy of the Dutch is to prevent them from learning each other's language, as by this means the Dutch keep them to their respective
- ↑ The real name is Semau. (Note by Banks.)
