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60 Captain Ambrose Cowley
From his ‘Voyage round the Globe’ in Hacke's ‘Collection of Original Voyages ...’, London 1699. He was in Virginia in 1683, and was persuaded to go as Master of the privateer (or pirate!) Revenge, John Cooke Captain, Dampier (item 73) with them. Sailed August 22, 1683: Cape Verde Islands, Guinea coast, Brazil, Magellan Straits, Galapagos Islands, Western Mexico. To Nicholas as Master, leaving Dampier and Revenge. Philippines, Canton, Timor: owing to mutinous crew thence ‘in a large boat’ to Cheribon and Batavia. There granted passage in Dutch homeward-bound Sillida (his ‘Salida’), sailing on February 24, 1686 (Valentyn I) with Krygsman (‘Critsman’). Note that the passage from ‘Wednesday the third at night’ to ‘one to Holland’ essentially repeats ‘We staid no longer’ to ‘cape from Holland’, and is printed out of the proper place.
From hence to Thursday May 27th nothing happened remarkable; on which Day we had the Wind very furious, it blowing extream hard at W.S.W. We lay at a Trie* with our Main Sails, and found our selves in the Lat. of 30 deg. 2 min. South, coming in with the Land, which made very high with many small Hammocks.... But on the 29th at 12 a Clock, we went out, and finding the Wind veer to the W.S.W. stemmed N.W. her Top sails being set, and was so leewardly a Ship, that she would not make her way better than
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N. by W. with this Sea: And to increase our Difficulties, this Day we were brought to one Pint of Water a Man per Diem; our Water being but little in the Ship, and we fearing withal least we should lose our Passage about the Cape, thought to bear away for the Island of Mayota or Joanna, our Captain at the same time being sick and lame with the Gout, and of whose Death some of us were not a little apprehensive, and not without reason for he did not survive that Night....
It was now become the first Day of June, when we saw the Land at about 10 Leagues distance. It appear'd like a round Hill, flat at the top, and bore from us N.N.E. with a smaller Hill to the Eastward of it: We reckon'd it to be the Cape Land of Buena Esperanea, we having had the Wind at East this 24 Hours, a very fresh Gale, our Ship running 8 knots, till 6 in the Morning, then the Wind came up at North, little Wind.
Next day we were before the Harbour of the Cape, it bearing from us East, with the Wind at North, fair Weather; we having sailed to the Northward since Yesterday Noon, 25 English Leagues, the Variation [Declination*] there is 6 deg. Wednesday the third [dr 13/6] at Night about six a Clock we came to an Anchor in the Bay before the Castle in 9 Fathom Water, we having had the Wind at W.N.W. steered into the Bay at E.S.E. till we were within the Point of Land, then S.E. by E. afterwards S.E. for half an Hour, we having little Wind: There lyeth a low Island [Robben Island] in the Bay, so that as you go in you may sail on either side thereof, there is also a Rock or Ledg [Walvis Rock] at some distance from the Island; on the South side, in the Bay where lay 7 Ships, six thereof were bound to India [dr 17/5, 5/6, 6/6] and one to Holland [Emeland]. We had three Days since lost the Company of our other Ship the Critsman [Krygsman]; but this Afternoon we saw a Ship at Sea, which we thought must be her, she being not yet come in ... Was told moreover that the King of England had taken the Duke of Monmouth, and that he was Beheaded: Besides, that there was a Caract of Portugal cast away upon the Reef, having on Board at that time 4000000 of Guilders in Gold, which was sent as a Present by the King of Siam to the King of Portugal [N.S. de los Milagros].... This day came down four of the Natives of the Place; they (being the foulest Men that ever I saw) dancing Naked, and shaking their Privy Parts, with an offer to the Hollanders, that they should lye with their Wives for a bit of rolled Tobacco. They had nothing to cover their Bodies, but a Sheeps Skin hung over their Shoulders.
We staid no longer here [i.e. ‘before the Harbour’ above] than till the Morrow, when finding the Wind at North, we steered for Tafell-Bay, bearing from us East, and the Land making upon the Point, with two low Hills to the Northward of the Tafell Berg, and to the Northward of the Lowland Bluff, with an Appearance almost like the Southforeland in England; whereas to the South-ward of the Tafell Berg lyeth Land, about two thirds as high as the Tafell Berg, made ragged with small Hammocks higher than the rest, and to the South-ward of that lyeth a round Hill, which maketh Wood Bay [Hout Bay]. The Northernmost Land is called the Lyons-Head; then the Devils-Hill lyes behind the Table-hill, or in Dutch the Tafell Berg, and the Lyon's Head. I had made out in longitude from Prince's Island 82 deg. and 25 min. [actually 86o 45′]. But the Ship out-run our
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Expectation 3 deg. more, if the longitude* is laid down right in the Maps, as cannot be expected; for I reckon'd to be before the Ship 2 deg. but she was 3 deg. before me: The lat. of the Cape must be falsly laid down to be in 34 deg. 30 min. whereas it lies but in 34 deg. 20 min. South [actually 34o 21′],
I have set down the Course we steered Yesterday, but not minding the Variation [Declination*] of the Compass, (whereof we had one to set to the Variation, which had not altered since we had 15 deg. Variation) and finding but 7 deg. our Course in the Bay was South, 71 deg. East. When we came to an Anchor in the Bay in 9 Fathom Water; the top of the Lyons-Hill bore from us W.S.W. but we lay too far off in the Road: If we had been further in, it had been a much better Riding, but then we should have brought the top of the Lyons-Hill to bear from.us W. by S. and the Castle to bear S.S.E. we having heard that we were like to have War with France, by those six Ships which came from Holland.
It cannot be thought but that we must have been very desirous to go ashore, which I did the very next day with my two Friends. The Town* which is inhabited by the Dutch, is but small, and the Houses are built very low, by reason that in the Months of December, January and February they are visited with great Gales of Wind: There is not above 100 of those Houses in all the Town, but they have a very strong Castle [Fort*], with about 80 good Guns mounted therein. There is also a very spacious Garden*, with most pleasant Walks, which is maintained by the Dutch East-India Company, and in which is planted almost all manner of Fruit-Trees and incomparable good Herbs. This Garden is about one English Mile in length, and a Furlong in breadth. This is the greatest Rarity that I saw at the Cape, for it far exceedeth the East-India Companies Garden that is at Batavia. They have also abundance of very good Sheep here, but very few black Cattle, and not many Fowls. We walked moreover without the Town, to the Village inhabited by the Hodmandods, so called by the Hollanders, to view their Nasty Bodies, and the Nature of their Dwellings, which we found to be as followeth: When we came thither, we were scarce able to endure the stench of them, and their Habitations. They build their Houses round (with their Fire-place in the middle of them) almost like the Hutts, which are built in Ireland by the wild Irish; the People lying in the Ashes, and having nothing under them, but a Sheeps Skin.
The Men have but one Stone [Testicle*] in appearance, which is very strange; but the Women are more to be admired, who have a flap of Skin [‘Apron*’] that covers their Nakedness, but are so Ignorant, or I may say Brutish, that they will not stick to prostitute themselves, or do what ever else you would have, for the least Recompence Imaginable; and of this I am an Eye-witness.
Their Apparel is a Sheep's Skin (as I have already said) over their Shoulders, with a Leathern Cap upon their Heads, as full of Grease as it can hold; their Legs are wound about with Guts of Beasts (from the Ankle to the Knees) well greased.
These People, call'd the Hodmandods, are born White, but make themselves Black with Sut, and besmear their Bodies all over; so that by frequent Repetition their Skins become
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almost as black as a Negro's.
Their Children are of a good Comely Shape, when they are Young: Their Noses in Form resemble a Negro's. When they Marry, the Woman cutteth off one Joint of her Finger*; and if her Husband die, and she marry again, she cutteth off another Joint; and so many Men as she marryeth, so many Joints she looseth.
They are a People that will eat any thing that is foul: If the Hollanders kill a Beast, they will get the Guts, and squeez the Excrements out, and then without washing or scraping, lay them upon the Coals, and before they are well hot through, will take them and eat them. If a Slave of the Companies should have a Mind to have Carnal Knowledge of one of their Women, let him but give her Husband a bit of Tobacco-Roll of about three Inches long, he will fetch her forthwith to the Slave, and cause her to lye with him.
They are Men not given to the least Jealousie, yet they will beat their Wives if they lye with the Hodmandods themselves; But they value it not for them to do it with any Man of another Nation.
They are Worshippers of Dame Luna, and when they expect to see the Moon, there will be Thousands of them by the Sea-side, Dancing and Singing: But if it be dark Weather, so that the Moon appears not, they will say, That their God is angry with them; whereas on the contrary when the said Luminary shines, they will say, He is not angry.
There happened at this time that we were amongst them, that one of the Hodmandods had drunk himself dead in the Fort, whither the other Hodmandods came with Oyl and Milk, and put them into his Mouth; But finding they could get no Life into him they began to make Preparation for his Burial, which was in the following manner. They came with Knives and Shaved his Body, Arms and Leggs through the thick Skin; then they digged a great Hole, and set him in it upon his Breech, clapping Stones round about him to keep him upright: After came a Company of their Women howling about him, and making a most horrid Noise; Then they cover'd the Mouth of the Hole, and left him in a sitting Posture. But to return on Board again.
Sunday, June 6, we had the Wind at N.W. a fresh Gale, when there came into the Bay a Ship from Amsterdam, call'd the Speredike [dr 16/6, Spierdyk], burden about Eight Hundred Tuns; And next day the Wind continued at the same Point, we having done nothing but caulking Work between Decks, and clapt a Fish* to the Foremast. But the following twenty four Hours we had it at N.W. by N. it blowing hard right into the Bay, with thick misty Weather, during which time we took up our Water Cask* from out of the Main Hatch to the Floor, and cleared the Limbers amid-Ships. Wednesday the 9th proved also to be misty and foggy Weather, with the Wind at N.W. little Wind, when we began to take in our Water for our Voyage. The Wind continued at N.W. the succeeding Day, with the same Weather; and indeed the Fogg was as great as small Rain. We had gotten in 36 Liggers* of Water already, thinking this Day to get all our Water on Board. But on Friday the Wind coming to S.E. a fresh Gale, we got up our Yards and Top-Masts.... At the same time the Ship, call'd the Burs [Beurs, dr 21/6] of Amsterdam, set sail for Batavia, on the Island of Java, and at their going off gave us nine Guns. The
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Wind continued on Saturday the 12th at S.E. a fresh Gale; when the Ship, call'd the Clover-blade [Klaverbladt, dr 22/6] of Delf, set sail also for Batavia, and that we got in all our Water, and sent our Boat ashore for Wood for our Voyage. Next Day the Wind came to N.W. thick foggy Weather, a fresh Gale; we got now all our Wood on Board, and were in a manner ready to sail with the first fair Wind: That Day the Ship called the Freight [Vryheid, dr 23/6] of Flushing came also into the Bay, she being a Vessel of 60 Guns and 1400 Tuns; had 80 Men on Board, and a stump Nose. The Wind held in the same Corner still, and the Weather was dark. However, we had got our Men and every thing else in a perfect Readiness; and among our Company there happened to be one Gentleman Soldier, who had been in the Duke of Monmouth's Army, and told us how it went with them in the Fight, and more News than will be pertinent for me to take notice of in this place.
At length Tuesday, June 15 [dr 25/6] came, when the Wind being at S.W. a small Gale, we set sail at 8 a Clock in the Morning, with 5 Ships more in Company; three of us being bound for Holland, and the other three to Batavia; whose names were these, the Cowmburgh [Coeverden] the Rocker [not traced: possibly misreading of ‘hoeker’], and the Toseser [Hoefyser]; whereas ours for Holland were the Salida (Sillida), the Critsman [Krygsman], and the Emeland, a Bengal man; At two a Clock we parted Drinking of Healths and Firing among us to the number of 300 Guns.
Next Day at six in the Morning we found, the flat Land, call'd the Taffelberg, bore from us S.E. by S. distant 10 Leagues....
Equator June 22. Maas September 28. Helvoetsluys September 30. Thence by land to Rotterdam, and in English ship to London, arriving October 12.
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