We advanc’d conſiderably all Night, and on the Fifteenth in the Morning left Puli Saya ſo far a-ſtern that we could ſcarce perceive the Top of one of its Mountains, remarkable for its great height. About Noon we made Puli Lingan, and croſs’d ſafely the Æquinoctial Line. It now clear’d up, having rain’d pretty hard the Night before. We were almoſt becalm’d in the Afternoon advancing but little; about four we had a ſtrong Turnado, the Wind blew hard out of N W. We run with incredible Swiftneſs in theſe dangerous Seas for about two Hours, when the Wind ceaſing we came to an Anchor, having been caſt pretty much out of our Courſe.
We ſet ſail again on the Sixteenth in the Morning, with low variable Wind, and clear Weather, after a rainy Night. We advanc’d but moderately, and could not get out of ſight of Puli Lingan till Evening, when we caſt Anchor.
On the Seventeenth of May we weigh’d Anchor two Hours before Sun-riſe: We ſteer’d N. W. but ſaw no Land all Day long: The Currents carried us with great Violence N. and N.N.E. It blowing but little, we came to an Anchor towards Evening in Thirty Four Fathoms, and ſet ſail again about Ten at Night.
The Wind was variable all the Eighteenth, and ſometimes it blew hard. We ſteer’d to N. W. without Sight of Land, and reſolv’d to paſs by Puli Timon, where purſuant to the Company’s Inſtructions our Ships commonly put in for Wood and Water, and with theſe favourable Southerly Winds, to proceed directly North for Siam.
We were under Sail all Night, and on the Ninteenth in the Morning, perceiving the Top of a Mountain on our Larboard Side, we hop'd 'twould be the Iſland Puli Thingi, and therefore ſtood in directly for it. We were not diſappointed in our Hopes, and in the Afternoon got Sight of Puli Aur, or Puli Oor, and ſoon after of Puli Piſang.
On the Twentieth of May about Eight in the Morning, we came to an Anchor before the Iſland Puli Timon, bearing N. E. to E. I went on Shore with ſome others, partly to view the Situation of the ſaid iſland, partly to obſerve what Plants and other Natural Things it produces, which hath been in all my Travels one of my chief Cares and Amuſements.
Puli Timon is one of the largeſt Iſlands ſituate near the Eaſtern Coaſts of Malacca. It is ſubject to the King of Johor, who reſides at Siperka upon the Continent of Malacca. He governs it by Two Orang Kay's, one on each ſide of the Iſland. Orang Kay in the Malayan Language, ſignifies a Woodman, or a Man entruſted with the Care and Inſpection of Woods and Foreſts. The Inhabitants are a ſort of Banditto’s, who have been poſſeſs’d of this Iſland a conſiderable Time, and are of late grown ſo numerous, that ſome Years ago one of their Orang Kay’s, who came on board one of our Ships, boaſted they were no leſs than Two Thouſand in Number, tho’ perhaps not half.
B They
Pall Sayer
Puli Thingis
Puli Oor,
Puli Timon,
