[PDF]Travels round the world, in the years 1767, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771

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aaSQoŒSesnaKr


The

Robert E. Gross
Collection

A Memorial to the Founder
of the


Business Administration Library
Los Angeles


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TRAVELS

ROUND THE WORLD,


IN THE YEARS


I767, I768, I769, 1770, I77L


B Y


MONSIEUR DE PAGES,

CAPTAIN IN THE FRENCH NAVY, CHEVALIER OF THE

ROYAL AND MILITARY ORDER OF ST. LOUIS,

AND CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

AT PARIS.


TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.


VOLUME THE SECOND.


LONDON:

TRIKTED FOR J. MURRAY, N° 32, FLEET STREET.
M.DCCXCI.


CONTENTS.


volume; il

PART IL

CHAP. I.

A Voyage from Batavia to Bombay and
Sur at y prefent State of thofe two Cities

Page i

CHAP. IL

A ¥ our from Sur at to the IJland of Salfet -, my
Return through the Country of the Mar-
rattas, by the Province of Guzurat and
Bafan , Vifits to imrious Places - 21

CHAP.


lV CONTENTS*


CHAP. III.

Voyage from Sur at to Baffora, Mafcate in
Arabia Felix, Bender Aboucheir in Perjia ;
my Abode at Baffora - Page 58

CHAP. IV.

A "Journey from Baffora to Damafcus, over
the Deferts of Arabia — Manners and Cuf-
toms of the Arabians — Adventures in the
Defert 88

CHAP. V.

Travels from Damafcus to Baruth, Sidon,
and St. Jean d'Acre ; with different Ex-
curfions to Mount Lebanon, and the Coun-
try of the Quefrouan — Religion and Man-
ners of the Drufes - - 153

CHAP. VI.

A Voyage from St. Jean d Acre to the
Port of Marfeilles, touching at the I/land of
Rhodes, Malta, Tunis, and Sardinia 247

TRAVELS


TRAVELS

ROUND THE WORLD,

BY S ÇA AND LAND.


PART II.


CHAP. Î.


A Voyage from Batavia to Bombay and
Surat -, and my Abode in thofe two Cities.

WE failed for Bombay and Surat on
the 2d of Auguft 1769, and left
Milles ifles on the ftarboard, and Honduras
with its adjacent iflands on our larboard;
and at the approach of night found we had
cleared their feveral rocks. In the courfe of
the night we doubled Bantam, and entered
the (freights of the Sound, and upon the re-
turn of day had left Towards-Peper confi-
Vol. IL B derably


2 TRAVELS ROUND THE WORLD,

derably behind us. Having flood fouthward,
in order to pafs between Prince's Ifland
and the coafl of Java, where we took in
frefh water, we fhaped our courfe W.
and S. W. till we reached the latitude of
twelve degrees; and then flood W. -, and
the wind, which had continued invariably in
the S. and S. S. W. as we approached the
meridian of the Maldive iflands fhifted into
the E. and E. S. E.

Having pafled between the iflands of
Amarante, which we could not diflinguifh,
we immediately flood W. N. W. then
N. W. j and having reached the latitude of
fix degrees under the meridian of the ifland
Bourbon, we flood towards the north. The
wind had blown conflantly from the E. and
E. S. E.; but here it began to die away,
and continued extremely light to the fe-
venth degree of northern latitude, where we
had for feveral days calms and florms alter-
nately; after which the wind changed to
the wefl.

Having been in exactly fimilar climates
previous to my arrival in the Philippine
ifles, I was now, for the fécond time, in thofe

regions


BY SEA AND LAND,

regions at fea where the winds are regulated
by the feafons ; and therefore /hall take the
liberty to make a few obfervations on this
fubject.

In the firft place, I obferved in the ocean,
as well as in the South and Indian jfeas,
that the wind blew inceilantly from the
eafl when we were near the tropics ; but
that it varied from the direct point towards
the north or fouth, according to the precife
latitude ~of the fhip. I have likewife ob-
ferved in all countries whatever, that when
the Iky is ferene the eaft or eafterly winds
are much more frequent than thofe of the
Weil -y that a north-weft wind in a northern,
and fouth-weft in a fouthern latitude, are the
attendants of fine weather; but the wind
no fooner fhifts into the north-weft under
a fouthern, or into the fouth-weft, under a
northern latitude, than we are with equal
probability to expect rain. That with a
fouth-eaft wind in a northern, and north-
eait in a fouthern latitude, we generally
have rain ; while the north-eaft north, and
fouth-ealt fouth of the line, are the ordinary
forerunners of fur weather.

B 2 1 obferved


4 TRAVELS ROUND THE WORLD,.

I obferved in America, the Philippine
ifles, and I know the fame thing happens
on the coaft of India, whither I am bound,,
that during the rainy feafon the wind blows
conftantly from the quarter of the weft.
This feafon iets in to all places between
the tropics and the line, upon the fun's
approaching the zenith of their refpective
climates ; thus the fun having croffed the
equator in his progrefs northward, the
rains begin to fall in all regions vifited by
his vertical rays; while the correfponding
parts of the globe fouth of the line enter
into their dry feafon. And in the fame
manner when thofe fouthern climates have
their rain, the northern enjoy their fair wea-
ther. This regular courfe, however, ob-
ferved by the rain and weft winds, only
extends to coafts and mainlands, or to
feas, which, by reafon of their contiguity to
thefe, fliare in all the accidents of their na-
ture and fituation.

Between the tropics the eaft or trade
winds blow all round the globe with no
other interruption than what is occasioned

by


BY SEA AND LAND. £

hy vapours exhaled by the fun's rays, when
he approaches the zenith of a particular
climate -, and then the wind lhifts its direc-
tion from eaft to weft. In the Eaft Indies
thefe winds are known by the name of
monfoons ; in the Antilles and Ifle of
France, by that of hivernage ; and on the
coafts of America, Africa, China, and in the
interior parts of the Arabian and Perfian
feas, by that of the rainy feafon. In fhort,
I have obferved, that commonly in all high
latitudes continued rains are accompanied
with wefterly winds.

The wind being now decidedly in the
weft, we flood N. N. E. and afterwards
N. E. till we came to the latitude of four-
teen degrees. Here we kept the cap in
the E. N. E. with the wind in the N. W.;
and as we imagined we were now approach-
ing the found, we hove the lead, and found
feventy fathom's water on a fandy bottom.
Having fhaped our courfe towards the eaft,'
we quickly difcovered land, which we found
to be the mountains of Baffein, and foon
came in view of Carangear and the iile of
Bombay; and as we had thirty fathoms
B 3 water


6 TRAVELS ROUND THE WORLD,

water we flood directly for the point of
MaLbar. Night came on, and we conti-
nued to purfue the fame çourfe till eleven,
wh3n the water mallow ing to twelve fa-
thoms, with, the wind at N. W, we kept
as clofe as potfible to the W, S. W. We
ilood in the fame dangerous direction till
near five in the morning, which to fach as
are acquainted with the fituation will ap-
pear a great deal too long. Having been
carried by a rapid current greatly towards
the fouth, at break of day we found our-
felves immediately under Chaoul. This is %
round bill iituated on the mainland, bear-
ing louth from the entrance of Bombay,
?.nu consequently we had fallen considerably
to leeward. We attempted to recover the
advantage we had loft by tacking ; but the
wind, which bley/ conftantly from the N,
W. and W. N. W. having freshened, wq
were driven about for the fpace of two days,
finding we had provifions only for three
more, it was propoied to put into a fort of
Jiarbour named Pvajapour, fituated in a bay of
the mainland ; but befides that it might be
particularly critical at prefentâ as the period

of


BY SEA AND LAND, J

of the weft winds was drawing to a clofe,
we knew extremely little of the accommo-
dation it afforded to fhipping. It was then
propofed that we mould proceed and lay in
proviiions at Goa$ but as the weft wind
ftill prevailed, it was found that if we em-
braced this refolution we fhould be under
the neceffity of croffing the line once more,
in order to get the wind for Bombay -, a cir-
cumftance which would tend greatly to
protract the length of our voyage. In the
mean time the wind fhifted to the fouth- .
weft, and blew very frefh ; when prefhng
a little towards the. north, in five days
it became calm, and the wind fhifting
from the S. E. to the W. N. W. we again
came in view of Chaoul and Carangear:
and in a mort time faw the light-houfe and
white rounds of Old Women Iiland. Thefe
white rounds are buildings creeled with
arcades, and in a circular form, for the pur-»
pofe of beacons, and appear like fo many
large pigeon-houfes which have been lately
white -warned. They ftand on a low ftrip of
land, which ftretches fouth from the iQe of
Bombay, and is known by the name of

B 4 Old


8 TRAVELS ROUND THE WORLD,

Old Women Ifland. On the ifland of
Bombay are beacons of a iimilar kind;
whilft one of the city churches, and the
little town of Maheim, are of the fame ufe
to the manner. Maheim lies. N. W. of
the ifland, and varies in its appearance by
reafon of fome very tall trees, which ferve
to point it out to our notice.

At the diftance of three leagues fouth-
weft from the ifland Bombay, we had fifteen
fathoms water -, and having taken a pilot on
board, we failed eaftward, in order to double
a reef of rocks at the point of Old Women
I Hand, which ftretch in two branches
fouth-eaft and fou th- weft a league into the
fea. In paffing thefe rocks we kept at a
league and a half's diftance from the lhore,
but then veered round, putting the cap in
the N. E. and afterwards in the N. N. E.
being at the fame time extremely careful
not to approach the coaft of Bombay nearer
than feven fathoms water. We left the
rocks Sunquen and Dr oven on our ftar-
board, both of which are within the point
at the light-hojfe of Old Women Ifland.
That of Sunquen is the outermoft, and far-
theft


BY SEA AND LAND. 9

theft advanced into the fea, and confe-
quently the moft dangerous to navigation ;
it lies in a direct line with the north baf-
tion of the fort, and the houfe Maffagon.
This building is kept in repair, and white-
washed from time to time, for the purpofe
of a beacon ; and may be diftinguifhed by
its fquare form, and its being fituated on
an eminence N. E. from the city of
Bombay. The rock Droven is near land,
and in the direction of a wood of cocoa-
trees on Old Women Ifland, and a tall
cocoa-trunk N. W. from the fort. This
wood of cocoa- trees mould be made to
open a little in the weft, I mean fhift their
pofîtion a little weft of the above-mentioned
cocoa-trunk, which is kept ftanding for
this purpofe alone. It was impoffible for
us to difcover this rock without failing:
too near the more; and therefore fteering N.
and N. and a quarter N. E. we left a little
ifland named Crofs on our left, at a very
fmall diftance. As foon as we got into
the road, we coafted the iiland Bombay at
the diftance of a ftone's caft from the beach.
I have only one word more, in the way of

caution


IO TRAVELS ROUND THE WORLD,

caution to the pilot in approaching this
more, and that is, to be on his guard
againft another rock, called Middle- Ground,
which is iituated E. and a quarter S. E.
at the dillance of a fhort league from the
church of Bombay. The iliips come to
smchor between this rock and the more,
ciofe to the town, which they may ap-
proach within a fpeaking dillance in per-
fect fafety.

Old Women Ifland is feparated from the
ifle of Bombay only by a reef of rocks,
which are never wholly under water, except
during the high tides ; and even then,
though the iiland is on a level with the
furface of the water, hull it is extremely dif-
ficult of accefs, from the dangerous rocks
with which it is furrounded. The com-
munication between Old Women Ifland
and Bombay lies entirely under the eye
of a battery. We now began to obferve
the glacis of the city, whofe walls border
on the fea, and at the fame time a couple
of batteries placed in the front of the glacis.
The top of the ditch, befides being under
a baftion, is fecured by a work more

particularly


BY SEA AND LAND. II

particularly intended for its defence. The
cannon of this baftion and its curtine, as
weh as thofe of the oppofite baftion, with
a double battery, by which the former are
flanked, are all meant for the protection of
the bay.

There is a creek occasionally ufed as a
harbour, on the confines of which ftand an
arfenal, dry docks, and houfes for the ac-
commodation of the company's fervants.
The city wall, interrupted by the principal
harbour, re-appears at this little creek, and
extends all the way to a fort which was
erected by the Portuguefe. This city,
though well fortified on the fide of the fea,
is in but an indifferent flate of defence to-
wards the land, being only inclofed by a
plain wall mounted with a number of ni-
tiful little baftions. It is furrounded how-
ever by a very deep ditch, and a glacis, which
is kept in excellent repair, befides that
feveril of the gates have the additional ad-
vantage of half-moons. There is in its
vicinityan eminence named Hongary, which,
appears to me to be of the greatefl import-
ance to the fecurity of Bombay.

7 The


12 TRAVELS ROUND THE WORLD,

The city of Bombay, though confiderably
populous, and containing a number of hand-
fome houfes, is for the greateft part ill built
and very irregular. The principal mburbs
are Hongary and Palmeyra, the laft of
which is crouded with Indians, and by far
the mofl pleafant.

The ifland is in general extremely narrow,
not exceeding in fome places half a league ;
but fpreads out to a conliderable extent in
the quarter of Maheim. It is extremely
fteep, iurrounded with rocks confifting of
gravel combined with a little earth, and is
every where difficult of accefs, not except-
ing even the bay, particularly at low water.
The inland country, though not very high,
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