ABSTRACT
Ip you were at Acheane and would saile for Priaman, 2 which is a Town upon ye west Sid of Sumatra, and hath in Latitude no degres fifty minutes South and Longitude from ye Cape of Good Hope seventy sevon degrees fourty minutes East, ye veryation foure degrees forty minutes from North to West, ye surest way is this.—To ye Eastward of Priaman, there are Hands in ye South Latitude of one degre and thirty minutes which ai’e called ye Hands of Nimcam ; your course is to goe with these Hands and come not betwene ye maine, but keepe ye Sea, till you see those Hands : keepe in one degree twenty minutes of South latitude, and you shall shurly fall with ye north end of ye Biggest. Now this great Hand being ye biggest of ye two, is twenty leagues long very neere, and there are many little Hands neere it,, and when you are with this Hand goe up by it, for its ye bolder of the two, but have your lead going now and then to prevent danger, yet I have found ye least to bee ten fathoms watt r : when you are shutt within these Hands your course is East and by North eighteen leagues, but sayle not by Night, but hull reather, 3 and saile by day. Now although Priaman and this Island doe lie East and by North, and West and by South, yet your best way is to direct your course East North East, and North East and by East a long; and then you shall see three hummocks on ye 186maine before you can see ye low land, and then having sight of them you may goe in till you see ye low land of ye inaine : but looke well about you, for when these hilles come to ye North East from you, there is shold watPr and bankes of stone, but you may borrow of them with your lead in Seven fathoms, then are you Six leagues from ye Port of Priaman, and your course East South East, or South East and by East with your lead going now and then, for ye knowing of ye Road of Priaman ; when you have ye hilles North and west from you, you shall see many Hands to ye Southward ; by ye furst will show white, and none of the rest, soe y’t ye Hands lieth West South West from ye Road three leagues, and ye land in ye Country about Priaman is high and like a saddle in ye middest, this high laud bareth from ye Road North East and by East. I set it downe with this notice because there are fore Hands before ye Road with in which you ride, and may mistrust to goe with in these Hands when you come from ye West North West, because they will not be open, but show like a pare of breeches till you have brought them East North East from you, then will they beginne to open, for there is good Going in betweene them, leaving two on ye one side and two on ye other, but come not nere y’t little uttermost Isle by ye maine for there is all flat ground, but keepe in nine or eight fathoms, till you come with ye other three Hands that lie in a row, and under y’t Island is ye Road, wherefore be bold of itt in five or six fathomes, because its but narrow between that Isle and ye River running from ye Towne, to witt, much upon ye breadth of ye Theames att Blackwall. Upon this Island under which you ride is a well made artifistially by those y’t have used to watt’r there ; it is a good Road when you are in, but more 1 your Ship sure ; ye people here are covetous and still begging for on thing or other, yett they used us very well, and 187brought us henes and such victualles as ye place afforded. Here is good trade from Java with Junkes, for their Pepper they bring them Salt, which is very scant upon this sid of ye Hand, and about Septemb. and Octob. there cometh every yeare a Guserat with Cotton cloth to serve this sid of the Hand, and ladeth away pepper and carieth away some Gould, for Gould is more plenty there then Silver, as wee might planly see by ye Cuntry peple, for they are very desirus of Rials 1 of here is some Benjamin to be had and very good Storax, with other Commodities.
