Transactions at Bonthain
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Bonthain is a large bay, where ships may lie in perfect security during both the monsoons: the soundings are good and regular, and the bottom soft mud; nor is there any danger coming in, but a ledge of rocks which are above water, and are a good mark for anchoring. The highest land in sight here is called Bonthain hill, and when a ship is in the offing at the distance of two or three miles from the land, she should bring this hill north, or N. ½ W. and then run in with it and anchor. We lay right under it, at the distance of about a mile from the shore. In this bay there are several small towns; that which is called Bonthain, lies in the north east part of the bay, and here is the small pallisadoed fort that has been mentioned already, on which there are mounted eight guns that carry a ball of about eight pounds weight: it is just sufficient to keep the country people in subjection, and is intended for no other purpose: it lies on the south side of a small river, and there is water for a ship to come close to it. The Dutch Resident has the command of the place, and of Bullocomba, another town which lies about twenty miles farther to the eastward, where there is such another fort, and a few soldiers, who at the proper season are employed in gathering the rice, which, the people pay as a tax to the Dutch.
Wood and water are to be procured here in great plenty; we cut our wood near the river, under Bonthain hill: our water was procured partly from that river, and partly from another; when from the other, our boat went above the fort with the casks that were to be filled, where there is a good rolling way; but as the river is small, and has a bar, the boat, after it is loaded, can come out only at high water. There are several other small rivers in the bay, from which water may be got upon occasion.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page 647, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/647.html