A narrative of voyages and commercial enterprises . ance that presented itself for goingto the east, without regard to the particular place ;and, on the first of August, the brig Betsey havingtouched in the bay, in a short passage from Balti-more, bound to Batavia, I embarked in this vessel, takingwith me the proceeds of my vessel and cargo in Span-ish dollars. I was accompanied by my black manGeorge, for whom I had contracted an attachment, whichwas evidently reciprocal. The day after leaving the Cape, we had a strong westerlywind and a considerable sea, and, at noon, while making©fiM® rapid
A narrative of voyages and commercial enterprises . ance that presented itself for goingto the east, without regard to the particular place ;and, on the first of August, the brig Betsey havingtouched in the bay, in a short passage from Balti-more, bound to Batavia, I embarked in this vessel, takingwith me the proceeds of my vessel and cargo in Span-ish dollars. I was accompanied by my black manGeorge, for whom I had contracted an attachment, whichwas evidently reciprocal. The day after leaving the Cape, we had a strong westerlywind and a considerable sea, and, at noon, while making©fiM® rapid progress on our way, we discovered a brig standingon a wind across us, which we had reason to suppose was a our vessel was a remarkably swift sailer, we decided not to sub-mit to the trouble and detention which a visit would cause, and there-fore kept steadily on our course, which, being towards him, inducedthe belief that we intended to speak him, and prevented the prepara-tion he would have made had he known our intention. When just. 68 FIRST VOYAGE. clear of gun shot, we altered our course two points ; on seeingwhich he immediately fired, and instantly set about getting up top-gallant masts and yards, and crowding all sail after us; but it waslike the tortoise in pursuit of the hare. Before dark his hull was notto be seen. We had a continuance of the strong westerly winds until we enter^ed the trades, south of the island of Java ; and our arrival at Bata->via, on the first of September, in only thirty days from the Cape, wasa circumstance so extraordinary, that it required the confirmation ofletters which we carried to convince the Governor of the fact. I took rooms at the great public hotel; and here, as well as in othefbuildings in the city, there were traces of the splendor which hadattended the better days of the Dutch East India Company. Thespacious rooms were painted in a tawdry, but expensive manner, inred and gold, or blue and gold. The furniture was
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