Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the boat and overpowered him. With the surgeon under lock and
key, Read was now ready and anxious to rid himself of other trouble-
some members of the crew. He allowed Dampier to return to the is-
land along with two Englishmen, four Malays and a Portuguese.
It was not what Dampier had wanted. As he later reflected,
'there are no people in the world so barbarous as to kill a single
of armed strangers automatically poses a potential threat. Although
the people of Nicobar proved friendly, escape now became the cast-
aways' only concern and Dampier was obliged to abandon his mer-
cantile plans. The eight men decided to row the two hundred miles
to Sumatra. They bartered an axe for one of the local canoes, loaded
aboard their possessions, together with enough fruit and water for
the voyage, climbed in, and pushed away from the shallows. Within
yards the unstable craft, not designed for such lading, turned turtle.
The voyagers now had to spend three days drying out their be-
longings and doing some rethinking. Dampier was especially con-
cerned about his precious journal and carefully exposed it, page by
page, to the warmth of one of the fires lit on the beach. Meanwhile
the Malays were busy fitting outriggers to the canoe and hoisting a
mast and sail. When all was ready, the voyagers made a fresh start.
This time the boat proved more seaworthy and they were able to
achieve steady progress towards the south-east corner of the island
where they proposed to await favourable conditions for the hazard-
ous crossing. But now, a fresh problem presented itself: they were
followed by a fleet of native canoes. Dampier and his companions
feared that this might mean trouble. If nothing else the locals might
tell the other islanders all about them and make it hard to obtain
supplies on favourable terms. To discourage their pursuers, one of
the Englishmen raised his gun and fired a shot over their heads. It
was a mistake. In an instant friendly curiosity turned to hostility.
Word spread rapidly throughout the island and every time the mar-
