'A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters. Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672. And Finished 1681. Containing Observations made of the Moral, Natural, and Artificial Estate of Those Countries: Namely, of their Government, Religion, Laws, Customs. Of the Soil, Climates, Seasons, Health, Diseases. Of the Animals, Vegetables, Minerals, Jewels. Of their Housing, Cloathing, Manufactures, Trades, Commodities. And of the Coins, Weights, and Measures, Used in the Principal Places of Trade in Those Parts.' [‎23] (60/506)

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23
A Couple of
Whales.
A Fright oc-
in the Eaft-India, divided from Cape Cory by Vtolomy, Comory by our Chap. Ill-
Modern Authors,by a narrow, fwift, and unnavigable Current, where
the Flemings have neded themfelves in the Tortugah Caftles at Co-
lumhoy Point de Gaul^ and elfewhere; fo that if at all, we are to meet
with them hereabouts, they commonly having a Fleet of Ships in
thefe Seas: We out of neceffity are forced to make this Ld^d, and
Were it peaceable Times Ihould fail all along in fight of it, till we
came upon the Coaft of Cormandel.
Wherefore our Commander returning on board, after affigning
every one his Pod:, to be ready on any furprize, he found a Chear-
fulnefs in all to obey him.
Here two Whales, bigger than the former, fliewed themfelves.
In the dead of the night a lamentable Outcry was caufed by fome
of our Men on the Forecaftle, who looking out thought they had feen cafioned by a
a Rock, with which thefe Seas abound, whereupon they cried out, ^|^ emth *
A Breach, a Breach ; which made the Mates leap out of their Cabins
with the fame grifly Look as if going to give up their laft Accounts:
Here was Doomfday in its right Colours, Diftradtton, Horror, and
Amazement had feized on all, one commanding this, another ading
quite contrary; the Breach furrounding us, every one expected the
fatal ftroke, when the Ship fhould be dafhcd in pieces. In this Pa-
nick Fear, had any had fo much heart as to have ventured a Com po
rtion for his empty Noddle by looking over-board, he might have
difcovered the Jig: For at length it was evident that only a Chorus
of Porpoifes had taken the Sea in their Dance; which Morris once
over, the Seas were quiet, and our Men left to repofe themfelves
with a fhorter Nap than they thought themfelves like to have.
Five days after our Summer Solftice we had foundings 14 Fathom,
and at break of day had fight of Ceilon, when we altered our Courfe
to Eafl North-Eafl ; it bore from us North ly Weft 12 Leagues, the
out-Land low, but rarely enriched with Woods of Cinamon, from
whence only it is brought.
T/?e View of Ceilon,
The View of
Ceilon,
Geilon has the
beft Breed of
Elephants.
This is the firfl: Shore prefented its felf in India: The Inland hath
a Profpedt over the Sea: It lies in North Latitude 6 deg. 3 min. and
Longitude from Johanna 37 deg. 10 min. Baft.
This is the Ifland where (if true} the Elephants are bred, who,
tranfported, exaQ: Homage from all Elephants of other places, and
they withal, by proftrating (as it were) their Necks between their
Feet, fubmiflively acknowledge it.
At Nights we flood off to Sea to efcape the infidious Rocks, a-days ThsTerrhenoa,
we made for the Land, to gain the Land-Breizes, which are not felt
far off at Sea, by reafon of the Conftancy of the Trade-Winds:
They begin about Midnight, and hold till Noonj and are by the For-
tugals named Terrhenoes; more North they are more ftrong, and
hardly give way to the Sea-Breizes, which fometimes fucceed the
others twelve hours, but not always on this Coaft.
Two