EARLY AUSTRALIAN VOYAGESBY JOHN PINKERTON

Contents:

IntroductionPelsartTasmanDampier

INTRODUCTION. 

In the days of Plato, imagination found its way, before the mariners, toa new world across the Atlantic, and fabled an Atlantis where America nowstands. In the days of Francis Bacon, imagination of the English foundits way to the great Southern Continent before the Portuguese or Dutchsailors had sight of it, and it was the home of those wise students ofGod and nature to whom Bacon gave his New Atlantis. The discoveries ofAmerica date from the close of the fifteenth century. The discoveries ofAustralia date only from the beginning of the seventeenth. Thediscoveries of the Dutch were little known in England before the time ofDampier's voyage, at the close of the seventeenth century, with whichthis volume ends. The name of New Holland, first given by the Dutch tothe land they discovered on the north-west coast, then extended to thecontinent and was since changed to Australia. 

During the eighteenth century exploration was continued by the English. The good report of Captain Cook caused the first British settlement to bemade at Port Jackson, in 1788, not quite a hundred years ago, and thefoundations were then laid of the settlement of New South Wales, orSydney. It was at first a penal colony, and its Botany Bay was a name ofterror to offenders. Western Australia, or Swan River, was first settledas a free colony in 1829, but afterwards used also as a penal settlement;South Australia, which has Adelaide for its capital, was firstestablished in 1834, and colonised in 1836; Victoria, with Melbourne forits capital, known until 1851 as the Port Philip District, and adependency of New South Wales, was first colonised in 1835. It receivedin 1851 its present name. Queensland, formerly known as the Moreton BayDistrict, was established as late as 1859. A settlement of NorthAustralia was tried in 1838, and has since been abandoned. On the otherside of Bass's Straits, the island of Van Diemen's Land, was namedTasmania, and established as a penal colony in 1803. 

Advance, Australia! The scattered handfuls of people have become anation, one with us in race, and character, and worthiness of aim. Theselittle volumes will, in course of time, include many aids to a knowledgeof the shaping of the nations. There will be later records of Australiathan these which tell of the old Dutch explorers, and of the first realawakening of England to a knowledge of Australia by Dampier's voyage. 

The great Australian continent is 2, 500 miles long from east to west, and1, 960 miles in its greatest breadth. Its climates are therefore various. The northern half lies chiefly within the tropics, and at Melbourne snowis seldom seen except upon the hills. The separation of Australia bywide seas from Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, gives it animals andplants peculiarly its own. It has been said that of 5, 710 plantsdiscovered, 5, 440 are peculiar to that continent. The kangaroo also isproper to Australia, and there are other animals of like kind. Of 58species of quadruped found in Australia, 46 were peculiar to it. Sheepand cattle that abound there now were introduced from Europe. From eightmerino sheep introduced in 1793 by a settler named McArthur, there hasbeen multiplication into millions, and the food-store of the Old Worldbegins to be replenished by Australian mutton. 

The unexplored interior has given a happy hunting-ground to satisfy theBritish spirit of adventure and research; but large waterless tracts, that baffle man's ingenuity, have put man's powers of endurance to soretrial. 

The mountains of Australia are all of the oldest rocks, in which thereare either no fossil traces of past life, or the traces are of life inthe most ancient forms. Resemblance of the Australian cordilleras to theUral range, which he had especially been studying, caused Sir RoderickMurchison, in 1844, to predict that gold would be found in Australia. Thefirst finding of gold--the beginning of the history of the Australiangold-fields--was in February, 1851, near Bathurst and Wellington, and to-day looks back to the morning of yesterday in the name of Ophir, given tothe Bathurst gold-diggings. 

Gold, wool, mutton, wine, fruits, and what more Australia can now add tothe commonwealth of the English-speaking people, Englishmen at home havebeen learning this year in the great Indian and Colonial Exhibition, which is to stand always as evidence of the numerous resources of theEmpire, as aid to the full knowledge of them, and through that to theirwide diffusion. We are a long way now from the wrecked ship of CaptainFrancis Pelsart, with which the histories in this volume begin. 

John Pinkerton was born at Edinburgh in February, 1758, and died in Parisin March, 1826, aged sixty-eight. He was the best classical scholar atthe Lanark grammar school; but his father, refusing to send him to auniversity, bound him to Scottish law. He had a strong will, fortifiedin some respects by a weak judgment. He wrote clever verse; at the ageof twenty-two he went to London to support himself by literature, beganby publishing "Rimes" of his own, and then Scottish Ballads, all issuedas ancient, but of which he afterwards admitted that fourteen out of theseventy-three were wholly written by himself. John Pinkerton, whom SirWalter Scott described as "a man of considerable learning, and someseverity as well as acuteness of disposition, " made clear conscience onthe matter in 1786, when he published two volumes of genuine old ScottishPoems from the MS. Collections of Sir Richard Maitland. He had added tohis credit as an antiquary by an Essay on Medals, and then applied hisstudies to ancient Scottish History, producing learned books, in which hebitterly abused the Celts. It was in 1802 that Pinkerton left Englandfor Paris, where he supported himself by indefatigable industry as awriter during the last twenty-four years of his life. One of the mostuseful of his many works was that _General Collection of the best andmost interesting Voyages and Travels of the World_, which appeared inseventeen quarto volumes, with maps and engravings, in the years 1808-1814. Pinkerton abridged and digested most of the travellers' recordsgiven in this series, but always studied to retain the travellers' ownwords, and his occasional comments have a value of their own. 

H. M. 

VOYAGE OF FRANCIS PELSART TO AUSTRALASIA. 1628-29. 

It has appeared very strange to some very able judges of voyages, thatthe Dutch should make so great account of the southern countries as tocause the map of them to be laid down in the pavement of the Stadt Houseat Amsterdam, and yet publish no descriptions of them. This mystery wasa good deal heightened by one of the ships that first touched onCarpenter's Land, bringing home a considerable quantity of gold, spices, and other rich goods; in order to clear up which, it was said that thesewere not the product of the country, but were fished out of the wreck ofa large ship that had been lost upon the coast. But this story did notsatisfy the inquisitive, because not attended with circumstancesnecessary to establish its credit; and therefore they suggested that, instead of taking away the obscurity by relating the truth, this storywas invented in order to hide it more effectually. This suspicion gainedground the more when it was known that the Dutch East India Company fromBatavia had made some attempts to conquer a part of the Southerncontinent, and had been repulsed with loss, of which, however, we have nodistinct or perfect relation, and all that hath hitherto been collectedin reference to this subject, may be reduced to two voyages. All that weknow concerning the following piece is, that it was collected from theDutch journal of the voyage, and having said thus much by way ofintroduction, we now proceed to the translation of this short history. 

The directors of the East India Company, animated by the return of fiveships, under General Carpenter, richly laden, caused, the very same year, 1628, eleven vessels to be equipped for the same voyage; amongst whichthere was one ship called the _Batavia_, commanded by Captain FrancisPelsart. They sailed out of the Texel on the 28th of October, 1628; andas it would be tedious and troublesome to the reader to set down a longaccount of things perfectly well known, I shall say nothing of theoccurrences that happened in their passage to the Cape of Good Hope; butcontent myself with observing that on the 4th of June, in the followingyear 1629, this vessel, the _Batavia_, being separated from the fleet ina storm, was driven on the Abrollos or shoals, which lie in the latitudeof 28 degrees south, and which have been since called by the Dutch, theAbrollos of Frederic Houtman. Captain Pelsart, who was sick in bed whenthis accident happened, perceiving that his ship had struck, ranimmediately upon deck. It was night indeed; but the weather was fair, and the moon shone very bright; the sails were up; the course theysteered was north-east by north, and the sea appeared as far as theycould behold it covered with a white froth. The captain called up themaster and charged him with the loss of the ship, who excused himself bysaying he had taken all the care he could; and that having discerned thisfroth at a distance, he asked the steersman what he thought of it, whotold him that the sea appeared white by its reflecting the rays of themoon. The captain then asked him what was to be done, and in what partof the world he thought they were. The master replied, that God onlyknew that; and that the ship was fast on a bank hitherto undiscovered. Upon this they began to throw the lead, and found that they had forty-eight feet of water before, and much less behind the vessel. The crewimmediately agreed to throw their cannon overboard, in hopes that whenthe ship was lightened she might be brought to float again. They letfall an anchor however; and while they were thus employed, a mostdreadful storm arose of wind and rain; which soon convinced them of thedanger they were in; for being surrounded with rocks and shoals, the shipwas continually striking. 

They then resolved to cut away the mainmast, which they did, and thisaugmented the shock, neither could they get clear of it, though they cutit close by the board, because it was much entangled within the rigging;they could see no land except an island which was about the distance ofthree leagues, and two smaller islands, or rather rocks, which laynearer. They immediately sent the master to examine them, who returnedabout nine in the morning, and reported that the sea at high water didnot cover them, but that the coast was so rocky and full of shoals thatit would be very difficult to land upon them; they resolved, however, torun the risk, and to send most of their company on shore to pacify thewomen, children, sick people, and such as were out of their wits withfear, whose cries and noise served only to disturb them. About teno'clock they embarked these in their shallop and skiff, and, perceivingtheir vessel began to break, they doubled their diligence; they likewiseendeavoured to get their bread up, but they did not take the same care ofthe water, not reflecting in their fright that they might be muchdistressed for want of it on shore; and what hindered them most of allwas the brutal behaviour of some of the crew that made themselves drunkwith wine, of which no care was taken. In short, such was theirconfusion that they made but three trips that day, carrying over to theisland 180 persons, twenty barrels of bread, and some small casks ofwater. The master returned on board towards evening, and told thecaptain that it was to no purpose to send more provisions on shore, sincethe people only wasted those they had already. Upon this the captainwent in the shallop, to put things in better order, and was then informedthat there was no water to be found upon the island; he endeavoured toreturn to the ship in order to bring off a supply, together with the mostvaluable part of their cargo, but a storm suddenly arising, he was forcedto return. 

The next day was spent in removing their water and most valuable goods onshore; and afterwards the captain in the skiff, and the master in theshallop, endeavoured to return to the vessel, but found the sea run sohigh that it was impossible to get on board. In this extremity thecarpenter threw himself out of the ship, and swam to them, in order toinform them to what hardships those left in the vessel were reduced, andthey sent him back with orders for them to make rafts, by tying theplanks together, and endeavour on these to reach the shallop and skiff;but before this could be done, the weather became so rough that thecaptain was obliged to return, leaving, with the utmost grief, hislieutenant and seventy men on the very point of perishing on board thevessel. Those who were got on the little island were not in a muchbetter condition, for, upon taking an account of their water, they foundthey had not above 40 gallons for 40 people, and on the larger island, where there were 120, their stock was still less. Those on the littleisland began to murmur, and to complain of their officers, because theydid not go in search of water, in the islands that were within sight ofthem, and they represented the necessity of this to Captain Pelsart, whoagreed to their request, but insisted before he went to communicate hisdesign to the rest of the people; they consented to this, but not tillthe captain had declared that, without the consent of the company on thelarge is land, he would, rather than leave them, go and perish on boardthe ship. When they were got pretty near the shore, he who commanded theboat told the captain that if he had anything to say, he must cry out tothe people, for that they would not suffer him to go out of the boat. Thecaptain immediately attempted to throw himself overboard in order to swimto the island. Those who were in the boat prevented him; and all that hecould obtain from them was, to throw on shore his table-book, in whichline wrote a line or two to inform them that he was gone in the skiff tolook for water in the adjacent islands. 

He accordingly coasted them all with the greatest care, and found in mostof them considerable quantities of water in the holes of the rocks, butso mixed with the sea-water that it was unfit for use; and therefore theywere obliged to go farther. The first thing they did was to make a deckto their boat, because they found it was impracticable to navigate thoseseas in an open vessel. Some of the crew joined them by the time thework was finished; and the captain having obtained a paper, signed by allhis men, importing that it was their desire that he should go in searchof water, he immediately put to sea, having first taken an observation bywhich he found they were in the latitude of 28 degrees 13 minutes south. They had not been long at sea before they had sight of the continent, which appeared to them to lie about sixteen miles north by west from theplace they had suffered shipwreck. They found about twenty-five orthirty fathoms water; and as night drew on, they kept out to sea; andafter midnight stood in for the land, that they might be near the coastin the morning. On the 9th of June they found themselves as theyreckoned, about three miles from the shore; on which they plied all thatday, sailing sometimes north, sometimes west; the country appearing low, naked, and the coast excessively rocky; so that they thought it resembledthe country near Dover. At last they saw a little creek, into which theywere willing to put, because it appeared to have a sandy bottom; but whenthey attempted to enter it, the sea ran so high that they were forced todesist. 

On the 10th they remained on the same coast, plying to and again, as theyhad done the day before; but the weather growing worse and worse, theywere obliged to abandon their shallop, and even throw part of theirbreath overboard, because it hindered them from clearing themselves ofthe water, which their vessel began to make very fast. That night itrained most terribly, which, though it gave them much trouble, affordedthem hopes that it would prove a great relief to the people they had leftbehind them on the islands. The wind began to sink on the 11th; and asit blew from the west-south-west, they continued their course to thenorth, the sea running still so high that it was impossible to approachthe shore. On the 12th, they had an observation, by which they foundthemselves in the latitude of 27 degrees; they sailed with a south-eastwind all that day along the coast, which they found so steep that therewas no getting on shore, inasmuch as there was no creek or low landwithout the rocks, as is commonly observed on seacoasts; which gave themthe more pain because within land the country appeared very fruitful andpleasant. They found themselves on the 13th in the latitude of 25degrees 40 minutes; by which they discovered that the current set to thenorth. They were at this time over against an opening; the coast lyingto the north-east, they continued a north course, but found the coast onecontinued rock of red colour all of a height, against which the wavesbroke with such force that it was impossible for them to land. 

The wind blew very fresh in the morning on the 14th, but towards noon itfell calm; they were then in the height of 24 degrees, with a small galeat east, but the tide still carried them further north than they desired, because their design was to make a descent as soon as possible; and withthis view they sailed slowly along the coast, till, perceiving a greatdeal of smoke at a distance, they rowed towards it as fast as they wereable, in hopes of finding men, and water, of course. When they came nearthe shore, they found it so steep, so full of rocks, and the sea beatingover them with such fury, that it was impossible to land. Six of themen, however, trusting to their skill in swimming, threw themselves intothe sea and resolved to get on shore at any rate, which with greatdifficulty and danger they at last effected, the boat remaining at anchorin twenty-five fathoms water. The men on shore spent the whole day inlooking for water; and while they were thus employed, they saw four men, who came up very near; but one of the Dutch sailors advancing towardsthem, they immediately ran away as fast as they were able, so that theywere distinctly seen by those in the boat. These people were blacksavages, quite naked, not having so much as any covering about theirmiddle. The sailors, finding no hopes of water on all the coast, swam onboard again, much hurt and wounded by their being beat by the waves uponthe rocks; and as soon as they were on board, they weighed anchor, andcontinued their course along the shore, in hopes of finding some betterlanding-place. 

On the 25th, in the morning, they discovered a cape, from the point ofwhich there ran a ridge of rocks a mile into the sea, and behind itanother ridge of rocks. They ventured between them, as the sea waspretty calm; but finding there was no passage, they soon returned. Aboutnoon they saw another opening, and the sea being still very smooth, theyentered it, though the passage was very dangerous, inasmuch as they hadbut two feet water, and the bottom full of stones, the coast appearing aflat sand for about a mile. As soon as they got on shore they fell todigging in the sand, but the water that came into their wells was sobrackish that they could not drink it, though they were on the very pointof choking for thirst. At last, in the hollows of the rocks, they metwith considerable quantities of rainwater, which was a great relief tothem, since they had been for some days at no better allowance than apint a-piece. They soon furnished themselves in the night with abouteighty gallons, perceiving, in the place where they landed, that thesavages had been there lately, by a large heap of ashes and the remainsof some cray-fish. 

On the 16th, in the morning, they returned on shore, in hopes of gettingmore water, but were disappointed; and having now time to observe thecountry, it gave them no great hopes of better success, even if they hadtravelled farther within land, which appeared a thirsty, barren plain, covered with ant-hills, so high that they looked afar off like the hutsof negroes; and at the same time they were plagued with flies, and thosein such multitudes that they were scarce able to defend themselves. Theysaw at a distance eight savages, with each a staff in his hand, whoadvanced towards them within musket-shot; but as soon as they perceivedthe Dutch sailors moving towards them, they fled as fast as they wereable. It was by this time about noon, and, perceiving no appearanceeither of getting water, or entering into any correspondence with thenatives, they resolved to go on board and continue their course towardsthe north, in hopes, as they were already in the latitude of 22 degrees17 minutes, they might be able to find the river of Jacob Remmescens; butthe wind veering about to the north-east, they were not able to continuelonger upon that coast, and therefore reflecting that they were now aboveone hundred miles from the place where they were shipwrecked, and hadscarce as much water as would serve them in their passage back, they cameto a settled resolution of making the best of their way to Batavia, inorder to acquaint the Governor-General with their misfortunes, and toobtain such assistance as was necessary to get their people off thecoast. 

On the 17th they continued their course to the north-east, with a goodwind and fair weather; the 18th and 19th it blew hard, and they had muchrain; on the 20th they found themselves in 19 degrees 22 minutes; on the22nd they had another observation, and found themselves in the height of16 degrees 10 minutes, which surprised them very much, and was a plainproof that the current carried them northwards at a great rate; on the27th it rained very hard, so that they were not able to take anobservation; but towards noon they saw, to their great satisfaction, thecoasts of Java, in the latitude of 8 degrees, at the distance of aboutfour or five miles. They altered their course to west-north-west, andtowards evening entered the gulf of an island very full of trees, wherethey anchored in eight fathoms water, and there passed the night; on the28th, in the morning, they weighed, and rowed with all their force, inorder to make the land, that they might search for water, being now againat the point of perishing for thirst. Very happily for them, they wereno sooner on shore than they discovered a fine rivulet at a smalldistance, where, having comfortably quenched their thirst, and filled alltheir casks with water, they about noon continued their course forBatavia. 

On the 29th, about midnight, in the second watch, they discovered anisland, which they left on their starboard. About noon they foundthemselves in the height of 6 degrees 48 minutes. About three in theafternoon they passed between two islands, the westernmost of whichappeared full of cocoa trees. In the evening they were about a mile fromthe south point of Java, and in the second watch exactly between Java andthe Isle of Princes. The 30th, in the morning, they found themselves onthe coast of the last-mentioned island, not being able to make above twomiles that day. On July 1st the weather was calm, and about noon theywere three leagues from Dwaersindenwegh, that is, Thwart-the-way Island;but towards the evening they had a pretty brisk wind at north-west, whichenabled them to gain that coast. On the 2nd, in the morning, they wereright against the island of Topershoetien, and were obliged to lie atanchor till eleven o'clock, waiting for the sea-breeze, which, however, blew so faintly that they were not able to make above two miles that day. About sunset they perceived a vessel between them and Thwart-the-wayIsland, upon which they resolved to anchor as near the shore as theycould that night, and there wait the arrival of the ship. In the morningthey went on board her, in hopes of procuring arms for their defence, incase the inhabitants of Java were at war with the Dutch. They found twoother ships in company, on board one of which was Mr. Ramburg, counsellorof the Indies. Captain Pelsart went immediately on board his ship, wherehe acquainted him with the nature of his misfortune, and went with himafterwards to Batavia. 

We will now leave the captain soliciting succours from theGovernor-General, in order to return to the crew who were left upon theislands, among whom there happened such transactions as, in theircondition, the reader would little expect, and perhaps will hardlycredit! In order to their being thoroughly understood, it is necessaryto observe that they had for supercargo one Jerom Cornelis, who had beenformerly an apothecary at Harlem. This man, when they were on the coastof Africa, had plotted with the pilot and some others to run away withthe vessel, and either to carry her into Dunkirk, or to turn pirates inher on their own account. This supercargo had remained ten days on boardthe wreck, not being able in all that time to get on shore. Two wholedays he spent on the mainmast, floating to and fro, till at last, by thehelp of one of the yards, he got to land. When he was once on shore, thecommand, in the absence of Captain Pelsart, devolved of course upon him, which immediately revived in his mind his old design, insomuch that heresolved to lay hold of this opportunity to make himself master of allthat could be saved out of the wreck, conceiving that it would be easy tosurprise the captain on his return, and determining to go on theaccount--that is to say, to turn pirate in the captain's vessel. Inorder to carry this design into execution, he thought necessary to ridthemselves of such of the crew as were not like to come into theirscheme; but before he proceeded to dip his hands in blood, he obliged allthe conspirators to sign an instrument, by which they engaged to stand byeach other. 

The whole ship's company were on shore in three islands, the greatestpart of them in that where Cornelis was, which island they thought fit tocall the burying-place of Batavia. One Mr. Weybhays was sent withanother body into an adjacent island to look for water, which, aftertwenty days' search, he found, and made the appointed signal by lightingthree fires, which, however, were not seen nor taken notice of by thoseunder the command of Cornelis, because they were busy in butchering theircompanions, of whom they had murdered between thirty and forty; but somefew, however, got off upon a raft of planks tied together, and went tothe island where Mr. Weybhays was, in order to acquaint him with thedreadful accident that had happened. Mr. Weybhays having with him forty-five men, they all resolved to stand upon their guard, and to defendthemselves to the last man, in case these villains should attack them. This indeed was their design, for they were apprehensive both of thisbody, and of those who were on the third island, giving notice to thecaptain on his return, and thereby preventing their intention of runningaway with his vessel. But as this third company was by much the weakest, they began with them first, and cut them all off, except five women andseven children, not in the least doubting that they should be able to doas much by Weybhays and his company. In the meantime, having broke openthe merchant's chests, which had been saved out of the wreck, theyconverted them to their own use without ceremony. 

The traitor, Jerom Cornelis, was so much elevated with the success thathad hitherto attended his villainy, that he immediately began to fancyall difficulties were over, and gave a loose to his vicious inclinationsin every respect. He ordered clothes to be made of rich stuffs that hadbeen saved, for himself and his troop, and having chosen out of them acompany of guards, he ordered them to have scarlet coats, with a doublelace of gold or silver. There were two minister's daughters among thewomen, one of whom he took for his own mistress, gave the second to afavourite of his, and ordered that the other three women should be commonto the whole troop. He afterwards drew up a set of regulations, whichwere to be the laws of his new principality, taking to himself the styleand title of Captain-General, and obliging his party to sign an act, orinstrument, by which they acknowledged him as such. These points oncesettled, he resolved to carry on the war. He first of all embarked onboard two shallops twenty-two men, well armed, with orders to destroy Mr. Weybhays and his company; and on their miscarrying, he undertook a likeexpedition with thirty-seven men, in which, however, he had no bettersuccess; for Mr. Weybhays, with his people, though armed only with staveswith nails drove into their heads, advanced even into the water to meetthem, and after a brisk engagement compelled these murderers to retire. 

Cornelis then thought fit to enter into a negotiation, which was managedby the chaplain, who remained with Mr. Weybhays, and after severalcomings and goings from one party to the other, a treaty was concludedupon the following terms--viz. , That Mr. Weybhays and his company shouldfor the future remain undisturbed, provided they delivered up a littleboat, in which one of the sailors had made his escape from the island inwhich Cornelis was with his gang, in order to take shelter on that whereWeybhays was with his company. It was also agreed that the latter shouldhave a part of the stuffs and silks given them for clothes, of which theystood in great want. But, while this affair was in agitation, Cornelistook the opportunity of the correspondence between them being restored, to write letters to some French soldiers that were in Weybhays's company, promising them six thousand livres apiece if they would comply with hisdemands, not doubting but by this artifice he should be able toaccomplish his end. 

His letters, however, had no effect; on the contrary, the soldiers towhom they were directed carried them immediately to Mr. Weybhays. Cornelis, not knowing that this piece of treachery was discovered, wentover the next morning, with three or four of his people, to carry to Mr. Weybhays the clothes that had been promised him. As soon as they landed, Weybhays attacked them, killed two or three, and made Cornelis himselfprisoner. One Wonterloss, who was the only man that made his escape, went immediately back to the conspirators, put himself at their head, andcame the next day to attack Weybhays, but met with the same fate asbefore--that is to say, he and the villains that were with him weresoundly beat. 

Things were in this situation when Captain Pelsart arrived in the_Sardam_ frigate. He sailed up to the wreck, and saw with great joy acloud of smoke ascending from one of the islands, by which he knew thatall his people were not dead. He came immediately to an anchor, andhaving ordered some wine and provisions to be put into the skiff, resolved to go in person with these refreshments to one of these islands. He had hardly quitted the ship before he was boarded by a boat from theisland to which he was going. There were four men in the boat, of whomWeybhays was one, who immediately ran to the captain, told him what hadhappened, and begged him to return to his ship immediately, for that theconspirators intended to surprise her, that they had already murdered 125persons, and that they had attacked him and his company that very morningwith two shallops. 

While they were talking the two shallops appeared; upon which the captainrowed to his ship as fast as he could, and was hardly got on board beforethey arrived at the ship's side. The captain was surprised to see men inred coats laced with gold and silver, with arms in their hands. Hedemanded what they meant by coming on board armed. They told him heshould know when they were on board the ship. The captain replied thatthey should come on board, but that they must first throw their arms intothe sea, which if they did not do immediately, he would sink them as theylay. As they saw that disputes were to no purpose, and that they wereentirely in the captain's power, they were obliged to obey. Theyaccordingly threw their arms overboard, and were then taken into thevessel, where they were instantly put in irons. One of them, whose namewas John Bremen, and who was first examined, owned that he had murderedwith his own hands, or had assisted in murdering, no less than twenty-seven persons. The same evening Weybhays brought his prisoner Cornelison board, where he was put in irons and strictly guarded. 

On the 18th of September, Captain Pelsart, with the master, went to takethe rest of the conspirators in Cornelis's island. They went in twoboats. The villains, as soon as they saw them land, lost all theircourage, and fled from them. They surrendered without a blow, and wereput in irons with the rest. The captain's first care was to recover thejewels which Cornelis had dispersed among his accomplices: they were, however, all of them soon found, except a gold chain and a diamond ring;the latter was also found at last, but the former could not be recovered. They went next to examine the wreck, which they found staved into anhundred pieces; the keel lay on a bank of sand on one side, the fore partof the vessel stuck fast on a rock, and the rest of her lay here andthere as the pieces had been driven by the waves, so that Captain Pelsarthad very little hopes of saving any of the merchandise. One of thepeople belonging to Weybhays's company told him that one fair day, whichwas the only one they had in a month, as he was fishing near the wreck, he had struck the pole in his hand against one of the chests of silver, which revived the captain a little, as it gave him reason to expect thatsomething might still be saved. They spent all the 19th in examining therest of the prisoners, and in confronting them with those who escapedfrom the massacre. 

On the 20th they sent several kinds of refreshments to Weybhays'scompany, and carried a good quantity of water from the isle. There wassomething very singular in finding this water; the people who were onshore there had subsisted near three weeks on rainwater, and what lodgedin the clefts of the rocks, without thinking that the water of two wellswhich were on the island could be of any use, because they saw themconstantly rise and fall with the tide, from whence they fancied they hada communication within the sea, and consequently that the water must bebrackish; but upon trial they found it to be very good, and so did theship's company, who filled their casks with it. 

On the 21st the tide was so low, and an east-south-east wind blew sohard, that during the whole day the boat could not get out. On the 22ndthey attempted to fish upon the wreck, but the weather was so bad thateven those who could swim very well durst not approach it. On the 25ththe master and the pilot, the weather being fair, went off again to thewreck, and those who were left on shore, observing that they wanted handsto get anything out of her, sent off some to assist them. The captainwent also himself to encourage the men, who soon weighed one chest ofsilver, and some time after another. As soon as these were safe ashorethey returned to their work, but the weather grew so bad that they werequickly obliged to desist, though some of their divers from Guzaratassured them they had found six more, which might easily be weighed. Onthe 26th, in the afternoon, the weather being fair, and the tide low, themaster returned to the place where the chests lay, and weighed three ofthem, leaving an anchor with a gun tied to it, and a buoy, to mark theplace where the fourth lay, which, notwithstanding their utmost efforts, they were not able to recover. 

On the 27th, the south wind blew very cold. On the 28th the same windblew stronger than the day before; and as there was no possibility offishing in the wreck for the present, Captain Pelsart held a council toconsider what they should do with the prisoners: that is to say, whetherit would be best to try them there upon the spot, or to carry them toBatavia, in order to their being tried by the Company's officers. Aftermature deliberation, reflecting on the number of prisoners, and thetemptation that might arise from the vast quantity of silver on board thefrigate, they at last came to a resolution to try and execute them there, which was accordingly done; and they embarked immediately afterwards forBatavia. 

REMARKS. 

This voyage was translated from the original Dutch by Thevenot, andprinted by him in the first volume of his collections. Pelsart's routeis traced in the map of the globe published by Delisle in the year 1700. 

As this voyage is of itself very short, I shall not detain the readerwith many remarks; but shall confine myself to a very few observations, in order to show the consequences of the discovery made by CaptainPelsart. The country upon which he suffered shipwreck was New Holland, the coast of which had not till then been at all examined, and it wasdoubtful how far it extended. There had indeed been some reports spreadwith relation to the inhabitants of this country, which Captain Pelsart'srelation shows to have been false; for it had been reported that when theDutch East India Company sent some ships to make discoveries, theirlanding was opposed by a race of gigantic people, with whom the Dutchcould by no means contend. But our author says nothing of theextraordinary size of the savages that were seen by Captain Pelsart'speople; from whence it is reasonable to conclude that this story wascirculated with no other view than to prevent other nations fromventuring into these seas. It is also remarkable that this is the verycoast surveyed by Captain Dampier, whose account agrees exactly with thatcontained in this voyage. Now though it be true, that from all theseaccounts there is nothing said which is much to the advantage either ofthe country or its inhabitants, yet we are to consider that it isimpossible to represent either in a worse light than that in which theCape of Good Hope was placed, before the Dutch took possession of it; andplainly demonstrated that industry could make a paradise of what was aperfect purgatory while in the hands of the Hottentots. If, therefore, the climate of this country be good, and the soil fruitful, both of whichwere affirmed in this relation, there could not be a more proper placefor a colony than some part of New Holland, or of the adjacent country ofCarpentaria. I shall give my reasons for asserting this when I come tomake my remarks on a succeeding voyage. At present I shall confinemyself to the reasons that have induced the Dutch East India Company toleave all these countries unsettled, after having first shown so strongan inclination to discover them, which will oblige me to lay before thereader some secrets in commerce that have hitherto escaped commonobservation, and which, whenever they are as thoroughly considered asthey deserve, will undoubtedly lead us to as great discoveries as thoseof Columbus or Magellan. 

In order to make myself perfectly understood, I must observe that it wasthe finding out of the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, by the Portuguese, that raised that spirit of discovery which produced Columbus's voyage, which ended in finding America; though in fact Columbus intended ratherto reach this country of New Holland. The assertion is bold, and atfirst sight may appear improbable; but a little attention will make it soplain, that the reader must be convinced of the truth of what I say. Theproposition made by Columbus to the State of Genoa, the Kings ofPortugal, Spain, England, and France, was this, that he could discover anew route to the East Indies; that is to say, without going round theCape of Good Hope. He grounded this proposition on the spherical figureof the earth, from whence he thought it self-evident that any given pointmight be sailed to through the great ocean, either by steering east orwest. In his attempt to go to the East Indies by a west course, he metwith the islands and continent of America; and finding gold and othercommodities, which till then had never been brought from the Indies, hereally thought that this was the west coast of that country to which thePortuguese sailed by the Cape of Good Hope, and hence came the name ofthe West Indies. Magellan, who followed his steps, and was the onlydiscoverer who reasoned systematically, and knew what he was doing, proposed to the Emperor Charles V. To complete what Columbus had begun, and to find a passage to the Moluccas by the west; which, to his immortalhonour, he accomplished. 

When the Dutch made their first voyages to the East Indies, which was notmany years before Captain Pelsart's shipwreck on the coast of NewHolland, for their first fleet arrived in the East Indies in 1596, andPelsart lost his ship in 1629--I say, when the Dutch first undertook theEast India trade, they had the Spice Islands in view: and as they are anation justly famous for the steady pursuit of whatever they take inhand, it is notorious that they never lost sight of their design tillthey had accomplished it, and made themselves entirely masters of theseislands, of which they still continue in possession. When this was done, and they had effectually driven out the English, who were likewisesettled in them, they fixed the seat of their government in the island ofAmboyna, which lay very convenient for the discovery of the southerncountries; which, therefore, they prosecuted with great diligence fromthe year 1619 to the time of Captain Pelsart's shipwreck; that is, forthe space of twenty years. 

But after they removed the seat of their government from Amboyna toBatavia, they turned their views another way, and never made any voyageexpressly for discoveries on that side, except the single one of CaptainTasman, of which we are to speak presently. It was from this period oftime that they began to take new measures, and having made theirexcellent settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, resolved to govern theirtrade to the East Indies by these two capital maxims: 1. To extend theirtrade all over the Indies, and to fix themselves so effectually in therichest countries as to keep all, or at least the best and mostprofitable part of, their commerce to themselves; 2. To make theMoluccas, and the islands dependent on them, their frontier, and to omitnothing that should appear necessary to prevent strangers, or even Dutchships not belonging to the Company, from ever navigating those seas, andconsequently from ever being acquainted with the countries that lie inthem. How well they have prosecuted the first maxim has been verylargely shown in a foregoing article, wherein we have an ampledescription of the mighty empire in the hands of their East IndiaCompany. As for the second maxim, the reader, in the perusal ofFunnel's, Dampier's, and other voyages, but especially the first, must besatisfied that it is what they have constantly at heart, and which, atall events, they are determined to pursue, at least with regard tostrangers; and as to their own countrymen, the usage they gave to Jamesle Maire and his people is a proof that cannot be contested. 

Those things being considered, it is very plain that the Dutch, or ratherthe Dutch East India Company, are fully persuaded that they have alreadyas munch or more territory in the East Indies than they can well manage, and therefore they neither do nor ever will think of settling New Guinea, Carpentaria, New Holland, or any of the adjacent islands, till eithertheir trade declines in the East Indies, or they are obliged to exertthemselves on this side to prevent other nations from reaping thebenefits that might accrue to them by their planting those countries. Butthis is not all; for as the Dutch have no thoughts of settling thesecountries themselves, they have taken all imaginable pains to prevent anyrelations from being published which might invite or encourage any othernation to make attempts this way; and I am thoroughly persuaded that thisvery account of Captain Pelsart's shipwreck would never have come intothe world if it had not been thought it would contribute to this end, or, in other words, would serve to frighten other nations from approachingsuch an inhospitable coast, everywhere beset with rocks absolutely voidof water, and inhabited by a race of savages more barbarous, and, at thesame time, more miserable than any other creatures in the world. 

The author of this voyage remarks, for the use of seamen, that in thelittle island occupied by Weybhays, after digging two pits, they were fora considerable time afraid to use the water, having found that these pitsebbed and flowed with the sea; but necessity at last constraining them todrink it, they found it did them no hurt. The reason of the ebbing andflowing of these pits was their nearness to the sea, the water of whichpercolated through the sand, lost its saltness, and so became potable, though it followed the motions of the ocean whence it came. 

THE VOYAGE OF CAPTAIN ABEL JANSEN TASMAN FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOUTHERNCOUNTRIES. 1642-43. 

By direction of the Dutch East India Company. [Taken from his originalJournal. ]

CHAPTER I: THE OCCASION AND DESIGN OF THIS VOYAGE. 

The great discoveries that were made by the Dutch in these southerncountries were subsequent to the famous voyage of Jaques le Maire, who in1616 passed the straits called by his name; in 1618, that part of TerraAustralia was discovered which the Dutch called Concordia. The nextyear, the Land of Edels was found, and received its name from itsdiscoverer. In 1620, Batavia was built on the ruins of the old city ofJacatra; but the seat of government was not immediately removed fromAmboyna. In 1622, that part of New Holland which is called Lewin's Landwas first found; and in 1627, Peter Nuyts discovered between New Hollandand New Guinea a country which bears his name. There were also someother voyages made, of which, however, we have no sort of account, exceptthat the Dutch were continually beaten in all their attempts to land uponthis coast. On their settlement, however, at Batavia, the then generaland council of the Indies thought it requisite to have a more perfectsurvey made of the new-found countries, that the memory of them at leastmight be preserved, in case no further attempts were made to settle them;and it was very probably a foresight of few ships going that route anymore, which induced such as had then the direction of the Company'saffairs to wish that some such survey and description might be made by anable seaman, who was well acquainted with those coasts, and who might beable to add to the discoveries already made, as well as furnish a moreaccurate description, even of them, than had been hitherto given. 

This was faithfully performed by Captain Tasman; and from the lightsafforded by his journal, a very exact and curious map was made of allthese new countries. But his voyage was never published entire; and itis very probable that the East India Company never intended it should bepublished at all. However, Dirk Rembrantz, moved by the excellency andaccuracy of the work, published in Low Dutch an extract of CaptainTasman's Journal, which has been ever since considered as a very greatcuriosity; and, as such, has been translated into many languages, particularly into our own, by the care of the learned Professor ofGresham College, Doctor Hook, an abridgment of which translation found aplace in Doctor Harris's Collection of Voyages. But we have made no useof either of these pieces, the following being a new translation, madewith all the care and diligence that is possible. 

CHAPTER II: CAPTAIN TASMAN SAILS FROM BATAVIA, AUGUST 14, 1642. 

On August 14, 1642, I sailed from Batavia with two vessels; the onecalled the _Heemskirk_, and the other the _Zee-Haan_. On September 5 Ianchored at Maurice Island, in the latitude of 20 degrees south, and inthe longitude of 83 degrees 48 minutes. I found this island fifty Germanmiles more to the east than I expected; that is to say, 3 degrees 33minutes of longitude. This island was so called from Prince Maurice, being before known by the name of Cerne. It is about fifteen leagues incircumference, and has a very fine harbour, at the entrance of whichthere is one hundred fathoms water. The country is mountainous; but themountains are covered with green trees. The tops of these mountains areso high that they are lost in the clouds, and are frequently covered bythick exhalations or smoke that ascends from them. The air of thisisland is extremely wholesome. It is well furnished with flesh and fowl;and the sea on its coasts abounds with all sorts of fish. The finestebony in the world grows here. It is a tall, straight tree of a moderatethickness, covered with a green bark, very thick, under which the wood isas black as pitch, and as close as ivory. There are other trees on theisland, which are of a bright red, and a third sort as yellow as wax. Theships belonging to the East India Company commonly touch at this islandfor refreshments on their passage to Batavia. 

I left this island on the 8th of October, and continued my course to thesouth to the latitude of 40 degrees or 41 degrees, having a strong north-west wind; and finding the needle vary 23, 24, and 25 degrees to the 22ndof October, I sailed from that time to the 29th to the east, inclining alittle to the south, till I arrived in the latitude of 45 degrees 47minutes south, and in the longitude of 89 degrees 44 minutes; and thenobserved the variation of the needle to be 26 degrees 45 minutes towardsthe west. 

As our author was extremely careful in this particular, and observed thevariation of the needle with the utmost diligence, it may not be amiss totake this opportunity of explaining this point, so that the importance ofhis remarks may sufficiently appear. The needle points exactly northonly in a few places, and perhaps not constantly in them; but in most itdeclines a little to the east, or to the west, whence arises eastern andwestern declination: when this was first observed, it was attributed tocertain excavations or hollows in the earth, to veins of lead, stone, andother such-like causes. But when it was found by repeated experimentsthat this variation varied, it appeared plainly that none of those causescould take place; since if they had, the variation in the same place mustalways have been the same, whereas the fact is otherwise. 

Here at London, for instance, in the year 1580, the variation wasobserved to be 11 degrees 17 minutes to the east; in the year 1666, thevariation was here 34 minutes to the west; and in the year 1734, thevariation was somewhat more than 1 degree west. In order to find thevariation of the needle with the least error possible, the seamen takethis method: they observe the point the sun is in by the compass, anytime after its rising, and then take the altitude of the sun; and in theafternoon they observe when the sun comes to the same altitude, andobserve the point the sun is then in by the compass; for the middle, between these two, is the true north or south point of the compass; andthe difference between that and the north or south upon the card, whichis pointed out by the needle, is the variation of the compass, and showshow much the north and south, given by the compass, deviates from thetrue north and south points of the horizon. It appears clearly, fromwhat has been said, that in order to arrive at the certain knowledge ofthe variation, and of the variation of that variation of the compass, itis absolutely requisite to have from time to time distinct accounts ofthe variation as it is observed in different places: whence theimportance of Captain Tasman's remarks, in this respect, sufficientlyappears. It is true that the learned and ingenious Dr. Halley has givena very probable account of this matter; but as the probability of thataccount arises only from its agreement with observations, it followsthose are as necessary and as important as ever, in order to strengthenand confirm it. 

CHAPTER III: REMARKS ON THE VARIATION OF THE NEEDLE. 

On the 6th of November, I was in 49 degrees 4 minutes south latitude, andin the longitude of 114 degrees 56 minutes; the variation was at thistime 26 degrees westward; and, as the weather was foggy, with hard gales, and a rolling sea from the south-west and from the south, I concludedfrom thence that it was not at all probable there should be any landbetween those two points. On November 15th I was in the latitude of 44degrees 33 minutes south, and in the longitude of 140 degrees 32 minutes. The variation was then 18 degrees 30 minutes west, which variationdecreased every day, in such a manner, that, on the 21st of the samemonth, being in the longitude of 158 degrees, I observed the variation tobe no more than 4 degrees. On the 22nd of that month, the needle was incontinual agitation, without resting in any of the eight points; whichled me to conjecture that we were near some mine of loadstone. 

This may, at first sight, seem to contradict what has been before laiddown, as to the variation, and the causes of it: but, when strictlyconsidered, they will be found to agree very well; for when it isasserted that veins of loadstone have nothing to do with the variation ofthe compass, it is to be understood of the constant variation of a fewdegrees to the east, or to the west: but in cases of this nature, wherethe variation is absolutely irregular, and the needle plays quite roundthe compass, our author's conjecture may very well find place: yet itmust be owned that it is a point far enough from being clear, that minesof loadstone affect the compass at a distance; which, however, might bevery easily determined, since there are large mines of loadstone in theisland of Elba, on the coast of Tuscany. 

CHAPTER IV: HE DISCOVERS A NEW COUNTRY TO WHICH HE GIVES THE NAME OF VANDIEMEN'S LAND. 

On the 24th of the same month, being in the latitude of 42 degrees 25minutes south, and in the longitude of 163 degrees 50 minutes, Idiscovered land, which lay east-south-east at the distance of ten miles, which I called Van Diemen's Land. The compass pointed right towards thisland. The weather being bad, I steered south and by east along thecoast, to the height of 44 degrees south, where the land runs away east, and afterwards north-east and by north. In the latitude of 43 degrees 10minutes south, and in the longitude of 167 degrees 55 minutes, I anchoredon the 1st of December, in a bay, which I called the Bay of FredericHenry. I heard, or at least fancied I heard, the sound of people uponthe shore; but I saw nobody. All I met with worth observing was twotrees, which were two fathoms or two fathoms and a half in girth, andsixty or sixty-five feet high from the root to the branches: they had cutwith a flint a kind of steps in the bark, in order to climb up to thebirds' nests: these steps were the distance of five feet from each other;so that we must conclude that either these people are of a prodigioussize, or that they have some way of climbing trees that we are not usedto; in one of the trees the steps were so fresh, that we judged theycould not have been cut above four days. 

The noise we heard resembled the noise of some sort of trumpet; it seemedto be at no great distance, but we saw no living creaturenotwithstanding. I perceived also in the sand the marks of wild beasts'feet, resembling those of a tiger, or some such creature; I gathered alsosome gum from the trees, and likewise some lack. The tide ebbs and flowsthere about three feet. The trees in this country do not grow veryclose, nor are they encumbered with bushes or underwood. I observedsmoke in several places; however, we did nothing more than set up a post, on which every one cut his name, or his mark, and upon which I hoisted aflag. I observed that in this place the variation was changed to 3degrees eastward. On December 5th, being then, by observation, in thelatitude of 41 degrees 34 minutes, and in the longitude 169 degrees, Iquitted Van Diemen's Land, and resolved to steer east to the longitude of195 degrees, in hopes of discovering the Islands of Solomon. 

CHAPTER V: SAILS FROM THENCE FOR NEW ZEALAND. 

On September 9th I was in the latitude of 42 degrees 37 minutes south, and in the longitude of 176 degrees 29 minutes; the variation being there5 degrees to the east. On the 12th of the same month, finding a greatrolling sea coming in on the south-west, I judged there was no land to behoped for on that point. On the 13th, being in the latitude of 42degrees 10 minutes south, and in the longitude of 188 degrees 28 minutes, I found the variation 7 degrees 30 minutes eastward. In this situation Idiscovered a high mountainous country, which is at present marked in thecharts under the name of New Zealand. I coasted along the shore of thiscountry to the north-north-east till the 18th; and being then in thelatitude of 40 degrees 50 minutes south, and in the longitude of 191degrees 41 minutes, I anchored in a fine bay, where I observed thevariation to be 9 degrees towards the east. 

We found here abundance of the inhabitants: they had very hoarse voices, and were very large-made people. They durst not approach the ship nearerthan a stone's throw; and we often observed them playing on a kind oftrumpet, to which we answered with the instruments that were on board ourvessel. These people were of a colour between brown and yellow, theirhair long, and almost as thick as that of the Japanese, combed up, andfixed on the top of their heads with a quill, or some such thing, thatwas thickest in the middle, in the very same manner that Japanesefastened their hair behind their heads. These people cover the middle oftheir bodies, some with a kind of mat, others with a sort of woollencloth, but, as for their upper and lower parts, they leave themaltogether naked. 

On the 19th of December, these savages began to grow a little bolder, andmore familiar, insomuch that at last they ventured on board the_Heemskirk_ in order to trade with those in the vessel. As soon as Iperceived it, being apprehensive that they might attempt to surprise thatship, I sent my shallop, with seven men, to put the people in the_Heemskirk_ upon their guard, and to direct them not to place anyconfidence in those people. My seven men, being without arms, wereattacked by these savages, who killed three of the seven, and forced theother four to swim for their lives, which occasioned my giving that placethe name of the Bay of Murderers. Our ship's company would, undoubtedly, have taken a severe revenge, if the rough weather had not hindered them. From this bay we bore away east, having the land in a manner all roundus. This country appeared to us rich, fertile, and very well situated, but as the weather was very foul, and we had at this time a very strongwest wind, we found it very difficult to get clear of the land. 

CHAPTER VI: VISITS THE ISLAND OF THE THREE KINGS, AND GOES IN SEARCH OFOTHER ISLANDS DISCOVERED BY SCHOVTEN. 

On the 24th of December, as the wind would not permit us to continue ourway to the north, as we knew not whether we should be able to find apassage on that side, and as the flood came in from the south-east, weconcluded that it would be the best to return into the bay, and seek someother way out, but on the 26th, the wind becoming more favourable, wecontinued our route to the north, turning a little to the west. On the4th of January, 1643, being then in the latitude of 34 degrees 35 minutessouth, and in the longitude of 191 degrees 9 minutes, we sailed quite tothe cape, which lies north-west, where we found the sea rolling in fromthe north-east, whence we concluded that we had at last found a passage, which gave us no small joy. There was in this strait an island, which wecalled the island of the Three Kings; the cape of which we doubled, witha design to have refreshed ourselves; but, as we approached it, weperceived on the mountain thirty or five-and-thirty persons, who, as faras we could discern at such a distance, were men of very large size, andhad each of them a large club in his hand: they called out to us in arough strong voice, but we could meet understand anything of what theysaid. We observed that these people walked at a very great rate, andthat they took prodigious large strides. We made the tour of the island, in doing which we saw but very few inhabitants; nor did any of thecountry seem to be cultivated; we found, indeed, a fresh-water river, andthen we resolved to sail east, as far as 220 degrees of longitude; andfrom thence north, as far as the latitude of 17 degrees south; and thenceto the west, till we arrived at the isles of Cocos and Horne, which werediscovered by William Schovten, where we intended to refresh ourselves, in case we found no opportunity of doing it before, for though we hadactually landed on Van Diemen's Land, we met with nothing there; and, asfor New Zealand, we never set foot on it. 

In order to render this passage perfectly intelligible it is necessary toobserve that the island of Cocos lies in the latitude of 15 degrees 10minutes south; and, according to Schovten's account, is well inhabited, and well cultivated, abounding with all sorts of refreshments; but, atthe same time, he describes the people as treacherous and base to thelast degree. As for the islands of Horne, they lie nearly in thelatitude of 15 degrees, are extremely fruitful, and inhabited by peopleof a kind and gentle disposition, who readily bestowed on the Hollanderswhatever refreshments they could ask. It was no wonder, therefore, that, finding themselves thus distressed, Captain Tasman thought of repairingto these islands, where he was sure of obtaining refreshments, either byfair means or otherwise, which design, however, he did not think fit toput in execution. 

CHAPTER VII: REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN THE VOYAGE. 

On the 8th of January, being in the latitude of 30 degrees 25 minutessouth, and in the longitude of 192 degrees 20 minutes, we observed thevariation of the needle to be 90 degrees towards the east, and as we hada high rolling sea from the south-west, I conjectured there could not beany land hoped for on that side. On the 12th we found ourselves in 30degrees 5 minutes south latitude, and in 195 degrees 27 minutes oflongitude, where we found the variation 9 degrees 30 minutes to the east, a rolling sea from the south-east and from the south-west. It is veryplain, from these observations, that the position laid down by Dr. Halley, that the motion of the needle is not governed by the poles of theworld, but by other poles, which move round them, is highly probable, forotherwise it is not easy to understand how the needle came to have, asour author affirms it had, a variation of near 27 degrees to the west, inthe latitude of 45 degrees 47 minutes, and then gradually decreasing tillit had no variation at all; after which it turned east, in the latitudeof 42 degrees 37 minutes, and so continued increasing its variationeastwardly to this time. 

CHAPTER VIII: OBSERVATIONS ON, AND EXPLANATION OF, THE VARIATION OF THECOMPASS. 

On the 16th we were in the latitude of 26 degrees 29 minutes south, andin the longitude of 199 degrees 32 minutes, the variation of the needlebeing 8 degrees. Here we are to observe that the eastern variationdecreases, which is likewise very agreeable to Doctor Halley'shypothesis; which, in few words, is this: that a certain large solid bodycontained within, and every way separated from the earth (as having itsown proper motion), and being included like a kernel in its shell, revolves circularly from east to west, as the exterior earth revolves thecontrary way in the diurnal motion, whence it is easy to explain theposition of the four magnetical poles which he attributes to the earth, by allowing two to the nucleus, and two to the exterior earth. And, asthe two former perpetually alter the situation by their circular motion, their virtue, compared with the exterior poles, must be different atdifferent times, and consequently the variation of the needle willperpetually change. The doctor attributes to the nucleus an Europeannorth pole and an American south one, on account of the variation ofvariations observed near these places, as being much greater than thosefound near the two other poles. And he conjectures that these poles willfinish their revolution in about seven hundred years, and after that timethe same situation of the poles obtain again as at present, and, consequently, the variations will be the same again over all the globe;so that it requires several ages before this theory can be thoroughlyadjusted. He assigns this probable cause of the circular revolution ofthe nucleus that the diurnal motion, being impressed from without, wasnot so exactly communicated to the internal parts as to give them thesame precise velocity of rotation as the external, whence the nucleus, being left behind by the exterior earth, seems to move slowly in acontrary direction, as from east to west, with regard to the externalearth, considered as at rest in respect of the other. But to return toour voyage. 

CHAPTER IX: DISCOVERS A NEW ISLAND, WHICH HE CALLS PYLSTAART ISLAND. 

On the 19th of January, being in the latitude of 22 degrees 35 minutessouth, and in the longitude of 204 degrees 15 minutes, we had 7 degrees30 minutes east variation. In this situation we discovered an islandabout two or three miles in circumference, which was, as far as we coulddiscern, very high, steep, and barren. We were very desirous of comingnearer it, but were hindered by south-east and south-south-east winds. Wecalled it the Isle of Pylstaart, because of the great number of that sortof birds we saw flying about it, and the next day we saw two otherislands. 

CHAPTER X: AND TWO ISLANDS, TO WHICH HE GIVES THE NAME OF AMSTERDAM ANDROTTERDAM

On the 21st, being in the latitude of 21 degrees 20 minutes south, and inthe longitude of 205 degrees 29 minutes, we found our variation 7 degreesto the north-east. We drew near to the coast of the most northernisland, which, though not very high, yet was the larger of the two: wecalled one of these islands Amsterdam, and the other Rotterdam. Uponthat of Rotterdam we found great plenty of hogs, fowls, and all sorts offruits, and other refreshments. These islanders did not seem to have theuse of arms, inasmuch as we saw nothing like them in any of their handswhile we were upon the island; the usage they gave us was fair andfriendly, except that they would steal a little. The current is not veryconsiderable in this place, where it ebbs north-east, and flows south-west. A south-west moon causes a spring-tide, which rises seven or eightfeet at least. The wind blows there continually south-east, or south-south-east, which occasioned the _Heemskirk's_ being carried out of theroad, but, however, without any damage. We did not fill any water herebecause it was extremely hard to get it to the ship. 

On the 25th we were in the latitude 20 degrees 15 minutes south, and inthe longitude of 206 degrees 19 minutes. The variation here was 6degrees 20 minutes to the east; and, after leaving had sight of severalother islands, we made that of Rotterdam: the islanders here resemblethose on the island of Amsterdam. The people were very good-natured, parted readily with what they had, did not seem to be acquainted with theuse of arms, but were given to thieving like the natives of AmsterdamIsland. Here we took in water, and other refreshments, with all theconveniency imaginable. We made the whole circuit of the island, whichwe found well-stocked with cocoa-trees, very regularly planted; welikewise saw abundance of gardens, extremely well laid out, plentifullystocked with all kinds of fruit-trees, all planted in straight lines, andthe whole kept in such excellent order, that nothing could have a bettereffect upon the eye. After quitting the island of Rotterdam, we hadsight of several other islands; which, however, did not engage us toalter the resolution we had taken of sailing north, to the height of 17degrees south latitude, and from thence to shape a west course, withoutgoing near either Traitor's Island, or those of Horne, we having then avery brisk wind from the south-east, or east-south-east. 

I cannot help remarking upon this part of Captain Tasman's journal, thatit is not easy to conceive, unless he was bound up by leis instructions, why he did not remain some time either at Rotterdam or at AmsterdamIsland, but especially at the former; since, perhaps, there is not aplace in the world so happily seated, for making new discoveries withease and safety. He owns that he traversed the whole island, that hefound it a perfect paradise, and that the people gave him not the leastcause of being diffident in point of security; so that if his men hadthrown up ever so slight a fortification, a part of them might haveremained there in safety, while the rest had attempted the discovery ofthe Islands of Solomon on the one hand, or the continent of De Quiros onthe other, from neither of which they were at any great distance, and, from his neglecting this opportunity, I take it for granted that he wascircumscribed, both as to his course and to the time he was to employ inthese discoveries, by his instructions, for otherwise so able a seamanand so curious a man as his journal shows him to have been, would notcertainly have neglected so fair an opportunity. 

CHAPTER XI: AND AN ARCHIPELAGO OF TWENTY SMALL ISLANDS. 

On February 6th, being in 17 degrees 19 minutes of south latitude, and inthe longitude of 201 degrees 35 minutes, we found ourselves embarrassedby nineteen or twenty small islands, every one of which was surroundedwith sands, shoals, and rocks. These are marked in the charts by thename of Prince William's Islands, or Heemskirk's Shallows. On the 8th wewere in the latitude of 15 degrees 29 minutes, and in the longitude of199 degrees 31 minutes. We had abundance of rain, a strong wind from thenorth-east, or the north-north-east, with dark cold weather. Fearing, therefore, that we were run farther to the west than we thought ourselvesby our reckoning, and dreading that we should fall to the south of NewGuinea, or be thrown upon some unknown coast in such blowing mistyweather, we resolved to stand away to the north, or to the north-north-west, till we should arrive in the latitude of 4, 5, or 6 degrees south, and then to bear away west for the coast of New Guinea, as the leastdangerous way that we could take. 

It is very plain from hence, that Captain Tasman had now laid aside allthoughts of discovering farther, and I think it is not difficult to guessat the reason; when he was in this latitude, he was morally certain thathe could, without further difficulty, sail round by the coast of NewGuinea, and so back again to the East Indies. It is therefore extremelyprobable that he was directed by his instructions to coast round thatgreat southern continent already discovered, in order to arrive at acertainty whether it was joined to any other part of the world, orwhether, notwithstanding its vast extent, viz. , from the equator to 43degrees of south latitude, and from the longitude of 123 degrees to near190 degrees, it was, notwithstanding, an island. This, I say, was in allappearance the true design of his voyage, and the reason of it seems tobe this: that an exact chart being drawn from his discoveries, the EastIndia Company might have perfect intelligence of the extent and situationof this now-found country before they executed the plan they were thencontriving for preventing its being visited or farther discovered bytheir own or any other nation; and this too accounts for the care takenin laying down the map of this country on the pavement of the newstadthouse at Amsterdam; for as this county was henceforward to remain asa kind of deposit or land of reserve in the hands of the East IndiaCompany, they took this method of intimating as much to their countrymen, so that, while strangers are gaping at this map as a curiosity, everyintelligent Dutchman may say to himself, "Behold the wisdom of the EastIndia Company. By their present empire they support the authority ofthis republic abroad, and by their extensive commerce enrich its subjectsat home, and at the same time show us here what a reserve they have madefor the benefit of posterity, whenever, through the vicissitudes to whichall sublunary things are liable, their present sources of power andgrandeur shall fail. "

I cannot help supporting my opinion in this respect, by putting thereader in mind of a very curious piece of ancient history, whichfurnishes us with the like instance in the conduct of another republic. Diodorus Siculus, in the fifth book of his Historical Library, informs usthat in the African Ocean, some days' sail west from Libya, there hadbeen discovered an island, the soil of which was exceedingly fertile andthe country no less pleasant, all the land being finely diversified bymountains and plains, the former thick clothed with trees, the latterabounding with fruits and flowers, the whole watered by innumerablerivulets, and affording so pleasant an habitation that a finer or moredelightful country fancy itself could not feign; yet he assures us, theCarthagenians, those great masters of maritime power and commerce, thoughthey had discovered this admirable island, would never suffer it to beplanted, but reserved it as a sanctuary to which they might fly, wheneverthe ruin of their own republic left them no other resource. This talliesexactly with the policy of the Dutch East India Company, who, if theyshould at any time be driven from their possessions in Java, Ceylon, andother places in that neighbourhood, would without doubt retire back intothe Moluccas, and avail themselves effectually of this noble discovery, which lies open to them, and has been hitherto close shut up to all theworld beside. But to proceed. 

CHAPTER XII: OCCURRENCES IN THE VOYAGE. 

On February 14th we were in the latitude of 16 degrees 30 minutes south, and in the longitude of 193 degrees 35 minutes. We had hitherto had muchrain and bad weather, but this day the wind sinking, we hailed ourconsort the _Zee-Haan_, and found to our great satisfaction that ourreckonings agreed. On the 20th, in the latitude of 13 degrees 45minutes, and in the longitude of 193 degrees 35 minutes, we had dark, cloudy weather, much rain, thick fogs, and a rolling sea, on all sidesthe wind variable. On the 26th, in the latitude of 9 degrees 48 minutessouth, and in the longitude of 193 degrees 43 minutes, we had a north-west wind, having every day, for the space of twenty-one days, rainedmore or less. On March 2nd, in the latitude of 9 degrees 11 minutessouth, and in the longitude of 192 degrees 46 minutes, the variation was10 degrees to the east, the wind and weather still varying. On March8th, in the latitude of 7 degrees 46 minutes south, and in the longitudeof 190 degrees 47 minutes, the wind was still variable. 

CHAPTER XIII: HE ARRIVES AT THE ARCHIPELAGO OF ANTHONG JAVA. 

On the 14th, in the latitude of 10 degrees 12 minutes south, and in thelongitude of 186 degrees 14 minutes, we found the variation 8 degrees 45minutes to the east. We passed some days without being able to take anyobservation, because the weather was all that time dark and rainy. OnMarch 20th, in the latitude of 5 degrees 15 minutes south, and in thelongitude of 181 degrees 16 minutes, the weather being then fair, wefound the variation 9 degrees eastward. On the 22nd, in the latitude of5 degrees 2 minutes south, and in the longitude of 178 degrees 32minutes, we had fine fair weather, and the benefit of the east tradewind. This day we had sight of land, which lay four miles west. Thisland proved to be a cluster of twenty islands, which in the maps arecalled Anthong Java. They lie ninety miles or thereabouts from the coastof New Guinea. It may not be amiss to observe here, that what CaptainTasman calls the coast of New Guinea, is in reality the coast of NewBritain, which Captain Dampier first discovered to be a large islandseparated from the coast of New Guinea. 

CHAPTER XIV: HIS ARRIVAL ON THE COAST OF NEW GUINEA. 

On the 25th, in the latitude of 4 degrees 35 minutes south, and in thelongitude of 175 degrees 10 minutes, we found the variation 9 degrees 30minutes east. We were then in the height of the islands of Mark, whichwere discovered by William Schovten and James le Maire. They arefourteen or fifteen in number, inhabited by savages, with black hair, dressed and trimmed in the same manner as those we saw before at the Bayof Murderers in New Zealand. On the 29th we passed the Green Islands, and on the 30th that of St. John, which were likewise discovered bySchovten and Le Maire. This island they found to be of a considerableextent, and judged it to lie at the distance of one thousand eighthundred and forty leagues from the coast of Peru. It appeared to themwell inhabited and well cultivated, abounding with flesh, fowl, fish, fruit, and other refreshments. The inhabitants made use of canoes of allsizes, were armed with slings, darts, and wooden swords, wore necklacesand bracelets of pearl, and rings in their noses. They were, however, very intractable, notwithstanding all the pains that could be taken toengage them in a fair correspondence, so that Captain Schovten was atlast obliged to fire upon them to prevent them from making themselvesmasters of his vessel, which they attacked with a great deal of vigour;and very probably this was the reason that Captain Tasman did not attemptto land or make any farther discovery. On April 1st, we were in thelatitude of 4 degrees 30 minutes south, and in the longitude of 171degrees 2 minutes, the variation being 8 degrees 45 minutes to the east, having now sight of the coast of New Guinea; and endeavouring to doublethe cape which the Spaniards call Cobo Santa Maria, we continued to sailalong the coast which lies north-west. We afterwards passed the islandsof Antony Caens, Gardeners Island, and Fishers Island, advancing towardsthe promontory called Struis Hoek, where the coast runs south and south-east. We resolved to pursue the same route, and to continue steeringsouth till we should either discover land or a passage on that side. 

It is necessary to observe, that all this time they continued on thecoast, not of New Guinea but of New Britain, for that cape which theSpaniards called Santa Maria is the very same that Captain Dampier calledCape St. George, and Caens, Gardeners, and Fishers Islands all lie uponthe same coast. They had been discovered by Schovten and Le Maire, whofound them to be well inhabited, but by a very base and treacherouspeople, who, after making signs of peace, attempted to surprise theirships; and these islanders managed their slings with such force anddexterity, as to drive the Dutch sailors from their decks; which accountof Le Maire's agree perfectly well with what Captain Dampier tells us ofthe same people. As for the continent of New Guinea, it lies quitebehind the island of New Britain, and was therefore laid down in all thecharts before Dampier's discovery, at least four degrees more to the eastthan it should have been. 

CHAPTER XV: CONTINUES HIS VOYAGE ALONG THAT COAST. 

On April 12th, in the latitude of 3 degrees 45 minutes south, and in thelongitude of 167 degrees, we found the variation 10 degrees towards theeast. That night part of the crew were wakened out of their sleep by anearthquake. They immediately ran upon deck, supposing that the ship hadstruck. On heaving the lead, however, there was no bottom to be found. We had afterwards several shocks, but none of them so violent as thefirst. We had then doubled the Struis Hoek, and were at that time in theBay of Good Hope. On the 14th, in the latitude of 5 degrees 27 minutessouth, and in the longitude of 166 degrees 57 minutes, we observed thevariation to be 9 degrees 15 minutes to the east. The land lay thennorth-east, east-north-east, and again south-south-west, so that weimagined there had been a passage between those two points; but we weresoon convinced of our mistake, and that it was all one coast, so that wewere obliged to double the West Cape and to continue creeping alongshore, and were much hindered in our passage by calms. This descriptionagrees very well with that of Schovten and Le Maire, so that probablythey had now sight again of the coast of New Guinea. 

It is very probable, from the accident that happened to Captain Tasman, and which also happened to others upon that coast, and from the burningmountains that will be hereafter mentioned, that this country is verysubject to earthquakes, and if so, without doubt it abounds with metalsand minerals, of which we have also another proof from a point in whichall these writers agree, viz. , that the people they saw had rings ontheir noses and ears, though none of them tell us of what metal theserings were made, which Le Maire might easily have done, since he carriedoff a man from one of the islands whose name was Moses, from whom helearned that almost every nation on this coast speaks a differentlanguage. 

CHAPTER XVI: ARRIVES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF BURNING ISLAND, AND SURVEYSTHE WHOLE COAST OF NEW GUINEA. 

On the 20th, in the latitude of 5 degrees 4 minutes south, and in thelongitude 164 degrees 27 minutes, we found the variation 8 degrees 30minutes east. We that night drew near the Brandande Yland, _i. E_. , burning island, which William Schovten mentions, and we perceived a greatflame issuing, as he says, from the top of a high mountain. When we werebetween that island and the continent, we saw a vast number of firesalong the shore and half-way up the mountain, from whence we concludedthat the country must be very populous. We were often detained on thiscoast by calms, and frequently observed small trees, bamboos, and shrubs, which the rivers on that coast carried into the sea; from which weinferred that this part of the country was extremely well watered, andthat the land must be very good. The next morning we passed the burningmountain, and continued a west-north-west course along that coast. 

It is remarkable that Schovten had made the same observation with respectto the driftwood forced by the rivers into the sea. He likewise observedthat there was so copious a discharge of fresh water, that it altered thecolour and the taste of the sea. He likewise says that the burningisland is extremely well peopled, and also well cultivated. Heafterwards anchored on the coast of the continent, and endeavoured totrade with the natives, who made him pay very dear for hogs and cocoa-nuts, and likewise showed him some ginger. It appears from CaptainTasman's account that he was now in haste to return to Batavia, and didnot give himself so much trouble as at the beginning about discoveries, and to say the truth, there was no great occasion, if, as I observed, hiscommission was no more than to sail round the new discovered coasts, inorder to lay them down with greater certainty in the Dutch charts. 

CHAPTER XVII: COMES TO THE ISLANDS OF JAMA AND MOA. 

On the 27th, being in the latitude of 2 degrees 10 minutes south, and inthe longitude of 146 degrees 57 minutes, we fancied that we had a sightof the island of Moa, but it proved to be that of Jama, which lies alittle to the east of Moa. We found here great plenty of cocoa-nuts andother refreshments. The inhabitants were absolutely black, and couldeasily repeat the words that they heard others speak, which shows theirown to be a very copious language. It is, however, exceedingly difficultto pronounce, because they make frequent use of the letter R, andsometimes to such a degree that it occurs twice or thrice in the sameword. The next day we anchored on the coast of the island of Moa, wherewe likewise found abundance of refreshments, and where we were obliged bybad weather to stay till May 9th. We purchased there, by way ofexchange, six thousand cocoa-nuts, and a hundred bags of pysanghs orIndian figs. When we first began to trade with these people, one of ourseamen was wounded by an arrow that one of the natives let fly, eitherthrough malice or inadvertency. We were at that very junctureendeavouring to bring our ships close to the shore, which so terrifiedthese islanders, that they brought of their own accord on board us, theman who had shot the arrow and left him at our mercy. We found themafter this accident much more tractable than before in every respect. Oursailors, therefore, pulled off the iron hoops from some of the old water-casks, stuck them into wooden handles, and filing them to an edge, soldthese awkward knives to the inhabitants for their fruits. 

In all probability they had not forgot what happened to our people onJuly 16th, 1616, in the days of William Schovten: these people, it seems, treated him very ill; upon which James le Maire brought his ship close tothe shore, and fired a broadside through the woods; the bullets, flyingthrough the trees, struck the negroes with such a panic, that they fledin an instant up into the country, and durst not show their heads againtill they had made full satisfaction for what was past, and therebysecured their safety for the time to come; and he traded with themafterwards very peaceably, and with mutual satisfaction. 

This account of our author's seems to have been taken upon memory, and isnot very exact. Schovten's seamen, or rather the petty officer whocommanded his long boat, insulted the natives grossly before they offeredany injury to his people; and then, notwithstanding they fired upon themwith small arms, the islanders obliged them to retreat; so that they wereforced to bring the great guns to bear upon the island before they couldreduce them. These people do not deserve to be treated as savages, because Schovten acknowledges that they had been engaged in commerce withthe Spaniards; as appeared by their having iron pots, glass beads, andpendants, with other European commodities, before he came thither. Healso tells us that they were a very civilised people, their country wellcultivated and very fruitful; that they had a great many boats, and othersmall craft, which they navigated with great dexterity. He adds also, that they gave him a very distinct account of the neighbouring islands, and that they solicited him to fire upon the Arimoans, with whom it seemsthey are always at war; which, however, he refused to do, unless provokedto it by some injury offered by those people. It is therefore veryapparent that the inhabitants of Moa are a people with whom anyEuropeans, settled in their neighbourhood, might without any difficultysettle a commerce, and receive considerable assistance from them inmaking discoveries. But perhaps some nations are fitter for these kindof expeditions than others, as being less apt to make use of theirartillery and small arms upon every little dispute; for as theinhabitants of Moa are well enough acquainted with the superiority whichthe Europeans have over them, it cannot be supposed that they will everhazard their total destruction by committing any gross act of crueltyupon strangers who visit their coast; and it is certainly very unfair totreat people as savages and barbarians, merely for defending themselveswhen insulted or attacked without cause. The instance Captain Tasmangives us of their delivering up the man who wounded his sailor is a plainproof of this; and as to the diffidence and suspicion which some latervoyagers have complained of with respect to the inhabitants of thisisland, they must certainly be the effects of the bad behaviour of suchEuropeans as this nation have hitherto dealt with, and would beeffectually removed, if ever they had a settled experience of a contraryconduct. The surest method of teaching people to behave honestly towardsus is to behave friendly and honestly towards them, and then there is nogreat reason to fear, that such as give evident proofs of capacity andcivility in the common affairs of life should be guilty of treachery thatmust turn to their own disadvantage. 

CHAPTER XVIII: PROSECUTES HIS VOYAGE TO CERAM. 

On the 12th of May, being then in the latitude of 54 minutes south, andin the longitude of 153 degrees 17 minutes, we found the variation 6degrees 30 minutes to the east. We continued coasting the north side ofthe island of William Schovten, which is about eighteen or nineteen mileslong, very populous, and the people very brisk and active. It was withgreat caution that Schovten gave his name to this island, for havingobserved that there were abundance of small islands laid down in thecharts on the coast of New Guinea, he was suspicious that this might beof the number. But since that time it seems a point generally agreed, that this island had not before any particular name; and therefore, inall subsequent voyages, we find it constantly mentioned by the name ofSchovten's Island. 

He describes it as a very fertile and well-peopled island; theinhabitants of which were so far from discovering anything of a savagenature, that they gave apparent testimonies of their having had anextensive commerce before he touched there, since they not only showedhim various commodities from the Spaniards, but also several samples ofChina ware; he observes that they are very unlike the nations he had seenbefore, being rather of an olive colour than black; some having short, others long hair, dressed after different fashions; they were also ataller, stronger, and stouter people than their neighbours. These littlecircumstances, which may seem tedious or trifling to such as read onlyfor amusement, are, however, of very great importance to such as havediscoveries in view; because they argue that these people have a generalcorrespondence; the difference of their complexion must arise from amixed descent; and the different manner of wearing their hair isundoubtedly owing to their following the fashion of different nations, astheir fancies lead them. He farther observes that their vessels werelarger and better contrived than their neighbours; that they readilyparted with their bows and arrows in exchange for goods, and that theywere particularly fond of glass and ironware, which, perhaps, they notonly used themselves, but employed likewise in their commerce. The mostwestern point of the island he called the Cape of Good Hope, because bydoubling that cape he expected to reach the island of Banda; and that wemay not wonder that he was in doubts and difficulties as to the situationon of these places, we ought to reflect that Schovten was the first whosailed round the world by this course, and the last too, except CommodoreRoggewein, other navigators choosing rather to run as high as California, and from thence to the Ladrone Islands, merely because it is the ordinaryroute. 

In the neighbourhood of this island Schovten also met with an earthquake, which alarmed the ship's company excessively, from an apprehension thatthey had struck upon a rock. There are some other islands in theneighbourhood of this, well peopled, and well planted, abounding withexcellent fruits, especially of the melon kind. These islands lie, as itwere, on the confines of the southern continent, and the East Indies, sothat the inhabitants enjoy all the advantages resulting from their ownhappy climate, and from their traffic with their neighbours, especiallywith those of Ternate and Amboyna, who come thither yearly to purchasetheir commodities, and who are likewise visited at certain seasons by thepeople of these islands in their turn. 

CHAPTER XIX: ARRIVES SAFELY AT BATAVIA, JUNE 15, 1643. 

On the 18th of May, in the latitude of 26 minutes south and in thelongitude of 147 degrees 55 minutes, we observed the variation to be 5degrees 30 minutes east. We were now arrived at the western extremity ofNew Guinea, which is a detached point or promontory (though it is notmarked so even in the latest maps); here we met with calms, variable andcontrary winds, with much rain; from thence we steered for Ceram, leavingthe Cape on the north, and arrived safely on that island; by this timeCaptain Tasman had fairly surrounded the continent he was instructed todiscover, and had therefore nothing now farther in view than to return toBatavia, in order to report the discoveries he had made. 

On the 27th of May we passed through the straits of Boura, or Bouton, andcontinued our passage to Batavia, where we arrived on the 15th of June, in the latitude of 6 degrees 12 minutes south, and in the longitude of127 degrees 18 minutes. This voyage was made in the space of ten months. Such was the end of this expedition, which has been always considered asthe clearest and most exact that was ever made for the discovery of theTerra Australis Incognita, from whence that chart and map was laid downin the pavement of the stadt-house at Amsterdam, as is before mentioned. We have now nothing to do but to shut up this voyage and our history ofcircumnavigators, with a few remarks, previous to which it will berequisite to state clearly and succinctly the discoveries, either made orconfirmed by Captain Tasman's voyage, that the importance of it may fullyappear, as well as the probability of our conjectures with regard to themotives that induced the Dutch East India Company to be at so much painsabout these discoveries. 

CHAPTER XX: CONSEQUENCES OF CAPTAIN TASMAN'S DISCOVERIES. 

In the first place, then, it is most evident, from Captain Tasman'svoyage, that New Guinea, Carpentaria, New Holland, Antony van Diemen'sLand, and the countries discovered by De Quiros, make all one continent, from which New Zealand seems to be separated by a strait; and, perhaps, is part of another continent, answering to Africa, as this, of which weare now speaking, plainly does to America. This continent reaches fromthe equinoctial to 44 degrees of south latitude, and extends from 122degrees to 188 degrees of longitude, making indeed a very large country, but nothing like what De Quiros imagined; which shows how dangerous athing it is to trust too much to conjecture in such points as these. Itis, secondly, observable, that as New Guinea, Carpentaria, and NewHolland, had been already pretty well examined, Captain Tasman felldirectly to the south of these; so that his first discovery was VanDiemen's Land, the most southern part of the continent on this side theglobe, and then passing round by New Zealand, he plainly discovered theopposite side of that country towards America, though he visited theislands only, and never fell in again with the continent till he arrivedon the coast of New Britain, which he mistook for that of New Guinea, ashe very well might; that country having never been suspected to be anisland, till Dampier discovered it to be such in the beginning of thepresent century. Thirdly, by this survey, these countries are for evermarked out, so long as the map or memory of this voyage, shall remain. The Dutch East India Company have it always in their power to directsettlements, or new discoveries, either in New Guinea, from the Moluccas, or in New Holland, from Batavia directly. The prudence shown in theconduct of this affair deserves the highest praise. To have attemptedheretofore, or even now, the establishing colonies in those countries, would be impolitic, because it would be grasping more than the East IndiaCompany, or than even the republic of Holland, could manage; for, in thefirst place, to reduce a continent between three and four thousand milesbroad is a prodigious undertaking, and to settle it by degrees would beto open to all the world the importance of that country which, foranything we can tell, may be much superior to any country yet known: theonly choice, therefore, that the Dutch had left, was to reserve thismighty discovery till the season arrived, in which they should be eitherobliged by necessity or invited by occasion to make use of it; but thoughthis country be reserved, it is no longer either unknown or neglected bythe Dutch, which is a point of very great consequence. To the othernations of Europe, the southern continent is a chimera, a thing in theclouds, or at least a country about which there are a thousand doubts andsuspicions, so that to talk of discovering or settling it must beregarded as an idle and empty project: but, with respect to them, it is athing perfectly well known; its extent, its boundaries, its situation, the genius of its several nations, and the commodities of which they arepossessed, are absolutely within their cognisance, so that they are atliberty to take such measures as appear to them best, for securing theeventual possession of this country, whenever they think fit. Thisaccount explains at once all the mysteries which the best writers uponthis subject have found in the Dutch proceedings. It shows why they havebeen at so much pains to obtain a clear and distinct survey of thesedistant countries; why they have hitherto forborne settling, and why theytake so much pains to prevent other nations from coming at a distinctknowledge of them: and I may add to this another particular, which isthat it accounts for their permitting the natives of Amboyna, who aretheir subjects, to carry on a trade to New Guinea, and the adjacentcountries, since, by this very method, it is apparent that they gaindaily fresh intelligence as to the product and commodities of thosecountries. Having thus explained the consequence of Captain Tasman'svoyage, and thereby fully justified my giving it a place in this part ofmy work, I am now at liberty to pursue the reflections with which Ipromised to close this section, and the history of circumnavigators, andin doing which, I shall endeavour to make the reader sensible of theadvantages that arise from publishing these voyages in their properorder, so as to show what is, and what is yet to be discovered of theglobe on which we live. 

CHAPTER XXI: REMARKS UPON THE VOYAGE. 

In speaking of the consequences of Captain Tasman's voyage, it has beenvery amply shown that this part of Terra Australis, or southern country, has been fully and certainly discovered. To prevent, however, thereader's making any mistake, I will take this opportunity of layingbefore him some remarks on the whole southern hemisphere, which willenable him immediately to comprehend all that I have afterwards to say onthis subject. 

If we suppose the south pole to be the centre of a chart of which theequinoctial is the circumference, we shall then discern four quarters, ofthe contents of which, if we could give a full account, this part of theworld would be perfectly discovered. To begin then with the first ofthese, that is, from the first meridian, placed in the island of Fero. Within this division, that is to say, from the first to the nineteenthdegree of longitude, there lies the great continent of Africa, the mostsouthern point of which is the Cape of Good Hope, lying in the latitudeof 34 degrees 15 minutes south. Between that and the pole, several smallbut very inconsiderable islands have been discovered, affording us onlythis degree of certainty, that to the latitude of 50 degrees there is noland to be found of any consequence; there was, indeed, a voyage made byMr. Bovet in the year 1738, on purpose to discover whether there were anylands to the south in that quarter or not. This gentleman sailed fromPort l'Orient July the 18th, 1738, and on the 1st of January, 1739, discovered a country, the coasts of which were covered with ice, in thelatitude of 54 degrees south, and in the longitude of 28 degrees 30minutes, the variation of the compass being there 6 degrees 45 minutes, to the west. 

In the next quarter, that is to say, from 90 degrees longitude to 180degrees, lie the countries of which we have been speaking, or that largesouthern island, extending from the equinoctial to the latitude of 43degrees 10 minutes, and the longitude of 167 degrees 55 minutes, which isthe extremity of Van Diemen's Land. 

In the third quarter, that is, from the longitude of 150 degrees to 170degrees, there is very little discovered with any certainty. CaptainTasman, indeed, visited the coast of New Zealand, in the latitude of 42degrees 10 minutes south, and in the longitude of 188 degrees 28 minutes;but besides this, and the islands of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, we knowvery little; and therefore, if there be any doubts about the reality ofTerra Australis, it must be with respect to that part of it which lieswithin this quarter, through which Schovten and Le Maire sailed, butwithout discovering anything more than a few small islands. 

The fourth and last quarter is from 270 degrees of longitude to the firstmeridian, within which lies the continent of South America, and theisland of Terra del Fuego, the most southern promontory of which issupposed to be Cape Horn, which, according to the best of observations, is in the latitude of 56 degrees, beyond which there has been nothingwith any degree of certainty discovered on this side. 

On the whole, therefore, it appears there are three continents alreadytolerably discovered which point towards the south pole, and therefore itis very probable there is a fourth, which if there be, it must liebetween the country of New Zealand, discovered by Captain Tasman, andthat country which was seen by Captain Sharpe and Mr. Wafer in the SouthSeas, to which land therefore, and no other, the title of Terra AustralisIncognita properly belongs. Leaving this, therefore, to the industry offuture ages to discover, we will now return to that great southern islandwhich Captain Tasman actually surrounded, and the bounds of which aretolerably well known. 

In order to give the reader a proper idea of the importance of thiscountry, it will be requisite to say something of the climates in whichit is situated. As it lies from the equinoctial to near the latitude of44 degrees, the longest day in the most northern parts must be twelvehours, and in the southern about fifteen hours, or somewhat more, so thatit extends from the first to the seventh climate, which shows itssituation to be the happiest in the world, the country called VanDiemen's Land resembling in all respects the south of France. As thereare in all countries some parts more pleasant than others, so there seemsgood reason to believe that within two or three degrees of the tropic ofCapricorn, which passes through the midst of New Holland, is the mostunwholesome and disagreeable part of this country; the reason of which isvery plain, for in those parts it must be excessively hot, much more sothan under the line itself, since the days and nights are there alwaysequal, whereas within three or four degrees of the tropic of Capricorn, that is to say, in the latitude 27 degrees south, the days are thirteenhours and a half long, and the sun is twice in their zenith, first in thebeginning of December, or rather in the latter end of November, and againwhen it returns back, which occasions a burning heat for about twomonths, or something more; whereas, either farther to the south or nearerto the line, the climate must be equally wholesome and pleasant. 

As to the product and commodities of this country in general, there isthe greatest reason in the world to believe that they are extremely richand valuable, because the richest and finest countries in the known worldlie all of them within the same latitude; but to return from conjecturesto facts, the country discovered by De Quiros makes a part of this greatisland, and is the opposite coast to that of Carpentaria. This country, the discoverer called La Australia del Espiritu Santo, in the latitude of15 degrees 40 minutes south, and, as he reports, it abounds with gold, silver, pearl, nutmegs, mace, ginger, and sugar-canes, of anextraordinary size. I do not wonder that formerly the fact might bedoubted, but at present I think there is sufficient reason to induce usto believe it, for Captain Dampier describes the country about Cape St. George and Port Mountague, which are within 9 degrees of the countrydescribed by De Quiros. I say Captain Dampier describes what he saw inthe following words: "The country hereabouts is mountainous and woody, full of rich valleys and pleasant fresh-water brooks; the mould in thevalleys is deep and yellowish, that on the sides of the hills of a verybrown colour, and not very deep, but rocky underneath, yet excellentplanting land; the trees in general are neither very straight, thick, nortall, yet appear green and pleasant enough; some of them bear flowers, some berries, and others big fruits, but all unknown to any of us; cocoa-nut trees thrive very well here, as well on the bays by the sea-side, asmore remote among the plantations; the nuts are of an indifferent size, the milk and kernel very thick and pleasant; here are ginger, yams, andother very good roots for the pot, that our men saw and tasted; whatother fruits or roots the country affords I know not; here are hogs anddogs, other land animals we saw none; the fowls we saw and knew werepigeons, parrots, cocadores, and crows, like those in England; a sort ofbirds about the bigness of a blackbird, and smaller birds many. The seaand rivers have plenty of fish; we saw abundance, though we catched butfew, and these were cavallies, yellow-tails, and whip-wreys. "

This account is grounded only on a very slight view, whereas De Quirosresided for some time in the place he has mentioned. In another placeCaptain Dampier observes that he saw nutmegs amongst them, which seemedto be fresh-gathered, all which agrees perfectly with the account givenby De Quiros; add to this, that Schovten had likewise observed, that theyhad ginger upon this coast, and some other spices, so that on the wholethere seems not the least reason to doubt that if any part of thiscountry was settled, it must be attended with a very rich commerce; forit cannot be supposed that all these writers should be either mistaken, or that they should concur in a design to impose upon their readers;which is the less to be suspected, if we consider how well their reportsagree with the situation of the country, and that the trees on the land, and the fish on the coast, corresponding exactly with the trees of thosecountries, and the fish on the coasts, where these commodities are knownto abound within land, seem to intimate a perfect conformity throughout. 

The next thing to be considered is, the possibility of planting in thispart of the world, which at first sight, I must confess, seems to beattended with considerable difficulties with respect to every othernation except the Dutch, who either from Batavia, the Moluccas, or evenfrom the Cape of Good Hope, might with ease settle themselves whereverthey thought fit; as, however, they have neglected this for above acentury, there seems to be no reason why their conduct in this respectshould become the rule of other nations, or why any other nation shouldbe apprehensive of drawing on herself the displeasure of the Dutch, byendeavouring to turn to their benefit countries the Dutch have so longsuffered to lie, with respect to Europe, waste and desert. 

The first point, with respect to a discovery, would be to send a smallsquadron on the coast of Van Diemen's Land, and from thence round, in thesame course taken by Captain Tasman, by the coast of New Guinea, whichmight enable the nations that attempted it to come to an absolutecertainty with regard to its commodities and commerce. Such a voyage asthis might be performed with very great ease, and at a small expense, byour East India Company; and this in the space of eight or nine months'time; and considering what mighty advantages might accrue to the nation, there seems to be nothing harsh or improbable in supposing that some timeor other, when the legislature is more than usually intent on affairs ofcommerce, they may be directed to make such an expedition at the expenseof the public. By this means all the back coast of New Holland and NewGuinea might be thoroughly examined, and we might know as well, and ascertainly as the Dutch, how far a colony settled there might answer ourexpectations; one thing is certain, that to persons used to thenavigation of the Indies, such an expedition could not be thought eitherdangerous or difficult, because it is already sufficiently known thatthere are everywhere islands upon the coast, where ships upon such adiscovery might be sure to meet with refreshments, as is plain fromCommodore Roggewein's voyage, made little more than twenty years ago. 

The only difficulty that I can see would be the getting a fair and honestaccount of this expedition when made; for private interest is so apt tointerfere, and get the better of the public service, that it is very hardto be sure of anything of this sort. That I may not be suspected of anyintent to calumniate, I shall put the reader in mind of two instances;the first is, as to the new trade from Russia, for establishing of whichan Act of Parliament was with great difficulty obtained, though visiblyfor the advantage of the nation; the other instance is, the voyage ofCaptain Middleton, for the discovery of a north-west passage into thesouth seas, which is ended by a very warm dispute, whether that passagebe found or not, the person supposed to have found it maintaining thenegative. 

Whenever, therefore, such an expedition is undertaken, it ought to beunder the direction, not only of a person of parts and experience, but ofunspotted character, who, on his return, should be obliged to deliver hisjournal upon oath, and the principal officers under him should likewisebe directed to keep their journals distinctly, and without their beinginspected by the principal officer; all which journals ought to bepublished by authority as soon as received, that every man might be atliberty to examine them, and deliver his thoughts as to the discoveriesmade, or the impediments suggested to have hindered or prevented suchdiscoveries, by which means the public would be sure to obtain a full anddistinct account of the matter; and it would thence immediately appearwhether it would be expedient to prosecute the design or not. 

But if it should be thought too burdensome for a company in soflourishing a condition, and consequently engaged in so extensive acommerce as the East India Company is, to undertake such an expedition, merely to serve the public, promote the exportation of our manufactures, and increase the number of industrious persons who are maintained byforeign trade; if this, I say, should be thought too grievous for acompany that has purchased her privileges from the public by a large loanat low interest, there can certainly be no objection to the putting thisproject into the hands of the Royal African Company, who are not quite inso flourishing a condition; they have equal opportunities for undertakingit, since the voyage might be with great ease performed from theirsettlements in ten months, and if the trade was found to answer, it mightencourage the settling a colony at Madagascar to and from which shipsmight, with the greatest conveniency, carry on the trade to New Guinea. Icannot say how far such a trade might be consistent with their presentcharter; but if it should be found advantageous to the public, andbeneficial to the company, I think there can be no reason assigned why itshould not be secured to them, and that too in the most effectual manner. 

A very small progress in it would restore the reputation of the company, and in time, perhaps, free the nation from the annual expense she is nowat, for the support of the forts and garrisons belonging to that companyon the coasts of Africa; which would alone prove of great and immediateservice, both to the public and to the company. To say the truth, something of this sort is absolutely necessary to vindicate the expensethe nation is at; for if the trade, for the carrying on of which acompany is established, proves, by a change of circumstances, incapableof supporting that company, and thereby brings a load upon the public, this ought to be a motive, it ought, indeed, to be the strongest motive, for that company to endeavour the extension of its commerce, or thestriking out, if possible, some new branch of trade, which may restore itto its former splendour; and in this as it hath an apparent right, sothere is not the least reason to doubt that it would meet with all thecountenance and assistance from the government that it could reasonablyexpect or desire. 

If such a design should ever be attempted, perhaps the island of NewBritain might be the properest place for them to settle. As to thesituation, extent, and present condition of that island, all that can besaid of it must be taken from the account given by its discoverer CaptainDampier, which, in few words, amounts to this: "The island which I callNova Britannia has about 4 degrees of latitude, the body of it lying in 4degrees, the northernmost part in 2 degrees 30 minutes, and thesouthernmost in 6 degrees 30 minutes. It has about 5 degrees 18 minuteslongitude from east to west; it is generally high mountainous land, mixedwith large valleys, which, as well as the mountains, appeared veryfertile; and in most places that we saw the trees are very large, tall, and thick. It is also very well inhabited with strong, well-limbednegroes, whom we found very daring and bold at several places: as to theproduct of it, it is very probable this island may afford as many richcommodities as any in the world; and the natives may be easily brought tocommerce, though I could not pretend to it in my circumstances. " If anyobjections should be raised from Dampier's misfortune in that voyage, itis easy to show that it ought to have no manner of weight whatever, since, though he was an excellent pilot, he is allowed to have been but abad commander; besides, the _Roebuck_, in which he sailed, was a worn-outfrigate that would hardly swim; and it is no great wonder that in socrazy a vessel the people were a little impatient at being abroad ondiscoveries; yet, after all, he performed what he was sent for; and, bythe discovery of this island of New Britain, secured us an indisputableright to a country, that is, or might be made, very valuable. 

It is so situated, that a great trade might be carried on from thencethrough the whole Terra Australis on one side, and the most valuableislands of the East Indies on the other. In short, all, or at leastmost, of the advantages proposed by the Dutch West India Company'sjoining with their East India Company, of which a large account hasalready been given, might be procured for this nation, by theestablishing a colony in this island of New Britain, and securing thetrade of that colony to the African Company by law; the very passing ofwhich law would give the company more than sufficient credit, to fit outa squadron at once capable of securing the possession of that island, andof giving the public such satisfaction as to its importance, as might berequisite to obtain further power and assistance from the State, if thatshould be found necessary. It would be very easy to point out someadvantages peculiarly convenient for that company; but it will be timeenough to think of these whenever the African Company shall discover aninclination to prosecute this design. At present I have done what Iproposed, and have shown that such a collection of voyages as this oughtnot to be considered as a work of mere amusement, but as a workcalculated for the benefit of mankind in general, and of this nation inparticular, which it is the duty of every man to promote in his station;and whatever fate these reflections may meet with, I shall always havethe satisfaction of remembering that I have not neglected it in mine, buthave taken the utmost pains to turn a course of laborious reading to theadvantage of my country. 

But, supposing that neither of these companies should think it expedient, or, in other words, should not think it consistent with their interest toattempt this discovery, there is yet a third company, within the spiritof whose charter, I humbly conceive, the prosecution of such a schemeimmediately lies. The reader will easily discern that I mean the companyfor carrying on a trade to the South Seas, who, notwithstanding theextensiveness of their charter, confirmed and supported by authority ofparliament, have not, so far as my information reaches, ever attempted tosend so much as a single ship for the sake of discoveries into the SouthSeas, which, however, was the great point proposed when this company wasfirst established. In order to prove this, I need only lay before thereader the limits assigned that company by their charter, the substanceof which is contained in the following words:--

"The corporation, and their successors, shall, for ever, be vested in thesole trade into and from all the kingdoms and lands on the east side ofAmerica, from the River Oroonoco, to the southernmost part of Terra delFuego, and on the west side thereof from the said southernmost part ofTerra del Fuego, through the South Sea, to the northernmost part ofAmerica, and into and through all the countries, islands, and placeswithin the said limits, which are reputed to belong to Spain, or whichshall hereafter be found out and discovered within the limits aforesaid, not exceeding 300 leagues from the continent of America, between thesouthernmost part of the Terra del Fuego and the northernmost part ofAmerica, on the said west side thereof, except the Kingdom of Brazil, andsuch other places on the east side of America, as are now in thepossession of the King of Portugal, and the country of Surinam, in thepossession of the States-general. The said company, and none else, areto trade within the said limits; and, if any other persons shall trade tothe South Seas, they shall forfeit the ship and goods, and double value, one-fourth part to the crown, and another fourth part to the prosecutor, and the other two-fourths to the use of the company. And the companyshall be the sole owners of the islands, forts, etc. , which they shalldiscover within the said limits, to be held of the crown, under an annualrent of an ounce of gold, and of all ships taken as prizes by the shipsof the said company; and the company may seize, by force of arms, allother British ships trading in those seas. "

It is, I think, impossible for any man to imagine that either theselimits should be secured to the company for no purpose in the world; orthat these prohibitions and penalties should take place, notwithstandingthe company's never attempting to make any use of these powers; fromwhence I infer that it was the intent of the legislature that newdiscoveries should be made, new plantations settled, and a new tradecarried on by this new corporation, agreeable to the rules prescribed, and for the general benefit of this nation; which I apprehend was chieflyconsidered in the providing that this new commerce should be put underthe management of a particular company. But I am very well aware of anobjection that may be made to what I have advanced; _viz_. , that, from myown showing, this southern continent lies absolutely without theirlimits; and that there is also a proviso in the charter of that companythat seems particularly calculated to exclude it, since it recites that. 

"The agents of the company shall not sail beyond the southernmost partsof Terra del Fuego, except through the Straits of Magellan, or roundTerra del Fuego; nor go from thence to any part of the East Indies, norreturn to Great Britain, or any port or place, unless through the saidstraits, or by Terra del Fuego: nor shall they trade in East India goods, or in any places within the limits granted to the united company ofmerchants of England trading to East India (such India goods excepted asshall be actually exported from Great Britain, and also such gold, silver, wrought plate, and other goods and commodities, which are theproduce, growth, or manufactures of the West Indies, or continent ofAmerica): neither shall they send ships, or use them or any vessel, within the South Seas, from Terra del Fuego to the northernmost parts ofAmerica, above three hundred leagues to the westward of, and distant fromthe land of Chili, Peru, Mexico, California, or any other the lands orshores of Southern or Northern America, between Terra del Fuego and thenorthernmost part of America, on pain of the forfeiture of the ships andgoods; one-third to the crown, and the other two-thirds to the East IndiaCompany. "

But the reader will observe that I mentioned the East India and AfricanCompanies before; and that I now mention the South Sea Company, on asupposition that the two former may refuse it. In that case, I presume, the legislature will make the same distinction that the States of Hollanddid, and not suffer the private advantage of any particular company tostand in competition with the good of a whole people. It was upon thisprinciple that I laid it down as a thing certain, that the Africancompany would be allowed to settle the island of Madagascar, though itlies within the limits of the East India Company's charter, in case itshould be found necessary for the better carrying on of this trade. Itis upon the same principle I say this southern continent lies within theintention of the South Sea Company's charter, because, I presume, theintent of that charter was to grant them all the commerce in those seas, not occupied before by British subjects; for, if it were otherwise, whata condition should we be in as a maritime power? If a grant does notoblige a company to carry on a trade within the limits granted to thatcompany, and is, at the same time, of force to preclude all the subjectsof this nation from the right they before had to carry on a trade withinthose limits, such a law is plainly destructive to the nation's interestand to commerce in general. I therefore suppose, that, if the South SeaCompany should think proper to revive their trade in the manner Ipropose, this proviso would be explained by Parliament to mean no morethan excluding the South Sea Company from settling or trading in or toany place at present settled in or traded to by the East India Company:for, as this interpretation would secure the just rights of bothcompanies, and, at the same time reconcile the laws for establishing themto the general interest of trade and the nation, there is the greatestreason to believe this to be the intention of the legislature. I havebeen obliged to insist fully upon this matter, because it is a pointhitherto untouched, and a point of such high importance, that, unless itbe understood according to my sense of the matter, there is an end of allhopes of extending our trade on this side, which is perhaps the only sideon which there is the least probability that it ever can be extended;for, as to the north-west passage into the South Seas, that seems to beblocked up by the rights of another company; so that, according to theletter of our laws, each company is to have its rights, and the nation ingeneral no right at all. 

If, therefore, the settling of this part of Terra Australis shoulddevolve on the South Sea Company, by way of equivalent for the loss oftheir Assiento contract, there is no sort of question but it might be aswell performed by them as by any other, and the trade carried on withoutinterfering with that which is at present carried on, either by the EastIndia or African Companies. It would indeed, in this case, be absolutelynecessary to settle Juan Fernandez, the settlement of which place, underthe direction of that company, if they could, as very probably theymight, fall into some share of the slave-trade from New Guinea, mustprove wonderfully advantageous, considering the opportunity they wouldhave of vending those slaves to the Spaniards in Chili and Peru. Thesettling of this island ought to be performed at once, and with acompetent force, since, without doubt, the Spaniards would leave no meansunattempted to dispossess them: yet, if a good fortification was onceraised, the passes properly retrenched, and a garrison left there ofbetween three and five hundred men, it would be simply impossible for theSpaniards to force them out of it before the arrival of another squadronfrom hence. Neither do I see any reason why, in the space of a very fewyears, the plantation of this island should not prove of as greatconsequence to the South Sea Company as that of Curacao to the Dutch WestIndia Company, who raise no less than sixty thousand florins per annumfor licensing ships to trade there. 

From Juan Fernandez to Van Diemen's Land is not above two months' sail;and a voyage for discovery might be very conveniently made between thetime that a squadron returned from Juan Fernandez, and another squadron'sarrival there from hence. It is true that, if once a considerablesettlement was made in the most southern part of Terra Australis, thecompany might then fall into a large commerce in the most valuable EastIndia goods, very probably gold, and spices of all sorts: yet I cannotthink that even these would fall within the exclusive proviso of theircharter; for that was certainly intended to hinder their trading in suchgoods as are brought hither by our East India Company; and I must confessI see no difference, with respect to the interest of that company, between our having cloves, cinnamon, and mace, by the South Sea Company'sships from Juan Fernandez, and our receiving them from Holland, after theDutch East India Company's ships have brought them thither by the way ofthe Cape of Good Hope. Sure I am they would come to us sooner by somemonths by the way of Cape Horn. If this reasoning does not satisfypeople, but they still remain persuaded that the South Sea Company oughtnot to intermeddle with the East India trade at all, I desire to know whythe West India merchants are allowed to import coffee from Jamaica, whenit is well known that the East India Company can supply the whole demandof this kingdom from Mocha? If it be answered that the Jamaica coffeecomes cheaper, and is the growth of our own plantations, I reply, thatthese spices will not only be cheaper, but better, and be purchased byour own manufacturers; and these, I think, are the strongest reasons thatcan be given. 

If it be demanded what certainty I have that spices can be had fromthence, I answer, all the certainty that in a thing of this nature can bereasonably expected: Ferdinand de Quiros met with all sorts of spices inthe country he discovered; William Schovten, and Jacques le Maire, sawginger and nutmegs; so did Dampier; and the author of CommodoreRoggewein's Voyage asserts, that the free burgesses of Amboyna purchasenutmegs from the natives of New Guinea for bits of iron. All, therefore, I contend for, is that these bits of iron may be sent them from OldEngland. 

The reason I recommend settling on the south coast of Terra Australis, ifthis design should be prosecuted, from Juan Fernandez, rather than theisland of New Britain, which I mentioned before, is, because that coastis nearer, and is situated in a better and pleasanter climate. Besidesall which advantages, as it was never hitherto visited by the Dutch, theycannot, with any colour of justice, take umbrage at our attempting such asettlement. To close then this subject, the importance of which aloneinclined me to spend so much of mine and the reader's time about it:

It is most evident, that, if such a settlement was made at JuanFernandez, proper magazines erected, and a constant correspondenceestablished between that island and the Terra Australis, these threeconsequences must absolutely follow from thence: 1. That a new tradewould be opened, which must carry off a great quantity of our goods andmanufactures, that cannot, at present, be brought to any market, or atleast, not to so good a market as if there was a greater demand for them. 2. It would render this navigation, which is at present so strange, andconsequently so terrible, to us, easy and familiar; which might beattended with advantages that cannot be foreseen, especially since thereis, as I before observed, in all probability another southern continent, which is still to be discovered. 3. It would greatly increase ourshipping and our seamen, which are the true and natural strength of thiscountry, extend our naval power, and raise the reputation of this nation;the most distant prospect of which is sufficient to warm the soul of anyman who has the least regard for his country, with courage sufficient todespise the imputations that may be thrown upon him as a visionaryprojector, for taking so much pains about an affair that can tend solittle to his private advantage. We will now add a few words withrespect to the advantages arising from having thus digested the historyof circumnavigators, from the earliest account of time to the present, and then shut up the whole with another section, containing the lastcircumnavigation by Rear-Admiral Anson, whose voyage has at least shownthat, under a proper officer, English seamen are able to achieve as muchas they ever did; and that is as much as was ever done by any nation inthe world. 

It is a point that has always admitted some debate, whether sciencestands more indebted to speculation or practice; or, in other words, whether the greater discoveries have been made by men of deep study, orpersons of great experience in the most useful parts of knowledge. Butthis, I think, is a proposition that admits of no dispute at all, thatthe noblest discoveries have been the result of a just mixture of theorywith practice. It was from hence that the very notion of sailing roundthe earth took rise; and the ingenious Genoese first laid down thissystem of the world, according to his conception, and then added theproofs derived from experience. It is much to be deplored that we havenot that plan of discovery which the great Christopher Columbus sent overthither by his brother Bartholomew to King Henry VII. , for if we had weshould certainly find abundance of very curious observations, which mightstill be useful to mariners: for it appears clearly, from many littlecircumstances, that he was a person of universal genius, and, until badusage obliged him to take many precautions, very communicative. 

It was from this plan, as it had been communicated to the Portuguesecourt, that the famous Magellan came to have so just notions of thepossibility of sailing by the West to the East Indies; and there was agreat deal of theory in the proposal made by that great man to theEmperor Charles V. Sir Francis Drake was a person of the same genius, and of a like general knowledge; and it is very remarkable that thesethree great seamen met also with the same fate; by which I mean, thatthey were constantly pursued by envy while they lived, which hindered somuch notice being taken of their discourses and discoveries as theydeserved. But when the experience of succeeding times had verified manyof their sayings, which had been considered as vain and empty boastingsin their lifetimes, then prosperity began to pay a superstitious regardto whatever could be collected concerning them, and to admire all theydelivered as oraculous. Our other discoverer, Candish, was likewise aman of great parts and great penetration, as well as of great spirit; hehad, undoubtedly, a mighty genius for discoveries; but the prevailingnotion of those times, that the only way to serve the nation wasplundering the Spaniards, seems to have got the better of his desire tofind out unknown countries; and made him choose to be known to posterityrather as a gallant privateer than as an able seaman, though in truth hewas both. 

After these follow Schovten and Le Maire, who were fitted out to makediscoveries; and executed their commission with equal capacity andsuccess. If Le Maire had lived to return to Holland, and to havedigested into proper order his own accounts, we should, without question, have received a much fuller and clearer, as well as a much more correctand satisfactory detail of them than we have at present: though thevoyage, as it is now published, is in all respects the best, and the mostcurious of all the circumnavigators. This was, very probably, owing tothe ill-usage he met with from the Dutch East India Company; which putCaptain Schovten, and the relations of Le Maire, upon giving the worldthe best information they could of what had been in that voyageperformed. Yet the fate of Le Maire had a much greater effect indiscouraging, than the fame of his discoveries had in exciting, a spiritof emulation; so that we may safely say, the severity of the East IndiaCompany in Holland extinguished that generous desire of exploring unknownlands, which might otherwise have raised the reputation and extended thecommerce of the republic much beyond what they have hitherto reached. This is so true that for upwards of one hundred years we hear of no Dutchvoyage in pursuit of Le Maire's discoveries; and we see, when CommodoreRoggewein, in our own time, revived that noble design, it was againcramped by the same power that stifled it before; and though the Statesdid justice to the West India Company, and to the parties injured, yetthe hardships they suffered, and the plain proof they gave of thedifficulties that must be met with in the prosecution of such a design, seem to have done the business of the East India Company, and damped thespirit of discovery, for perhaps another century, in Holland. 

It is very observable that all the mighty discoveries that have been madearose from these great men, who joined reasoning with practice, and weremen of genius and learning, as well as seamen. To Columbus we owe thefinding America; to Magellan the passing by the straits which bear hisname, by a new route to the East Indies; to Le Maire a more commodiouspassage round Cape Horn, and without running up to California; SirFrancis Drake, too, hinted the advantages that might arise by examiningthe north-west side of America; and Candish had some notions ofdiscovering a passage between China and Japan. As to the history we haveof Roggewein's voyage, it affords such lights as nothing but our ownnegligence can render useless. But in the other voyages, whateverdiscoveries we meet with are purely accidental, except it be Dampier'svoyage to the coasts of New Holland and New Guinea, which was expresslymade for discoveries; and in which, if an abler man had been employed inconjunction with Dampier, we cannot doubt that the interior and exteriorof those countries would have been much better known than they are atpresent; because such a person would rather have chosen to have refreshedin the island of New Britain, or some other country not visited before, than at that of Timer, already settled both by the Portuguese and theDutch. 

In all attempts, therefore, of this sort, those men are fittest to beemployed who, with competent abilities as seamen, have likewise generalcapacities, are at least tolerably acquainted with other sciences, andhave settled judgments and solid understandings. These are the men fromwhom we are to expect the finishing that great work which formercircumnavigators have begun; I mean the discovering every part and parcelof the globe, and the carrying to its utmost perfection the admirable anduseful science of navigation. 

It is, however, a piece of justice due to the memory of these great men, to acknowledge that we are equally encouraged by their examples andguided by their discoveries. We owe to them the being freed, not onlyfrom the errors, but from the doubts and difficulties with which formerages were oppressed; to them we stand indebted for the discovery of thebest part of the world, which was entirely unknown to the ancients, particularly some part of the eastern, most of the southern, and all thewestern hemisphere; from them we have learned that the earth issurrounded by the ocean, and that all the countries under the torrid zoneare inhabited, and that, quite contrary to the notions that were formerlyentertained, they are very far from being the most sultry climate in theworld, those within a few degrees of the tropics, though habitable, beingmuch more hot, for reasons which have been elsewhere explained. By theirvoyages, and especially by the observations of Columbus, we have beentaught the general motion of the sea, the reason of it, and the cause anddifference of currents in particular places, to which we may add thedoctrine of tides, which were very imperfectly known, even by thegreatest men in former times, whose accounts have been found equallyrepugnant to reason and experience. 

By their observations we have acquired a great knowledge as to the natureand variation of winds, particularly the monsoons, or trade winds, andother periodical winds, of which the ancients had not the leastconception; and by these helps we not only have it in our power toproceed much farther in our discoveries, but we are likewise deliveredfrom a multitude of groundless apprehensions, that frightened them fromprosecuting discoveries. We give no credit now to the fables that notonly amused antiquity, but even obtained credit within a few generations. The authority of Pliny will not persuade us that there are any nationswithout heads, whose eyes and mouths are in their breasts, or that theArimaspi have only one eye, fixed in their forehead, and that they areperpetually at war with the Griffins, who guard hidden treasures; or thatthere are nations that have long hairy tales, and grin like monkeys. Notraveller can make us believe that, under the torrid zone, there are anation every man of which has one large flat foot, with which, lying uponhis back, he covers himself from the sun. In this respect we have thesame advantage over the ancients that men have over children; and wecannot reflect without amazement on men's having so much knowledge andlearning in other respects, with such childish understandings in these. 

By the labours of these great men in the two last centuries we are taughtto know what we seek, and how it is to be sought. We know, for example, what parts of the north are yet undiscovered, and also what parts of thesouth. We can form a very certain judgment of the climate of countriesundiscovered, and can foresee the advantages that will result fromdiscoveries before they are made; all which are prodigious advantages, and ought certainly to animate us in our searches. I might add to thisthe great benefits we receive from our more perfect acquaintance with theproperties of the loadstone, and from the surprising accuracy ofastronomical observations, to which I may add the physical discoveriesmade of late years in relation to the figure of the earth, all of whichare the result of the lights which these great men have given us. 

It is true that some of the zealous defenders of the ancients, and someof the great admirers of the Eastern nations, dispute these facts, andwould have us believe that almost everything was known to the oldphilosophers, and not only known but practised by the Chinese long beforethe time of the great men to whom we ascribe them. But the differencebetween their assertions and ours is, that we fully prove the facts weallege, whereas they produce no evidence at all; for instance, AlbertusMagnus says that Aristotle wrote an express treatise on the direction ofthe loadstone; but nobody ever saw that treatise, nor was it ever heardof by any of the rest of his commentators. We have in our hands some ofthe best performances of antiquity in regard to geography, and any manwho has eyes, and is at all acquainted with that science, can very easilydiscern how far they fall short of maps that were made even a hundredyears ago. The celebrated Vossius, and the rest of the admirers of theChinese, who, by the way, derived all their knowledge from hearsay, maytestify, in as strong terms as they think fit, their contempt for theWestern sages and their high opinion of those in the East; but till theyprove to us that their favourite Chinese made any voyages comparable tothe Europeans, before the discovery of a passage to China by the Cape ofGood Hope, they will excuse us from believing them. Besides, if theancients had all this knowledge, how came it not to display itself intheir performances? How came they to make such difficulties of what arenow esteemed trifles? And how came they never to make any voyages, bychoice at least, that were out of sight of land? Again, with respect tothe Chinese, if they excel us so much in knowledge, how came themissionaries to be so much admired for their superior skill in thesciences? But to cut the matter short, we are not disputing now aboutspeculative points of science, but as to the practical application of it;in which, I think, there is no doubt that the modern inhabitants of thewestern parts of the world excel, and excel chiefly from the labours anddiscoveries of these great and ingenious men, who applied their abilitiesto the improvement of useful arts, for the particular benefit of theircountrymen, and to the common good of mankind; which character is notderived from any prejudice of ours, either against the ancients or theOriental nations, but is founded on facts of public notoriety, and ongeneral experience, which are a kind of evidence not to be controvertedor contradicted. 

We are still, however, in several respects short of perfection, and thereare many things left to exercise the sagacity, penetration, andapplication of this and of succeeding ages; for instance, the passages tothe north-east and north-west are yet unknown; there is a great part ofthe southern continent undiscovered; we are, in a manner, ignorant ofwhat lies between America and Japan, and all beyond that country liesburied in obscurity, perhaps in greater obscurity than it was an age ago;so that there is still room for performing great things, which in theirconsequences perhaps might prove greater than can well be imagined. Isay nothing of the discoveries that yet remain with regard to inlandcountries, because these fall properly under another head, I mean that oftravels. But it will be time enough to think of penetrating into theheart of countries when we have discovered the seacoasts of the wholeglobe, towards which the voyages recorded in this chapter have so faradvanced already. But the only means to arrive at these great ends, andto transmit to posterity a fame approaching, at least in some measure, tothat of our ancestors, is to revive and restore that glorious spiritwhich led them to such great exploits; and the most natural method ofdoing this is to collect and preserve the memory of their exploits, thatthey may serve at once to excite our imitation, encourage our endeavours, and point out to us how they may be best employed, and with the greatestprobability of success. 

AN ACCOUNT OF NEW HOLLAND AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS. 1699-1700. 

BY CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER. 

Having described his voyage from Brazil to New Holland, this celebratednavigator thus proceeds:

About the latitude of 26 degrees south we saw an opening, and ran in, hoping to find a harbour there; but when we came to its mouth, which wasabout two leagues wide, we saw rocks and foul ground within, andtherefore stood out again; there we had twenty fathom water within twomiles of the shore: the land everywhere appeared pretty low, flat, andeven, but with steep cliffs to the sea, and when we came near it therewere no trees, shrubs, or grass to be seen. The soundings in thelatitude of 26 degrees south, from about eight or nine leagues off tillyou come within a league of the shore, are generally about forty fathoms, differing but little, seldom above three or four fathoms; but the leadbrings up very different sorts of sand, some coarse, some fine, and ofseveral colours, as yellow, white, grey, brown, bluish, and reddish. 

When I saw there was no harbour here, nor good anchoring, I stood off tosea again in the evening of the 2nd of August, fearing a storm on a lee-shore, in a place where there was no shelter, and desiring at least tohave sea-room, for the clouds began to grow thick in the western-board, and the wind was already there and began to blow fresh almost upon theshore, which at this place lies along north-north-west and south-south-east. By nine o'clock at night we got a pretty good offing, but the windstill increasing, I took in my main-top-sail, being able to carry no moresail than two courses and the mizen. At two in the morning, August 3rd, it blew very hard, and the sea was much raised, so that I furled all mysails but my mainsail, though the wind blew so hard, we had pretty clearweather till noon, but then the whole sky was blackened with thickclouds, and we had some rain, which would last a quarter of an hour at atime, and then it would blow very fierce while the squalls of rain wereover our heads, but as soon as they were gone the wind was by muchabated, the stress of the storm being over; we sounded several times, buthad no ground till eight o'clock, August the 4th, in the evening, andthen had sixty fathom water, coral ground. At ten we had fifty-sixfathom, fine sand. At twelve we had fifty-five fathom, fine sand, of apale bluish colour. It was now pretty moderate weather, yet I made nosail till morning, but then the wind veering about to the south-west, Imade sail and stood to the north, and at eleven o'clock the next day, August 5th, we saw land again, at about ten leagues distant. This noonwe were in latitude 25 degrees 30 minutes, and in the afternoon our cookdied, an old man, who had been sick a great while, being infirm before wecame out of England. 

The 6th of August, in the morning, we saw an opening in the land, and weran into it, and anchored in seven and a half fathom water, two milesfrom the shore, clean sand. It was somewhat difficult getting in here, by reason of many shoals we met with; but I sent my boat sounding beforeme. The mouth of this sound, which I called Shark's Bay, lies in about25 degrees south latitude, and our reckoning made its longitude from theCape of Good Hope to be about 87 degrees, which is less by one hundredand ninety-five leagues than is usually laid down in our common draughts, if our reckoning was right and our glasses did not deceive us. As soonas I came to anchor in this bay, I sent my boat ashore to seek for freshwater, but in the evening my men returned, having found none. The nextmorning I went ashore myself, carrying pickaxes and shovels with me, todig for water, and axes to cut wood. We tried in several places forwater, but finding none after several trials, nor in several milescompass, we left any further search for it, and spending the rest of theday in cutting wood, we went aboard at night. 

The land is of an indifferent height, so that it may be seen nine or tenleagues off. It appears at a distance very even; but as you come nigheryou find there are many gentle risings, though none steep or high. It isall a steep shore against the open sea; but in this bay or sound we werenow in, the land is low by the seaside, rising gradually in with theland. The mould is sand by the seaside, producing a large sort ofsamphire, which bears a white flower. Farther in the mould is reddish, asort of sand, producing some grass, plants, and shrubs. The grass growsin great tufts as big as a bushel, here and there a tuft, beingintermixed with much heath, much of the kind we have growing on ourcommons in England. Of trees or shrubs here are divers sorts, but noneabove ten feet high, their bodies about three feet about, and five or sixfeet high before you come to the branches, which are bushy, and composedof small twigs there spreading abroad, though thick set and full ofleaves, which were mostly long and narrow. The colour of the leaves wason one side whitish, and on the other green, and the bark of the treeswas generally of the same colour with the leaves, of a pale green. Someof these trees were sweet-scented, and reddish within the bark, likesassafras, but redder. Most of the trees and shrubs had at this timeeither blossoms or berries on them. The blossoms of the different sortsof trees were of several colours, as red, white, yellow, etc. , but mostlyblue, and these generally smelt very sweet and fragrant, as did some alsoof the rest. There were also besides some plants, herbs, and tallflowers, some very small flowers growing on the ground, that were sweetand beautiful, and, for the most part, unlike any I had seen elsewhere. 

There were but few land fowls. We saw none but eagles of the largersorts of birds, but five or six sorts of small birds. The biggest sortof these were not bigger than larks, some no bigger than wrens, allsinging with great variety of fine shrill notes; and we saw some of theirnests with young ones in them. The water-fowls are ducks (which hadyoung ones now, this being the beginning of the spring in these parts), curlews, galdens, crab-catchers, cormorants, gulls, pelicans, and somewater-fowl, such as I have not seen anywhere besides. 

The land animals that we saw here were only a sort of raccoons, differentfrom those of the West Indies, chiefly as to their legs, for these havevery short forelegs, but go jumping upon them as the others do (and likethem are very good meat), and a sort of guanos, of the same shape andsize with other guanos described, but differing from them in threeremarkable particulars; for these had a larger and uglier head, and hadno tail, and at the rump, instead of the tail there, they had a stump ofa tail, which appeared like another head, but not really such, beingwithout mouth or eyes; yet this creature seemed by this means to have ahead at each end, and, which may be reckoned a fourth difference, thelegs also seemed all four of them to be forelegs, being all alike inshape and length, and seeming by the joints and bending to be made as ifthey were to go indifferently either head or tail foremost. They werespeckled black and yellow like toads, and had scales or knobs on theirbacks like those of crocodiles, plated on to the skin, or stuck into it, as part of the skin. They are very slow in motion, and when a man comesnigh them they will stand still and hiss, not endeavouring to get away. Their livers are also spotted black and yellow; and the body, whenopened, hath a very unsavoury smell. I did never see such ugly creaturesanywhere but here. The guanos I have observed to be very good meat, andI have often eaten of them with pleasure; but though I have eaten ofsnakes, crocodiles, and alligators, and many creatures that lookfrightfully enough, and there are but few I should have been afraid toeat of if pressed by hunger, yet I think my stomach would scarce haveserved to venture upon these New Holland guanos, both the looks and thesmell of them being so offensive. 

The sea-fish that we saw here (for here was no river, land or pond offresh water to be seen) are chiefly sharks. There are abundance of themin this particular sound, that I therefore gave it the name of Shark'sBay. Here are also skates, thornbacks, and other fish of the ray kind(one sort especially like the sea-devil), and gar-fish, bonetas, etc. Ofshell-fish we got here mussels, periwinkles, limpets, oysters, both ofthe pearl kind and also eating oysters, as well the common sort as longoysters, besides cockles, etc. The shore was lined thick with many othersorts of very strange and beautiful shells for variety of colour andshape, most finely spotted with red, black, or yellow, etc. , such as Ihave not seen anywhere but at this place. I brought away a great many ofthem, but lost all except a very few, and those not of the best. 

There are also some green turtle weighing about two hundred pounds. Ofthese we caught two, which the water ebbing had left behind a ledge ofrock which they could not creep over. These served all my company twodays, and they were indifferent sweet meat. Of the sharks we caught agreat many, which our men ate very savourily. Among them we caught onewhich was eleven feet long. The space between its two eyes was twentyinches, and eighteen inches from one corner of his mouth to the other. Its maw was like a leather sack, very thick, and so tough that a sharpknife could scarce cut it, in which we found the head and bones of ahippopotamus, the hairy lips of which were still sound and not putrified, and the jaw was also firm, out of which we plucked a great many teeth, two of them eight inches long and as big as a man's thumb, small at oneend, and a little crooked, the rest not above half so long. The maw wasfull of jelly, which stank extremely. However, I saved for awhile theteeth and the shark's jaw. The flesh of it was divided among my men, andthey took care that no waste should be made of it. 

It was the 7th of August when we came into Shark's Bay, in which weanchored at three several places, and stayed at the first of them (on thewest side of the bay) till the 11th, during which time we searched about, as I said, for fresh water, digging wells, but to no purpose. However, we cut good store of firewood at this first anchoring-place, and mycompany were all here very well refreshed with raccoons, turtle, shark, and other fish, and some fowls, so that we were now all much brisker thanwhen we came in hither. Yet still I was for standing farther into thebay, partly because I had a mind to increase my stock of fresh water, which was begun to be low, and partly for the sake of discovering thispart of the coast. I was invited to go further by seeing from thisanchoring-place all open before me, which therefore I designed to searchbefore I left the bay. So on the 11th about noon I steered further in, with an easy sail, because we had but shallow water. We kept, therefore, good looking out for fear of shoals, sometimes shortening, sometimesdeepening the water. About two in the afternoon we saw the land aheadthat makes the south of the bay, and before night we had again sholdingsfrom that shore, and therefore shortened sail and stood off and on allnight, under two top-sails, continually sounding, having never more thanten fathom, and seldom less than seven. The water deepened and sholdenedso very gently, that in heaving the lead five or six times we shouldscarce have a foot difference. When we came into seven fathom eitherway, we presently went about. From this south part of the bay we couldnot see the land from whence we came in the afternoon; and this land wefound to be an island of three or four leagues long; but it appearingbarren, I did not strive to go nearer it, and the rather because thewinds would not permit us to do it without much trouble, and at theopenings the water was generally shoal: I therefore made no fartherattempts in this south-west and south part of the bay, but steered awayto the eastward, to see if there was any land that way, for as yet we hadseen none there. On the 12th, in the morning, we passed by the northpoint of that land, and were confirmed in the persuasion of its being anisland by seeing an opening to the east of it, as we had done on thewest. Having fair weather, a small gale, and smooth water, we stoodfurther on in the bay to see what land was on the east of it. Oursoundings at first were seven fathom, which held so a great while, but atlength it decreased to six. Then we saw the land right ahead. We couldnot come near it with the ship, having but shoal water, and it beingdangerous lying there, and the land extraordinarily low, very unlikely tohave fresh water (though it had a few trees on it, seemingly mangroves), and much of it probably covered at high water, I stood out again thatafternoon, deepening the water, and before night anchored in eightfathom, clean white sand, about the middle of the bay. The next day wegot up our anchor, and that afternoon came to an anchor once more neartwo islands and a shoal of coral rocks that face the bay. Here Iscrubbed my ship; and finding it very improbable I should get any furtherhere, I made the best of my way out to sea again, sounding all the way;but finding, by the shallowness of the water, that there was no going outto sea to the east of the two islands that face the bay, nor betweenthem, I returned to the west entrance, going out by the same way I camein at, only on the east instead of the west side of the small shoal: inwhich channel we had ten, twelve, and thirteen fathom water, stilldeepening upon us till we were out at sea. The day before we came out Isent a boat ashore to the most northerly of the two islands, which is theleast of them, catching many small fish in the meanwhile, with hook andline. The boat's crew returning told me that the isle produces nothingbut a sort of green, short, hard, prickly grass, affording neither woodnor fresh water, and that a sea broke between the two islands--a signthat the water was shallow. They saw a large turtle, and many skates andthornbacks, but caught none. 

It was August the 14th when I sailed out of this bay or sound, the mouthof which lies, as I said, in 25 degrees 5 minutes, designing to coastalong to the north-east till I might commodiously put in at some otherport of New Holland. In passing out we saw three water-serpents swimmingabout in the sea, of a yellow colour spotted with dark brown spots. Theywere each about four foot long, and about the bigness of a man's wrist, and were the first I saw on this coast, which abounds with several sortsof them. We had the winds at our first coming out at north, and the landlying north-easterly. We plied off and on, getting forward but littletill the next day, when the wind coming at south-south-west and south, webegan to coast it along the shore on the northward, keeping at six orseven leagues off shore, and sounding often, we had between forty andforty-six fathom water, brown sand with some white shells. This 15th ofAugust we were in latitude 24 degrees 41 minutes. On the 16th day, atnoon, we were in 23 degrees 22 minutes. The wind coming at east bynorth, we could not keep the shore aboard, but were forced to go fartheroff, and lost sight of the land; then sounding, we had no ground witheighty-fathom line. However, the wind shortly after came about again tothe southward, and then we jogged on again to the northward, and saw manysmall dolphins and whales, and abundance of cuttle-shells swimming on thesea, and some water-snakes every day. The 17th we saw the land again andtook a sight of it. 

The 18th, in the afternoon, being three or four leagues off shore, I sawa shoal-point stretching from the land into the sea a league or more; thesea broke high on it, by which I saw plainly there was a shoal there. Istood farther off and coasted along shore to about seven or eight leaguesdistance, and at twelve o'clock at night we sounded, and had but twentyfathom, hard sand. By this I found I was upon another shoal, and sopresently steered off west half an hour, and had then forty fathom. Atone in the morning of the 18th day we had eighty-five fathom; by two wecould find no ground, and then I ventured to steer along shore again duenorth, which is two points wide of the coast (that liesnorth-north-east), for fear of another shoal. I would not be too far offfrom the land, being desirous to search into it wherever I should find anopening or any convenience of searching about for water, etc. When wewere off the shoal-point I mentioned, where we had but twenty fathomwater, we had in the night abundance of whales about the ship, someahead, others astern, and some on each side, blowing and making a verydismal noise; but when we came out again into deeper water, they left us;indeed, the noise that they made by blowing and dashing of the sea withtheir tails, making it all of a breach and foam, was very dreadful to us, like the breach of the waves in very shoal water or among rocks. Theshoal these whales were upon had depth of water sufficient, no less thantwenty fathom, as I said, and it lies in latitude 22 degrees 22 minutes. The shore was generally bold all along. We had met with no shoal at seasince the Abrohlo shoal, when we first fell on the New Holland coast inthe latitude of 28 degrees, till yesterday in the afternoon and thisnight. This morning also, when we expected by the draught we had with usto have been eleven leagues off shore, we were but four, so that eitherour draughts were faulty, which yet hitherto and afterwards we found trueenough as to the lying of the coast, or else here was a tide unknown tous that deceived us, though we had found very little of any tide on thiscoast hitherto; as to our winds in the coasting thus far, as we had beenwithin the verge of the general trade (though interrupted by the storm Imentioned), from the latitude of 28 degrees, when we first fell in withthe coast, and by that time we were in the latitude of 25 degrees, we hadusually the regular trade wind (which is here south-south-east) when wewere at any distance from shore; but we had often sea and land breezes, especially when near shore and when in Shark's Bay, and had a particularnorth-west wind or storm that set us in thither. On this 18th of Augustwe coasted with a brisk gale of the true trade wind at south-south-east, very fair and clear weather; but hauling off in the evening to sea, werenext morning out of sight of land, and the land now trending away north-easterly, and we being to the northward of it, and the wind alsoshrinking from the south-south-east to the east-south-east (that is, fromthe true trade wind to the sea breeze, as the land now lay), we could notget in with the land again yet awhile so as to see it, though we trimmedsharp and kept close on a wind. We were this 19th day in latitude 21degrees 42 minutes. The 20th we were in latitude 19 degrees 37 minutes, and kept close on a wind to get sight of the land again, but could notyet see it. We had very fair weather, and though we were so far from theland as to be out of sight of it, yet we had the sea and land breezes. Inthe night we had the land breeze at south-south-east, a small gentlegale, which in the morning about sun-rising would shift about gradually(and withal increasing in strength) till about noon we should have it ateast-south-east, which is the true sea breeze here. Then it would blow abrisk gale so that we could scarce carry our top-sails double-reefed; andit would continue thus till three in the afternoon, when it woulddecrease again. The weather was fair all the while, not a cloud to beseen, but very hazy, especially nigh the horizon. We sounded severaltimes this 20th day, and at first had no ground, but had afterwards fromfifty-two to forty-five fathom, coarse brown sand, mixed with small brownand white stones, with dints besides in the tallow. 

The 21st day also we had small land breezes in the night, and sea breezesin the day, and as we saw some sea-snakes every day, so this day we saw agreat many, of two different sorts or shapes. One sort was yellow, andabout the bigness of a man's wrist, about four feet long, having a flattail about four fingers broad. The other sort was much smaller andshorter, round, and spotted black and yellow. This day we soundedseveral times, and had forty-five fathom, sand. We did not make the landtill noon, and then saw it first from our topmast head; it bore south-east by east about nine leagues distance, and it appeared like a cape orhead of land. The sea breeze this day was not so strong as the daybefore, and it veered out more, so that we had a fair wind to run in withto the shore, and at sunset anchored in twenty fathom, clean sand, aboutfive leagues from the Bluff point, which was not a cape (as it appearedat a great distance), but the easternmost end of an island about five orsix leagues in length, and one in breadth. There were three or fourrocky islands about a league from us, between us and the Bluff point, andwe saw many other islands both to the east and west of it, as far as wecould see either way from our topmast-head, and all within them to thesouth there was nothing but islands of a pretty height, that may be seeneight or nine leagues off; by what we saw of them they must have been arange of islands of about twenty leagues in length, stretching from east-north-east to west-south-west, and, for aught I know, as far as to thoseof Shark's Bay, and to a considerable breadth also, for we could see nineor ten leagues in among them, towards the continent or mainland of NewHolland, if there be any such thing hereabouts; and by the great tides Imet with awhile afterwards, more to the north-east, I had a strongsuspicion that here might be a kind of archipelago of islands, and apassage possibly to the south of New Holland and New Guinea into thegreat South Sea eastward, which I had thoughts also of attempting in myreturn from New Guinea, had circumstances permitted, and told my officersso; but I would not attempt it at this time, because we wanted water, andcould not depend upon finding it there. This place is in the latitude of20 degrees 21 minutes, but in the draught that I had of this coast, whichwas Tasman's, it was laid down in 19 degrees 50 minutes, and the shore islaid down as all along joining in one body or continent, with someopenings appearing like rivers, and not like islands as really they are. This place lies more northerly by 40 minutes than is laid down in Mr. Tasman's draught, and besides its being made a firm continued land, onlywith some openings like the mouths of rivers, I found the soundings alsodifferent from what the pricked line of his course shows them, andgenerally shallower than he makes them, which inclines me to think thathe came not so near the shore as his line shows, and so had deepersoundings, and could not so well distinguish the islands. His meridianor difference of longitude from Shark's Bay agrees well enough with myaccount, which is two hundred and thirty-two leagues, though we differ inlatitude; and to confirm my conjecture that the line of his course ismade too near the shore, at least not far to the east of this place, thewater is there so shallow that he could not come there so nigh. 

But to proceed. In the night we had a small land breeze, and in themorning I weighed anchor, designing to run in among the islands, for theyhad large channels between them of a league wide at least, and some twoor three leagues wide. I sent in my boat before to sound, and if theyfound shoal water to return again, but if they found water enough to goashore on one of the islands and stay till the ship came in, where theymight in the meantime search for water. So we followed after with theship, sounding as we went in, and had twenty fathom till within twoleagues of the Bluff head, and then we had shoal water and very uncertainsoundings; yet we ran in still with an easy sail, sounding and lookingout well, for this was dangerous work. When we came abreast of the Bluffhead, and about two miles from it, we had but seven fathom, then we edgedaway from it, but had no more water, and running in a little farther wehad but four fathoms, so we anchored immediately; and yet when we hadveered out a third of a cable, we had seven fathom water again, souncertain was the water. My boat came immediately on board, and told methat the island was very rocky and dry, and they had little hopes offinding water there. I sent them to sound, and bade them, if they founda channel of eight or ten fathom water, to keep on, and we would followwith the ship. We were now about four leagues within the outer smallrocky islands, but still could see nothing but islands within us, somefive or six leagues long, others not above a mile round. The largeislands were pretty high, but all appeared dry, and mostly rocky andbarren. The rocks looked of a rusty yellow colour, and therefore Idespaired of getting water on any of them, but was in some hopes offinding a channel to run in beyond all these islands, could I have spenttime here, and either got to the main of New Holland or find out someother islands that might afford us water and other refreshments; besidesthat among so many islands we might have found some sort of rich mineral, or ambergris, it being a good latitude for both these. But we had notsailed above a league farther before our water grew shoaler again, andthen we anchored in six fathom, hard sand. 

We were now on the inner side of the island, on whose outside is theBluff point. We rode a league from the island, and I presently wentashore and carried shovels to dig for water, but found none. There growhere two or three sorts of shrubs, one just like rosemary, and thereforeI called this Rosemary Island; it grew in great plenty here, but had nosmell. Some of the other shrubs had blue and yellow flowers; and wefound two sorts of grain like beans; the one grew on bushes, the other ona sort of creeping vine that runs along on the ground, having very thickbroad leaves, and the blossom like a bean blossom, but much larger and ofa deep red colour, looking very beautiful. We saw here some cormorants, gulls, crab-catchers, etc. , a few small land birds, and a sort of whiteparrots, which flew a great many together. We found some shell-fish, viz. , limpets, periwinkles, and abundance of small oysters growing on therocks, which were very sweet. In the sea we saw some green turtle, manysharks, and abundance of water-snakes of several sorts and sizes. Thestones were all of rusty colour, and ponderous. 

We saw a smoke on an island three or four leagues off, and here also thebushes had been burned, but we found no other sign of inhabitants. Itwas probable that on the island where the smoke was there wereinhabitants, and fresh water for them. In the evening I went aboard, andconsulted with my officers whether it was best to send thither, or tosearch among any other of these islands with my boat, or else go fromhence and coast along shore with the ship, till we could find some betterplace than this was to ride in, where we had shoal water and lay exposedto winds and tides. They all agreed to go from hence, so I gave ordersto weigh in the morning as soon as it should be light, and to get outwith the land breeze. 

Accordingly, August 23rd, at five in the morning, we ran out, having apretty fresh land breeze at south-south-east. By eight o'clock we weregot out, and very seasonably, for before nine the sea breeze came on usvery strong, and increasing, we took in our top-sails and stood off undertwo courses and a mizen, this being as much sail as we could carry. Thesky was clear, there being not one cloud to be seen, but the horizonappeared very hazy, and the sun at setting the night before, and thismorning at rising, appeared very red. The wind continued very strongtill twelve, then it began to abate; I have seldom met with a strongerbreeze. These strong sea breezes lasted thus in their turns three orfour days. They sprang up with the sunrise; by nine o'clock they werevery strong, and so continued till noon, when they began to abate; and bysunset there was little wind, or a calm, till the land breezes came, which we should certainly have in the morning about one or two o'clock. The land breezes were between the south-south-west and south-south-east:the sea breezes between the east-north-east and north-north-east. In thenight while calm, we fished with hook and line, and caught good store offish viz. , snappers, breams, old-wives, and dog-fish. When these lastcame we seldom caught any others; for it they did not drive away theother fish, yet they would be sure to keep them from taking our hooks, for they would first have them themselves, biting very greedily. Wecaught also a monk-fish, of which I brought home the picture. 

On the 25th of August we still coasted along shore, that we might thebetter see any opening; kept sounding, and had about twenty fathom, cleansand. The 26th day, being about four leagues off shore, the water begangradually to sholden from twenty to fourteen fathom. I was edging in alittle towards the land, thinking to have anchored; but presently afterthe water decreased almost at once, till we had but five fathom. Idurst, therefore, adventure no farther, but steered out the same way thatwe came in, and in a short time had ten fathom (being then about fourleagues and a half from the shore), and even soundings. I steered awayeast-north-east, coasting along as the land lies. This day the seabreezes began to be very moderate again, and we made the best of our wayalong shore, only in the night edging off a little for fear of shoals. Ever since we left Shark's Bay we had fair clear weather, and so for agreat while still. 

The 27th day we had twenty fathom water all night, yet we could not seeland till one in the afternoon from our topmast-head. By three we couldjust discern land from our quarter-deck; we had then sixteen fathom. Thewind was at north, and we steered east-by-north, which is but one pointin on the land; yet we decreased our water very fast, for at four we hadbut nine fathom, the next cast but seven, which frightened us; and wethen tacked instantly and steed off, but in a short time the wind comingat north-west and west-north-west, we tacked again and steerednorth-north-east, and then deepened our water again, and had all nightfrom fifteen to twenty fathom. 

The 28th day we had between twenty and forty fathom. We saw no land thisday, but saw a great many snakes and some whales. We saw also someboobies and noddy-birds, and in the night caught one of these last. Itwas of another shape and colour than any I had seen before. It had asmall long bill, as all of them have, flat feet like ducks' feet, itstail forked like a swallow, but longer and broader, and the fork deeperthan that of the swallow, with very long wings; the top or crown of thehead of this noddy was coal-black, having also small black streaks roundabout and close to the eyes; and round these streaks on each side, apretty broad white circle. The breast, belly, and under part of thewings of this noddy were white, and the back and upper part of its wingsof a faint black or smoke colour. Noddies are seen in most placesbetween the tropics, as well in the East Indies and on the coast ofBrazil, as in the West Indies. They rest ashore at night, and thereforewe never see them far at sea, not above twenty or thirty leagues, unlessdriven off in a storm. When they come about a ship they commonly perchin the night, and will sit still till they are taken by the seamen. Theybuild on cliffs against the sea, or rocks. 

The 30th day, being in latitude 18 degrees 21 minutes, we made the landagain, and saw many great smokes near the shore; and having fair weatherand moderate breezes, I steered in towards it. At four in the afternoonI anchored in eight fathom water, clear sand, about three leagues and ahalf from the shore. I presently sent my boat to sound nearer in, andthey found ten fathom about a mile farther in, and from thence stillfarther in the water decreased gradually to nine, eight, seven, and attwo miles distance to six fathom. This evening we saw an eclipse of themoon, but it was abating before the moon appeared to us; for the horizonwas very hazy, so that we could not see the moon till she had been halfan hour above the horizon; and at two hours twenty-two minutes aftersunset, by the reckoning of our glasses, the eclipse was quite gone, which was not of many digits. The moon's centre was then 33 degrees 40minutes high. 

The 31st of August, betimes in the morning, I went ashore with ten oreleven men to search for water. We went armed with muskets and cutlassesfor our defence, expecting to see people there, and carried also shovelsand pickaxes to dig wells. When we came near the shore we saw threetall, black, naked men on the sandy bay ahead of us; but as we rowed in, they went away. When we were landed, I sent the boat with two men in herto lie a little from the shore at an anchor, to prevent being seized;while the rest of us went after the three black men, who were now got onthe top of a small hill about a quarter of a mile from us, with eight ornine men more in their company. They, seeing us coming, ran away. Whenwe came on the top of the hill where they first stood, we saw a plainsavannah, about half a mile from us, farther in from the sea. There wereseveral things like hay-cocks standing in the savannah, which at adistance we thought were houses, looking just like the Hottentots' housesat the Cape of Good Hope: but we found them to be so many rocks. Wesearched about these for water, but could find none, nor any houses, norpeople, for they were all gone. Then we turned again to the place wherewe landed, and there we dug for water. 

While we were at work there came nine or ten of the natives to a smallhill a little way from us, and stood there menacing and threatening us, and making a great noise. At last one of them came towards us, and therest followed at a distance. I went out to meet him, and came withinfifty yards of him, making to him all the signs of peace and friendship Icould, but then he ran away, neither would they any of them stay for usto come nigh them, for we tried two or three times. At last I took twomen with me, and went in the afternoon along by the sea-side, purposelyto catch one of them, if I could, of whom I might learn where they gottheir fresh water. There were ten or twelve of the natives a little wayoff, who, seeing us three going away from the rest of our men, followedus at a distance. I thought they would follow us, but there being forawhile a sand-bank between us and them, that they could not then see us, we made a halt, and hid ourselves in a bending of the sand-bank. Theyknew we must be thereabouts, and being three or four times our numbers, thought to seize us. So they dispersed themselves, some going to the sea-shore, and others beating about the sand-hills. We knew by whatrencounter we had had with them in the morning that we could easily out-run them, so a nimble young man that was with me, seeing some of themnear, ran towards them; and they for some time ran away before him, buthe soon overtaking them, they faced about and fought him. He had acutlass and they had wooden lances, with which, being many of them, theywere too hard for him. When he first ran towards them I chased two morethat were by the shore; but fearing how it might be with my young man, Iturned back quickly and went to the top of a sand-hill, whence I saw himnear me, closely engaged with them. Upon their seeing me, one of themthrew a lance at me, that narrowly missed me. I discharged my gun toscare them, but avoided shooting any of them, till finding the young manin great danger from them, and myself in some; and that though the gunhad a little frightened them at first, yet they had soon learnt todespise it, tossing up their hands and crying, "pooh, pooh, pooh, " andcoming on afresh with a great noise, I thought it high time to chargeagain, and shoot one of them, which I did. The rest, seeing him fall, made a stand again, and my young man took the opportunity to disengagehimself and come off to me; my other man also was with me, who had donenothing all this while, having come out unarmed, and I returned back withmy men, designing to attempt the natives no farther, being very sorry forwhat had happened already. They took up their wounded companion; and myyoung man, who had been struck through the cheek by one of their lances, was afraid it had been poisoned, but I did not think that likely. Hiswound was very painful to him, being made with a blunt weapon; but hesoon recovered of it. 

Among the New Hollanders, whom we were thus engaged with, there was onewho by his appearance and carriage, as well in the morning as thisafternoon, seemed to be the chief of them, and a kind of prince orcaptain among them. He was a young brisk man, not very tall, nor sopersonable as some of the rest, though more active and courageous: he waspainted (which none of the rest were at all) with a circle of white pasteor pigment (a sort of lime, as we thought) about his eyes, and a whitestreak down his nose, from his forehead to the tip of it: and his breastand some part of his arms were also made white with the same paint; notfor beauty or ornament, one would think, but as some wild Indian warriorsare said to do, he seemed thereby to design the looking more terrible;this his painting adding very much to his natural deformity; for they allof them have the most unpleasant looks and the worst features of anypeople that ever I saw, though I have seen great variety of savages. These New Hollanders were probably the same sort of people as those I metwith on this coast in my voyage round the world, for the place I thentouched at was not above forty or fifty leagues to the north-east ofthis, and these were much the same blinking creatures (here being alsoabundance of the same kind of flesh-flies teazing them, ) and with thesame black skins, and hair frizzled, tall and thin, &c. As those were:but we had not the opportunity to see whether these, as the former, wanted two of their fore-teeth. 

We saw a great many places where they had made fires, and where therewere commonly three or four boughs stuck up to windward of them; for thewind, (which is the sea-breeze), in the day-time blows always one waywith them, and the land-breeze is but small. By their fire-places weshould always find great heaps of fish-shells of several sorts; and it isprobable that these poor creatures here lived chiefly on the shell-fish, as those I before described did on small fish, which they caught in wiresor holes in the sand at low water. These gathered their shell-fish onthe rocks at low water but had no wires (that we saw), whereby to get anyother sorts of fish; as among the former I saw not any heaps of shells ashere, though I know they also gathered some shell-fish. The lances alsoof those were such as these had; however, they being upon an island, withtheir women and children, and all in our power, they did not there usethem against us, as here on the continent, where we saw none but some ofthe men under head, who come out purposely to observe us. We saw nohouses at either place, and I believe they have none, since the formerpeople on the island had none, though they had all their families withthem. 

Upon returning to my men I saw that though they had dug eight or ninefeet deep, yet found no water. So I returned aboard that evening, andthe next day, being September 1st, I sent my boatswain ashore to digdeeper, and sent the seine within him to catch fish. While I stayedaboard I observed the flowing of the tide, which runs very swift here, sothat our nun-buoy would not bear above the water to be seen. It flowshere (as on that part of New Holland I described formerly) about fivefathom; and here the flood runs south-east by south till the lastquarter; then it sets right in towards the shore (which lies here south-south-west and north north-east) and the ebb runs north-west by north. When the tides slackened we fished with hook and line, as we had alreadydone in several places on this coast; on which in this voyage hitherto wehad found but little tides; but by the height, and strength, and courseof them hereabouts, it should seem that if there be such a passage orstrait going through eastward to the great South Sea, as I said one mightsuspect, one would expect to find the mouth of it somewhere between thisplace and Rosemary Island, which was the part of New Holland I came lastfrom. 

Next morning my men came aboard and brought a runlet of brackish waterwhich they had got out of another well that they dug in a place a mileoff, and about half as far from the shore; but this water was not fit todrink. However, we all concluded that it would serve to boil ouroatmeal, for burgoo, whereby we might save the remains of our other waterfor drinking, till we should get more: and accordingly the next day webrought aboard four hogsheads of it: but while we were at work about thewell we were sadly pestered with the flies, which were more troublesometo us than the sun, though it shone clear and strong upon us all thewhile very hot. All this while we saw no more of the natives, but sawsome of the smoke of some of their fires at two or three miles distance. 

The land hereabouts was much like the port of New Holland that I formerlydescribed; it is low, but seemingly barricaded with a long chain of sand-hills to the sea, that lets nothing be seen of what is farther withinland. At high water the tides rising so high as they do, the coast showsvery low: but when it is low water it seems to be of an indifferentheight. At low water-mark the shore is all rocky, so that then there isno landing with a boat; but at high water a boat may come in over thoserocks to the sandy bay, which runs all along on this coast. The land bythe sea for about five or six hundred yards is a dry sandy soil, bearingonly shrubs and bushes of divers sorts. Some of these had them at thistime of the year, yellow flowers or blossoms, some blue, and some white;most of them of a very fragrant smell. Some had fruit like peascods, ineach of which there were just ten small peas; I opened many of them, andfound no more nor less. There are also here some of that sort of beanwhich I saw at Rosemary Island: and another sort of small red hard pulse, growing in cods also, with little black eyes like beans. I know nottheir names, but have seen them used often in the East Indies forweighing gold; and they make the same use of them at Guinea, as I haveheard, where the women also make bracelets with them to wear about theirarms. These grow on bushes; but here are also a fruit like beans growingon a creeping sort of shrub-like vine. There was great plenty of allthese sorts of cod-fruit growing on the sand-hills by the sea side, someof them green, some ripe, and some fallen on the ground: but I could notperceive that any of them had been gathered by the natives; and might notprobably be wholesome food. 

The land farther in, that is, lower than what borders on the sea, was somuch as we saw of it, very plain and even; partly savannahs and partlywoodland. The savannahs bear a sort of thin coarse grass. The mould isalso a coarser sand than that by the sea-side, and in some places it isclay. Here are a great many rocks in the large savannah we were in, which are five or six feet high, and round at top like a hay-cock, veryremarkable; some red and some white. The woodland lies farther in still, where there were divers sorts of small trees, scarce any three feet incircumference, their bodies twelve or fourteen feet high, with a head ofsmall knibs or boughs. By the sides of the creeks, especially nigh thesea, there grow a few small black mangrove-trees. 

There are but few land animals. I saw some lizards; and my men saw twoor three beasts like hungry wolves, lean like so many skeletons, beingnothing but skin and bones; it is probable that it was the foot of one ofthose beasts that I mentioned as seen by us in New Holland. We saw araccoon or two, and one small speckled snake. 

The land fowls that we saw here were crows, just such as ours in England, small hawks and kites, a few of each sort: but here are plenty of smallturtle doves, that are plump, fat, and very good meat. Here are two orthree sorts of smaller birds, some as big as larks, some less; but notmany of either sort. The sea-fowl are pelicans, boobies, noddies, curlews, seapies, &c. , and but few of these neither. 

The sea is plentifully stocked with the largest whales that I ever saw;but not to compare with the vast ones of the Northern Seas. We saw alsoa great many green turtle, but caught none, here being no place to set aturtle net in; there being no channel for them, and the tides running sostrong. We saw some sharks and parracoots; and with hooks and lines wecaught some rock-fish and old-wives. Of shell-fish, here were oystersboth of the common kind for eating, and of the pearl kind; and alsowhelks, conchs, muscles, limpits, periwinkles, &c. , and I gathered a fewstrange shells, chiefly a sort not large, and thickset all about withrays or spikes growing in rows. 

And thus having ranged about a considerable time upon this coast, withoutfinding any good fresh water or any convenient place to clean the ship, as I had hoped for; and it being moreover the height of the dry season, and my men growing scorbutic for want of refreshments, so that I hadlittle encouragement to search further, I resolved to leave this coast, and accordingly in the beginning of September set sail towards Timor. 

On the 12th of December, 1699, we sailed from Babao, coasting along theisland Timor to the eastward, towards New Guinea. It was the 20th beforewe got as far as Laphao, which is but forty leagues. We saw black cloudsin the north-west, and expected the wind from that quarter above a monthsooner. 

That afternoon we saw the opening between the islands Omba and Fetter, but feared to pass through in the night. At two o'clock in the morningit fell calm, and continued so till noon, in which time we drove with thecurrent back again south-west six or seven leagues. 

On the 22nd, steering to the eastward to get through between Omba andFetter, we met a very strong tide against us, so that although we had avery fresh gale, we yet made way very slowly; but before night gotthrough. By a good observation we found that the south-east point ofOmba lies in latitude 8 degrees 25 minutes. In my drafts it is laid downin 8 degrees 10 minutes. My true course from Babao, is east 25 degreesnorth, distance one hundred eighty-three miles. We sounded several timeswhen near Omba, but had no ground. On the north-east point of Omba wesaw four or five men, and a little further three pretty houses on a lowpoint, but did not go ashore. 

At five this afternoon we had a tornado, which yielded much rain, thunder, and lightning; yet we had but little wind. The 24th in themorning we caught a large shark, which gave all the ship's company aplentiful meal. 

The 27th we saw the Burning Island; it lies in latitude 6 degrees 36minutes south; it is high, and but small; it runs from the sea a littlesloping towards the top, which is divided in the middle into two peaks, between which issued out much smoke: I have not seen more from anyvolcano. I saw no trees; but the north side appeared green, and the restlooked very barren. 

Having passed the Burning Island, I shaped my course for two islands, called Turtle Isles, which lie north-east by east a little easterly, anddistant about fifty leagues from the Burning Isle. I fearing the windmight veer to the eastward of the north, steered twenty leagues north-east, then north-east by east. On the 28th we saw two small low islands, called Lucca-Parros, to the north of us. At noon I accounted myselftwenty leagues short of the Turtle Isles. 

The next morning, being in the latitude of the Turtle Islands, we lookedout sharp for them, but saw no appearance of any island till eleveno'clock, when we saw an island at a great distance. At first we supposedit might be one of the Turtle Isles, but it was not laid down true, neither in latitude nor longitude from the Burning Isle, nor from theLucca-Parros, which last I took to be a great help to guide me, theybeing laid down very well from the Burning Isle, and that likewise intrue latitude and distance from Omba, so that I could not tell what tothink of the island now in sight, we having had fair weather, so that wecould not pass by the Turtle Isles without seeing them, and this in sightwas much too far off for them. We found variation 1 degrees 2 minuteseast. In the afternoon I steered north-east by east for the islands thatwe saw. At two o'clock I went and looked over the fore-yard, and saw twoislands at much greater distance than the Turtle Islands are laid down inmy drafts, one of them was a very high peaked mountain, cleft at top, andmuch like the Burning Island that we passed by, but bigger and higher;the other was a pretty long high flat island. Now I was certain thatthese were not the Turtle Islands, and that they could be no other thanthe Bande Isles, yet we steered in to make them plainer. At threeo'clock we discovered another small flat island to the north-west of theothers, and saw a great deal of smoke rise from the top of the highisland. At four we saw other small islands, by which I was now assuredthat these were the Bande Isles there. At five I altered my course andsteered east, and at eight east-south-east, because I would not be seenby the inhabitants of those islands in the morning. We had little windall night, and in the morning, as soon as it was light we saw anotherhigh peaked island; at eight it bore south-south-east half-east, distanceeight leagues: and this I knew to be Bird Isle. It is laid down in ourdrafts in latitude 5 degrees 9 minutes south, which is too far southerlyby twenty-seven miles, according to our observation, and the like errorin laying down the Turtle Islands might be the occasion of our missingthem. 

At night I shortened sail, for fear of coming too nigh some islands, thatstretch away bending like a half moon from Ceram towards Timor, and whichin my course I must of necessity pass through. The next morning betimesI saw them, and found them to be at a farther distance from Bird Islandthan I expected. In the afternoon it fell quite calm, and when we had alittle wind, it was so unconstant, flying from one point to another, thatI could not without difficulty get through the islands where I designed;besides, I found a current setting to the southward, so that it wasbetwixt five and six in the evening before I passed through the islands, and then just weathered little Watela, whereas I thought to have been twoor three leagues more northerly. We saw the day before, betwixt two andthree, a spout but a small distance from us, it fell down out of a blackcloud, that yielded great store of rain, thunder and lightning; thiscloud hovered to the southward of us for the space of three hours, andthen drew to the westward a great pace, at which time it was that we sawthe spout, which hung fast to the cloud till it broke, and then the cloudwhirled about to the south-east, then to east-north-east, where meetingwith an island, it spent itself and so dispersed, and immediately we hada little of the tail of it, having had none before. Afterwards we saw asmoke on the island Kosiway, which continued till night. 

On New Year's Day we first descried the land of New Guinea, whichappeared to be high land, and the next day we saw several high islands onthe coast of New Guinea, and ran in with the main land. The shore herelies along east-south-east and west-north-west. It is high even land, very well clothed with tall flourishing trees, which appeared very green, and gave us a very pleasant prospect. We ran to the westward of fourmountainous islands, and in the night had a small tornado, which broughtwith it some rain and a fair wind. We had fair weather for a long time, only when near any land we had some tornadoes; but off, at sea, commonlyclear weather, though, if in sight of land, we usually saw many blackclouds hovering about it. 

On the 5th and 6th of January we plied to get in with the land, designingto anchor, fill water, and spend a little time in searching the country, till after the change of the moon, for I found a strong current settingagainst us. We anchored in thirty-eight fathom water, good oozy ground. We had an island of a league long without us, about three miles distant, and we rode from the main about a mile. The easternmost point of landseen bore east-by-south half-south, distance three leagues, and thewesternmost west-south-west half-south, distance two leagues. So soon aswe anchored, we sent the pinnace to look for water and try if they couldcatch any fish. Afterwards we sent the yawl another way to see forwater. Before night the pinnace brought on board several sorts of fruitsthat they found in the woods, such as I never saw before. One of my menkilled a stately land-fowl, as big as the largest dunghill cock; it wasof a sky-colour, only in the middle of the wings was a white spot, aboutwhich were some reddish spots; on the crown it had a large bunch of longfeathers, which appeared very pretty; his bill was like pigeon's; he hadstrong legs and feet, like dunghill fowls, only the claws were reddish;his crop was full of small berries. It lays an egg as big as a largehen's egg, for our men climbed the tree where it nested, and brought offone egg. They found water, and reported that the trees were large, tall, and very thick, and that they saw no sign of people. At night the yawlcame aboard and brought a wooden fish-spear, very ingeniously made, thematter of it was a small cane; they found it by a small barbecue, wherethey also saw a shattered canoe. 

The next morning I sent the boatswain ashore fishing, and at one haul hecaught three hundred and fifty-two mackerel, and about twenty otherfishes, which I caused to be equally divided among all my company. Isent also the gunner and chief mate to search about if they could findconvenient anchoring near a watering-place; by night they brought wordthat they had found a fine stream of good water, where the boat couldcome close to, and it was very easy to be filled, and that the ship mightanchor as near to it as I pleased, so I went thither. The next morning, therefore, we anchored in twenty-five fathom water, soft oozy ground, about a mile from the river; we got on board three tuns of water thatnight, and caught two or three pike-fish, in shape much like a parracota, but with a longer snout, something resembling a garr, yet not so long. The next day I sent the boat again for water, and before night all mycasks were full. 

Having filled here about fifteen tuns of water, seeing we could catch butlittle fish, and had no other refreshments, I intended to sail next day, but finding that we wanted wood, I sent to cut some, and going ashore tohasten it, at some distance from the place where our men were, I found asmall cove, where I saw two barbecues, which appeared not to be above twomonths' standing; the spars were cut with some sharp instrument, so that, if done by the natives, it seems that they have iron. On the 10th, alittle after twelve o'clock, we weighed and stood over to the north sideof the bay, and at one o'clock stood out with the wind at north and north-north-west. At four we passed out by a White Island, which I so namedfrom its many white cliffs, having no name in our drafts. It is about aleague long, pretty high, and very woody; it is about five miles from themain, only at the west end it reaches within three miles of it. At somedistance off at sea the west point appears like a cape-land, the northside trends away north-north-west, and the east side east-south-east. This island lies in latitude 3 degrees 4 minutes south, and the meridiandistance from Babao five hundred and twelve miles east. After we wereout to sea, we plied to get to the northward, but met with such a strongcurrent against us, that we got but little, for if the wind favoured usin the night, that we got three or four leagues, we lost it again, andwere driven as far astern next morning, so that we plied here severaldays. 

The 14th, being past a point of land that we had been three days gettingabout, we found little or no current, so that, having the wind at north-west-by-west and west-north-west, we stood to the northward, and hadseveral soundings: at three o'clock thirty-eight fathom, the nearest partof New Guinea being about three leagues' distance; at four, thirty-seven;at five, thirty-six; at six, thirty-six; at eight, thirty-three fathom;then the Cape was about four leagues' distant, so that as we ran off wefound our water shallower; we had then some islands to the westward ofus, at about four leagues' distance. 

A little after noon we saw smoke on the islands to the west of us, andhaving a fine gale of wind, I steered away for them. At seven o'clock inthe evening we anchored in thirty-five fathom, about two leagues from anisland, good soft oozy ground. We lay still all night, and saw firesashore. In the morning we weighed again, and ran farther in, thinking tohave shallower water; but we ran within a mile of the shore, and came toin thirty-eight fathom good soft holding ground. While we were undersail two canoes came off within call of us. They spoke to us, but we didnot understand their language nor signs. We waved to them to comeaboard, and I called to them in the Malayan language to do the same, butthey would not. Yet they came so nigh us that we could show them suchthings as we had to truck with them; yet neither would this entice themto come on board, but they made signs for us to come ashore, and awaythey went. Then I went after them in my pinnace, carrying with meknives, beads, glasses, hatchets, &c. When we came near the shore, Icalled to them in the Malayan language. I saw but two men at first, therest lying in ambush behind the bushes; but as soon as I threw ashoresome knives and other toys, they came out, flung down their weapons, andcame into the water by the boat's side, making signs of friendship bypouring water on their heads with one hand, which they dipped into thesea. The next day, in the afternoon, several other canoes came aboard, and brought many roots and fruits, which we purchased. 

The island has no name in our drafts, but the natives call it Pub Sabuda;it is about three leagues long, and two miles wide, more or less; it isof a good height, so as to be seen eleven or twelve leagues; it is veryrocky, yet above the rocks there is good yellow and black mould, notdeep, yet producing plenty of good tall trees, and bearing any fruits orroots which the inhabitants plant. I do not know all its produce, butwhat we saw were plantains, cocoa-nuts, pine-apples, oranges, papaes, potatoes, and other large roots. Here are also another sort of wildjacas, about the bigness of a man's two fists, full of stones or kernels, which eat pleasant enough when roasted. The libby tree grows here in theswampy valleys, of which they make sago cakes. I did not see them makeany, but was told by the inhabitants that it was made of the pith of thetree, in the same manner I have described in my "Voyage Round the World. "They showed me the tree whereof it was made, and I bought about forty ofthe cakes. I bought also three or four nutmegs in their shell, which didnot seem to have been long gathered; but whether they be the growth ofthis island or not, the natives would not tell whence they had them, andseem to prize them very much. What beasts the island affords I know not, but here are both sea and land fowl. Of the first, boobies and men-of-war birds are the chief, some goldens, and small milk-whitecrab-catchers; the land-fowl are pigeons, about the bigness of mountain-pigeons in Jamaica, and crows about the bigness of those in England, andmuch like them, but the inner part of their feathers are white, and theoutside black, so that they appear all black, unless you extend thefeathers. Here are large sky-coloured birds, such as we lately killed onNew Guinea, and many other small birds, unknown to us. Here are likewiseabundance of bats, as big as young coneys, their necks, head, ears, andnoses like foxes, their hair rough, that about their necks is of awhitish yellow, that on their heads and shoulders black, their wings arefour feet over from tip to tip; they smell like foxes. The fish arebass, rock-fish, and a sort of fish like mullets, old-wives, whip-rays, and some other sorts that I knew not; but no great plenty of any, for itis deep water till within less than a mile of the shore, then there is abank of coral rocks, within which you have shoal-water, white clean sand, so there is no good fishing with the seine. 

This island lies in latitude 2 degrees 43 minutes south, and meridiandistance from port Babo, on the island Timor, four hundred and eighty-sixmiles: besides this island, here are nine or ten other small islands. 

The inhabitants of this island are a sort of very tawny Indians, withlong black hair, who in their manners differ but little from theMindanayans, and others of these eastern islands. These seem to be thechief; for besides them we saw also shock curl pated New Guinea negroes, many of which are slaves to the others, but I think not all. They arevery poor, wear no clothes but have a clout about their middle, made ofthe rinds of the tops of palmetto trees; but the women had a sort ofcalico cloth. Their chief ornaments are blue and yellow beads, wornabout their wrists. The men arm themselves with bows and arrows, lances, broad swords, like those of Mindanao; their lances are pointed with bone:they strike fish very ingeniously with wooden fish-spears, and have avery ingenious way of making the fish rise; for they have a piece of woodcuriously carved, and painted much like a dolphin (and perhaps otherfigures); these they let down into the water by a line with a smallweight to sink it; when they think it low enough, they haul the line intotheir boats very fast, and the fish rise up after this figure, and theystand ready to strike them when they are near the surface of the water. But their chief livelihood is from their plantations; yet they have largeboats, and go over to New Guinea, where they get slaves, fine parrots, &c, which they carry to Goram and exchange for calicoes. One boat camefrom thence a little before I arrived here, of whom I bought someparrots, and would have bought a slave but they would not barter foranything but calicoes, which I had not. Their houses on this side werevery small, and seemed only to be for necessity; but on the other side ofthe island we saw good large houses. Their prows are narrow, withoutriggers on each side, like other Malayans. I cannot tell of whatreligion these are; but I think they are not Mahometans, by theirdrinking brandy out of the same cup with us without any scruple. At thisisland we continued till the 20th instant, having laid in store of suchroots and fruits as the island afforded. 

On the 20th, at half an hour after six in the morning, I weighed, andstanding out we saw a large boat full of men lying at the north point ofthe island. As we passed by, they rowed towards their habitations, wherewe supposed they had withdrawn themselves for fear of us, though we gavethem no cause of terror, or for some differences among themselves. 

We stood to the northward till seven in the evening, then saw a rippling;and, the water being discoloured, we sounded, and had but twenty-twofathom. I went about and stood to the westward till two next morningthen tacked again, and had these several soundings: at eight in theevening, twenty-two; at ten, twenty-five; at eleven, twenty-seven; attwelve, twenty-eight fathom; at two in the morning, twenty-six; at four, twenty-four; at six, twenty-three; at eight, twenty-eight; at twelve, twenty-two. 

We passed by many small islands, and among many dangerous shoals withoutany remarkable occurrence till the 4th of February, when we got withinthree leagues of the north-west cape of New Guinea, called by the DutchCape Mabo. Off this cape there lies a small woody island, and manyislands of different sizes to the north and north-east of it. This partof New Guinea is high land, adorned with tall trees, that appeared verygreen and flourishing. The cape itself is not very high, but ends in alow sharp point, and on either side there appears another such point atequal distances, which makes it resemble a diamond. This only appearswhen you are abreast of the middle point, and then you have no groundwithin three leagues of the shore. 

In the afternoon we passed by the cape and stood over for the islands. Before it was dark we were got within a league of the westernmost, buthad no ground with fifty fathom of line: however, fearing to stand nearerin the dark, we tacked and stood to the east and plied all night. Thenext morning we were got five or six leagues to the eastward of thatisland, and, having the wind easterly, we stood in to the northward amongthe islands, sounded, and had no ground; then I sent in my boat to sound, and they had ground with fifty fathom near a mile from the shore. Wetacked before the boat came aboard again, for fear of a shoal that wasabout a mile to the east of that island the boat went to, from whencealso a shoal-point stretched out itself till it met the other: theybrought with them such a cockle as I have mentioned in my "Voyage Roundthe World" found near Celebes, and they saw many more, some bigger thanthat which they brought aboard, as they said, and for this reason I namedit Cockle Island. I sent them to sound again, ordering them to fire amusket if they found good anchoring; we were then standing to thesouthward, with a fine breeze. As soon as they fired, I tacked and stoodin; they told me they had fifty fathom when they fired. I tacked again, and made all the sail I could to get out, being near some rocky islandsand shoals to leeward of us. The breeze increased, and I thought we wereout of danger, but having a shoal just by us, and the wind failing again, I ordered the boat to tow us, and by their help we got clear from it. Wehad a strong tide setting to the westward. 

At one o'clock, being past the shoal, and finding the tide setting to thewestward, I anchored in thirty-five fathom coarse sand, with small coraland shells. Being nearest to Cockle Island, I immediately sent both theboats thither, one to cut wood, and the other to fish. At four in theafternoon, having a small breeze at south-south-west, I made a sign formy boats to come on board. They brought some wood, and a few smallcockles, none of them exceeding ten pounds' weight, whereas the shell ofthe great one weighed seventy-eight pounds; but it was now high water, and therefore they could get no bigger. They also brought on board somepigeons, of which we found plenty on all the islands where we touched inthese seas: also in many places we saw many large bats, but killed none, except those I mentioned at Pub Sabuda. As our boats came aboard, weweighed and made sail, steering east-south-east as long as the wind held. In the morning we found we had got four or five leagues to the east ofthe place where we weighed. We stood to and fro till eleven; and findingthat we lost ground, anchored in forty-two fathom coarse gravelly sand, with some coral. This morning we thought we saw a sail. 

In the afternoon I went ashore on a small woody island, about two leaguesfrom us. Here I found the greatest number of pigeons that ever I saweither in the East or West Indies, and small cockles in the sea round theisland in such quantities that we might have laden the boat in an hour'stime. These were not above ten or twelve pounds' weight. We cut somewood, and brought off cockles enough for all the ship's company; buthaving no small shot, we could kill no pigeons. I returned about fouro'clock, and then my gunner and both mates went thither, and in less thanthree-quarters of an hour they killed and brought off ten pigeons. Hereis a tide: the flood sets west and the ebb east, but the latter is veryfaint and but of small continuance, and so we found it ever since we camefrom Timer: the winds we found easterly, between north-east andeast-south-east, so that if these continue, it is impossible to beatfarther to the eastward on this coast against wind and current. Theseeasterly winds increased from the time we were in the latitude of about 2degrees south, and as we drew nigher the line they hung more easterly:and now being to the north of the continent of New Guinea, where thecoast lies east and west, I find the trade-wind here at east, which yetin higher latitudes is usually at north-north-west and north-west; and soI did expect them here, it being to the south of the line. 

The 7th, in the morning, I sent my boat ashore on Pigeon Island, andstayed till noon. In the afternoon my men returned, brought twenty-twopigeons, and many cockles, some very large, some small: they also broughtone empty shell, that weighed two hundred and fifty-eight pounds. 

At four o'clock we weighed, having a small westerly wind and a tide withus; at seven in the evening we anchored in forty-two fathom, near KingWilliam's Island, where I went ashore the next morning, drank HisMajesty's health, and honoured it with his name. It is about two leaguesand a half in length, very high and extraordinarily well clothed withwoods; the trees are of divers sorts, most unknown to us, but all verygreen and flourishing; many of them had flowers, some white, some purple, others yellow: all which smelt very fragrantly: the trees are generallytall and straight bodied, and may be fit for any use. I saw one of aclean body, without knot or limb, sixty or seventy feet high byestimation; it was three of my fathoms about, and kept its bigness, without any sensible decrease, even to the top. The mould of the islandis black, but not deep, it being very rocky. On the sides and top of theisland are many palmetto trees, whose heads we could discern over all theother trees, but their bodies we could not see. 

About one in the afternoon we weighed and stood to the eastward, betweenthe main and King William's Island, leaving the island on our larboardside, and sounding till we were past the island, and then we had noground. Here we found the flood setting east-by-north, and the ebb west-by-south; there were shoals and small islands between us and the main, which caused the tide to set very inconstantly, and make many whirlingsin the water; yet we did not find the tide to set strong any way, nor thewater to rise much. 

On the 9th, being to the eastward of King William's Island, we plied allday between the main and other islands, having easterly winds and fairweather till seven the next morning; then we had very hard rain tilleight, and saw many shoals of fish. We lay becalmed off a pretty deepbay on New Guinea, about twelve or fourteen leagues wide, and seven oreight leagues deep, having low land near its bottom, but high landwithout. The easternmost part of New Guinea seen bore east-by-south, distant twelve leagues; Cape Mabo west-south-west half-south, distantseven leagues. 

At one in the afternoon it began to rain, and continued till six in theevening, so that, having but little wind and most calms, we lay still offthe forementioned bay, having King William's Island still in sight, though distant by judgment fifteen or sixteen leagues west. We saw manyshoals of small fish, some sharks, and seven or eight dolphins, butcaught none. In the afternoon, being about four leagues from the shore, we saw an opening in the land, which seemed to afford good harbour. Inthe evening we saw a large fire there, and I intended to go in (if windsand weather would permit) to get some acquaintance with the natives. 

Since the 4th instant that we passed Cape Mabo, to the 12th, we had smalleasterly winds and calms, so that we anchored several times, where I mademy men cut wood, that we might have a good stock when a westerly windshould present, and so we plied to the eastward, as winds and currentswould permit, having not got in all above thirty leagues to the eastwardof Cape Mabo; but on the 12th, at four in the afternoon, a small galesprang up at north-east-by-north, with rain; at five it shuffled about tonorth-west, from thence to the south-west, and continued between thosetwo points a pretty brisk gale, so that we made sail and steered awaynorth-east, till the 13th, in the morning, to get about the Cape of GoodHope. When it was day we steered north-east half east, then north-east-by-east till seven o'clock, and, being then seven or eight leagues offshore, we steered away east, the shore trending east-by-south. We hadvery much rain all night, so that we could not carry much sail, yet wehad a very steady gale. At eight this morning the weather cleared up, and the wind decreased to a fine top-gallant gale, and settled at west-by-south. We had more rain these three days past, than all the voyage, inso short a time. We were now about six leagues from the land of NewGuinea, which appeared very high; and we saw two headlands about twentyleagues asunder, the one to the east and the other to the west, whichlast is called the Cape of Good Hope. We found variation east 4 degrees. 

The 15th, in the morning, between twelve and two o'clock, it blew a verybrisk gale at north-west, and looked very black in the south-west. Attwo it flew about at once to the south-south-west, and rained very hard. The wind settled some time at west-south-west, and we steered east-north-east till three in the morning; then the wind and rain abating, westeered east-half-north for fear of coming near the land. Presentlyafter, it being a little clear, the man at the bowsprit end called out, "Land on our starboard bow. " We looked out and saw it plain: I presentlysounded, and had but ten fathom, soft ground. The master, being somewhatscared, came running in haste with this news, and said it was best toanchor. I told him no, but sound again; then we had twelve fathom; thenext cast, thirteen and a half; the fourth, seventeen fathom; and then noground with fifty fathom line. However, we kept off the island, and didnot go so fast but that we could see any other danger before we came nighit; for here might have been more islands not laid down in my draftsbesides this, for I searched all the drafts I had, if perchance I mightfind any island in the one which was not in the others, but I could findnone near us. When it was day we were about five leagues off the land wesaw; but, I believe, not above five miles, or at most two leagues, off itwhen we first saw it in the night. 

This is a small island, but pretty high; I named it Providence. Aboutfive leagues to the southward of this there is another island, which iscalled William Scouten's Island, and laid down in our drafts: it is ahigh island, and about twenty leagues big. 

It was by mere providence that we missed the small island; for, had notthe wind come to west-south-west, and blown hard, so that we steered east-north-east, we had been upon it by our course that we steered before, ifwe could not have seen it. This morning we saw many great trees and logsswim by us, which, it is probable, came out of some great rivers on themain. 

On the 16th we crossed the line, and found variation 6 degrees 26 minuteseast. The 18th, by my observation at noon, we found that we had had acurrent setting to the southward, and probably that drew us in so nighScouten's Island. For this twenty-four hours we steered east-by-northwith a large wind, yet made but an east-by-south half south course, though the variation was not above 7 degrees east. 

The 21st we had a current setting to the northward, which is against thetrue trade monsoon, it being now near the full moon. I did expect ithere, as in all other places. We had variation 8 degrees 45 minuteseast. The 22nd we found but little current, if any; it set to thesouthward. 

On the 23rd, in the afternoon, we saw two snakes, and the next morninganother passing by us, which was furiously assaulted by two fishes, thathad kept us company five or six days; they were shaped like mackerel, andwere about that bigness and length, and of a yellow-greenish colour. Thesnake swam away from them very fast, keeping his head above water; thefish snapped at his tail, but when he turned himself, that fish wouldwithdraw, and another would snap, so that by turns they kept himemployed, yet he still defended himself, and swam away a great pace, tillthey were out of sight. 

The 25th, betimes in the morning, we saw an island to the southward ofus, at about fifteen leagues' distance. We steered away for it, supposing it to be that which the Dutch call Wishart's Island; but, finding it otherwise, I called it Matthias, it being that saint's day. This island is about nine or ten leagues long, mountainous and woody, with many savannahs, and some spots of land which seemed to be cleared. 

At eight in the evening we lay by, intending, if I could, to anchor underMatthias Isle; but the next morning, seeing another island about seven oreight leagues to the eastward of it, we steered away for it. At noon wecame up fair with its south-west end, intending to run along by it andanchor on the south-east side, but the tornadoes came in so thick andhard that I could not venture in. This island is pretty low and plain, and clothed with wood; the trees were very green, and appeared to belarge and tall, as thick as they could stand one by another. It is abouttwo or three leagues long, and at the south-west point there is anothersmall, low, woody island, about a mile round, and about a mile from theother. Between them there runs a reef of rocks which joins them. (Thebiggest I named Squally Island. )

Seeing we could not anchor here, I stood away to the southward, to makethe main; but having many hard squalls and tornadoes, we were oftenforced to hand all our sails and steer more easterly to go before it. Onthe 26th at four o'clock it cleared up to a hard sky and a brisk settledgale; then we made as much sail as we could. At five it cleared up overthe land, and we saw, as we thought, Cape Solomaswer bearing south-south-east, distance ten leagues. We had many great logs and trees swimming byus all this afternoon, and much grass; we steered in south-south-easttill six, then the wind slackened, and we stood off till seven, havinglittle wind; then we lay by till ten, at which time we made sail, andsteered away east all night. The next morning, as soon as it was light, we made all the sail we could, and steered away east-south-east, as theland lay, being fair in sight of it, and not above seven leagues'distance. We passed by many small low woody islands which lay between usand the main, not laid down in our drafts. We found variation 9 degrees50 minutes east. 

The 28th we had many violent tornadoes, wind, rain, and some spouts, andin the tornadoes the wind shifted. In the night we had fair weather, butmore lightning than we had seen at any time this voyage. This morning weleft a large high island on our larboard side, called in the Dutch draftsWishart's Isle, about six leagues from the main; and, seeing many smokesupon the main, I therefore steered towards it. 

The mainland at this place is high and mountainous, adorned with tall, flourishing trees; the sides of the hills had many large plantations andpatches of clear land, which, together with the smoke we saw, werecertain signs of its being well inhabited; and I was desirous to havesome commerce with the inhabitants. Being nigh shore, we saw first oneproa; a little after, two or three more, and at last a great many boatscame from all the adjacent bays. When they were forty-six in number theyapproached so near us that we could see each other's signs and hear eachother speak, though we could not understand them, nor they us. They madesigns for us to go in towards the shore, pointing that way. It wassqually weather, which at first made me cautious of going too near; butthe weather beginning to look pretty well, I endeavoured to get into abay ahead of us, which we could have got into well enough at first; butwhile we lay by, we were driven so far to leeward that now it was moredifficult to get in. The natives lay in their proas round us; to whom Ishowed beads, knives, glasses, to allure them to come nearer. But theywould not come so nigh as to receive anything from us; therefore I threwout some things to them, viz. , a knife fastened to a piece of board, anda glass bottle corked up with some beads in it, which they took up, andseemed well pleased. They often struck their left breast with theirright hand, and as often held up a black truncheon over their heads, which we thought was a token of friendship, wherefore we did the like. And when we stood in towards their shore, they seemed to rejoice; butwhen we stood off, they frowned, yet kept us company in their proas, still pointing to the shore. About five o'clock we got within the mouthof the bay, and sounded several times, but had no ground, though within amile of the shore. The basin of this bay was about two miles within us, into which we might have gone; but as I was not assured of anchoragethere, so I thought it not prudent to run in at this time, it being nearnight, and seeing a black tornado rising in the west, which I mostfeared. Besides, we had near two hundred men in proas close by us; andthe bays on the shore were lined with men from one end to the other, where there could not be less than three or four hundred more. Whatweapons they had, we knew not, nor yet their design; therefore I had, attheir first coming near us, got up all our small arms, and made severalput on cartouch boxes, to prevent treachery. At last I resolved to goout again; which, when the natives in their proas perceived, they beganto fling stones at us as fast as they could, being provided with enginesfor that purpose, wherefore I named this place Slinger's Bay; but at thefiring of one gun they were all amazed, drew off, and flung no morestones. They got together, as if consulting what to do; for they did notmake in towards the shore, but lay still, though some of them were killedor wounded; and many more of them had paid for their boldness, but that Iwas unwilling to cut off any of them, which, if I had done, I could nothope afterwards to bring them to treat with me. 

The next day we sailed close by an island, where we saw many smokes, andmen in the bays, out of which came two or three canoes, taking much painsto overtake us, but they could not, though we went with an easy sail, andI could not now stay for them. As I passed by the south-east point Isounded several times within a mile of the Sandy Bays, but had no ground. About three leagues to the northward of the south-east point we opened alarge, deep bay, secured from west-north-west and south-west winds. Therewere two other islands that lay to the north-east of it, which securedthe bay from north-east winds; one was but small, yet woody; the otherwas a league long, inhabited, and full of cocoa-nut trees. I endeavouredto get into this bay, but there came such flaws off from the high landover it that I could not. Besides, we had many hard squalls, whichdeterred me from it; and, night coming on, I would not run any hazard, but bore away to the small inhabited island, to see if we could getanchorage on the east side of it. When we came there we found the islandso narrow, that there could be no shelter; therefore I tacked and stoodtowards the greater island again; and being more than midway betweenboth, I lay by, designing to endeavour for anchorage next morning. Between seven and eight at night we spied a canoe close by us, and seeingno more, suffered her to come aboard. She had three men in her, whobrought off five cocoa-nuts, for which I gave each of them a knife and astring of beads, to encourage them to come off again in the morning: butbefore these went away we saw two more canoes coming; therefore we stoodaway to the northward from them, and then lay by again till day. We sawno more boats this night, neither designed to suffer any to come aboardin the dark. 

By nine o'clock the next morning we were got within a league of the greatisland, but were kept off by violent gusts of wind. These squalls gaveus warning of their approach by the clouds which hung over the mountains, and afterwards descended to the foot of them; and then it is we expectthem speedily. 

On the 3rd of March, being about five leagues to leeward of the greatisland, we saw the mainland ahead, and another great high island toleeward of us, distant about seven leagues, which we bore away for. Itis called in the Dutch drafts Garret Dennis Isle. It is about fourteenor fifteen leagues round, high and mountainous, and very woody. Sometrees appeared very large and tall, and the bays by the seaside are wellstared with cocoa-nut trees, where we also saw some small houses. Thesides of the mountains are thickset with plantations, and the mould inthe new-cleared land seemed to be of a brown-reddish colour. This islandis of no regular figure, but is full of points shooting forth into thesea, between which are many sandy bays, full of cocoa-nut trees. Themiddle of the isle lies in 3 degrees 10 minutes south latitude. It isvery populous. The natives are very black, strong, and well-limbedpeople, having great round heads, their hair naturally curled and short, which they shave into several forms, and dye it also of diverscolours--viz. , red, white, and yellow. They have broad round faces, withgreat bottle-noses, yet agreeable enough till they disfigure them bypainting, and by wearing great things through their noses as big as aman's thumb, and about four inches long. These are run clear throughboth nostrils, one end coming out by one cheek-bone, and the other endagainst the other; and their noses so stretched that only a small slip ofthem appears about the ornament. They have also great holes in theirears, wherein they wear such stuff as in their noses. They are verydexterous, active fellows in their proas, which are very ingeniouslybuilt. They are narrow and long, with outriggers on one side, the headand stern higher than the rest, and carved into many devices--viz. , somefowl, fish, or a man's head painted or carved; and though it is butrudely done, yet the resemblance appears plainly, and shows an ingeniousfancy. But with what instruments they make their proas or carved work Iknow not, for they seem to be utterly ignorant of iron. They have veryneat paddles, with which they manage their proas dexterously, and makegreat way through the water. Their weapons are chiefly lances, swordsand slings, and some bows and arrows. They have also wooden fish-spearsfor striking fish. Those that came to assault us in Slinger's Bay on themain are in all respects like these, and I believe these are aliketreacherous. Their speech is clear and distinct. The words they usedmost when near us were _vacousee allamais_, and then they pointed to theshore. Their signs of friendship are either a great truncheon, or boughof a tree full of leaves, put on their heads, often striking their headswith their hands. 

The next day, having a fresh gale of wind, we got under a high island, about four or five leagues round, very woody, and full of plantationsupon the sides of the hills; and in the bays, by the waterside, areabundance of cocoa-nut trees. It lies in the latitude of 3 degrees 25minutes south, and meridian distance from Cape Mabo 1, 316 miles. On thesouth-east part of it are three or four other small woody islands, onehigh and peaked, the others low and flat, all bedecked with cocoa-nuttrees and other wood. On the north there is another island of anindifferent height and of a somewhat larger circumference than the greathigh island last mentioned. We passed between this and the high island. The high island is called in the Dutch drafts Anthony Cave's Island. Asfor the flat, low island, and the other small one, it is probable theywere never seen by the Dutch, nor the islands to the north of GarretDennis's Island. As soon as we came near Cave's Island some canoes cameabout us, and made signs for us to come ashore, as all the rest had donebefore, probably thinking we could run the ship aground anywhere, as theydid their proas, for we saw neither sail nor anchor among any of them, though most Eastern Indians have both. These had proas made of one tree, well dug, with outriggers on one side; they were but small, yet wellshaped. We endeavoured to anchor, but found no ground within a mile ofthe shore. We kept close along the north side, still sounding till wecame to the north-east end, but found no ground, the canoes stillaccompanying us, and the bays were covered with men going along as wesailed. Many of them strove to swim off to us, but we left them astern. Being at the north-east point, we found a strong current setting to thenorth-west, so that though we had steered to keep under the high island, yet we were driven towards the flat one. At this time three of thenatives came on board. I gave each of them a knife, a looking-glass, anda string of beads. I showed them pumpkins and cocoa-nut shells, and madesigns to them to bring some aboard, and had presently three cocoa-nutsout of one of the canoes. I showed them nutmegs, and by their signs Iguessed they had some on the island. I also showed them some gold dust, which they seemed to know, and called out "Manneel, Manneel, " and pointedtowards the land. A while after these men were gone, two or three canoescame from the flat island, and by signs invited us to their island, atwhich the others seemed displeased, and used very menacing gestures and, I believe, speeches to each other. Night coming on, we stood off to sea, and having but little wind all night, were driven away to the north-west. We saw many great fires on the flat island. The last men that came offto us were all black as those we had seen before, with frizzled hair. They were very tall, lusty, well-shaped men. They wear great things intheir noses, and paint as the others, but not much. They make the samesigns of friendship, and their language seems to be one; but the othershad proas, and these canoes. On the sides of some of these we saw thefigures of several fish neatly cut, and these last were not so shy as theothers. 

Steering away from Cave's Island south-south-east, we found a strongcurrent against us, which set only in some places in streams, and in themwe saw many trees and logs of wood, which drove by us. We had but littlewood aboard; wherefore I hoisted out the pinnace, and sent her to take upsome of this driftwood. In a little time she came aboard with a greattree in tow, which we could hardly hoist in with all our tackles. We cutup the tree and split it for firewood. It was much worm-eaten, and hadin it some live worms above an inch long, and about the bigness of agoose-quill, and having their heads crusted over with a thin shell. 

After this we passed by an island, called by the Dutch St. John's Island, leaving it to the north of us. It is about nine or ten leagues round, and very well adorned with lofty trees. We saw many plantations on thesides of the hills, and abundance of cocoa-nut trees about them, as alsothick groves on the bays by the seaside. As we came near it three canoescame off to us, but would not come aboard. They were such as we had seenabout the other islands. They spoke the same language, and made the samesigns of peace, and their canoes were such as at Cave's Island. 

We stood along by St. John's Island till we came almost to the south-eastpoint, and then, seeing no more islands to the eastward of us, nor anylikelihood of anchoring under this, I steered away for the main of NewGuinea, we being now, as I supposed, to the east of it, on this northside. My design of seeing these islands as I passed along was to getwood and water, but could find no anchor ground, and therefore could notdo as I purposed; besides, these islands are all so populous, that Idared not send my boat ashore, unless I could have anchored pretty nigh;wherefore I rather chose to prosecute my design on the main, the seasonof the year being now at hand, for I judged the westerly winds were nighspent. 

On the 8th of March we saw some smoke on the main, being distant from itfour or five leagues. It is very high, woody land, with some spots ofsavannah. About ten in the morning six or seven canoes came off to us. Most of them had no more than one man in them. They were all black, withshort curled hair, having the same ornaments in their noses, and theirheads so shaved and painted, and speaking the same words as theinhabitants of Cave's Island before mentioned. 

There was a headland to the southward of us, beyond which, seeing noland, I supposed that from thence the land trends away more westerly. This headland lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 2 minutes south, andmeridian distance from Cape Mabo 1, 290 miles. In the night we lay by, for fear of overshooting this headland, between which and Cape St. Manesthe land is high, mountainous and woody, having many points of landshooting out into the sea, which make so many fine bays; the coast liesnorth-north-east and south-south-west. 

The 9th, in the morning a huge black man came off to us in a canoe, butwould not come aboard. He made the same signs of friendship to us as therest we had met with; yet seemed to differ in his language, not using anyof those words which the others did. We saw neither smoke norplantations near this headland. We found here variation 1 degree east. 

In the afternoon, as we plied near the shore, three canoes came off tous; one had four men in her, the others two apiece. That with the fourmen came pretty nigh us, and showed us a cocoa-nut and water in a bamboo, making signs that there was enough ashore where they lived; they pointedto the place where they would have us go, and so went away. We saw asmall round pretty high island about a league to the north of thisheadland, within which there was a large deep bay, whither the canoeswent; and we strove to get thither before night, but could not; whereforewe stood off, and saw land to the westward of this headland, bearing west-by-south-half-south distance about ten leagues, and, as we thought, stillmore land bearing south-west-by-south, distance twelve or fourteenleagues, but being clouded, it disappeared, and we thought we had beendeceived. Before night we opened the headland fair, and I named it CapeSt. George. The land from hence trends away west-north-west about tenleagues, which is as far as we could see it; and the land that we saw tothe westward of it in the evening, which bore west-by-south-half-south, was another point about ten leagues from Cape St. George; between whichthere runs in a deep bay for twenty leagues or more. We saw some highland in spots like islands, down in that bay at a great distance; butwhether they are islands, or the main closing there we know not. Thenext morning we saw other land to the south-east of the westernmostpoint, which till then was clouded; it was very high land, and the samethat we saw the day before, that disappeared in a cloud. This Cape St. George lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 5 minutes south; and meridiandistance from Cape Mabo 1, 290 miles. The island off this cape I calledSt. George's Isle; and the bay between it and the west point I named St. George's Bay. [Note:--No Dutch drafts go so far as this cape by tenleagues. ] On the 10th, in the evening, we got within a league of thewesternmost land seen, which is pretty high and very woody, but noappearance of anchoring. I stood off again, designing, if possible, toply to and fro in this bay till I found a conveniency to wood and water. We saw no more plantations nor cocoa-nut trees; yet in the night wediscerned a small fire right against us. The next morning we saw aburning mountain in the country. It was round, high, and peaked at top, as most volcanoes are, and sent forth a great quantity of smoke. We tookup a log of driftwood, and split it for firing; in which we found somesmall fish. 

The day after we passed by the south-west cape of this bay, leaving it tothe north of us. When we were abreast of it I called my officerstogether, and named it Cape Orford, in honour of my noble patron, drinking his Lordship's health. This cape bears from Cape St. Georgesouth-west about eighteen leagues. Between them there is a bay abouttwenty-five leagues deep, having pretty high land all round it, especially near the capes, though they themselves are not high. CapeOrford lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 24 minutes south, by myobservation; and meridian distance from Cape St. George, forty-four mileswest. The land trends from this cape north-west by west into the bay, and on the other side south-west per compass, which is south-west 9degrees west, allowing the variation, which is here 9 degrees east. Theland on each side of the cape is more savannah than woodland, and ishighest on the north-west side. The cape itself is a bluff-point, of anindifferent height, with a flat tableland at top. When we were to thesouth-west of the cape, it appeared to be a low point shooting out, whichyou cannot see when abreast of it. This morning we struck a log ofdriftwood with our turtle-irons, hoisted it in, and split it forfirewood. Afterwards we struck another, but could not get it in. Therewere many fish about it. 

We steered along south-west as the land lies, keeping about six leaguesoff the shore; and, being desirous to cut wood and fill water, if I sawany conveniency, I lay by in the night, because I would not miss anyplace proper for those ends, for fear of wanting such necessaries as wecould not live without. This coast is high and mountainous, and not sothick with trees as that on the other side of Cape Orford. 

On the 14th, seeing a pretty deep bay ahead, and some islands where Ithought we might ride secure, we ran in towards the shore and saw somesmoke. At ten o'clock we saw a point which shot out pretty well into thesea, with a bay within it, which promised fair for water; and we stood inwith a moderate gale. Being got into the bay within the point, we sawmany cocoa-nut-trees, plantations, and houses. When I came within fouror five miles of the shore, six small boats came off to view us, withabout forty men in them all. Perceiving that they only came to view us, and would not come aboard, I made signs and waved to them to go ashore;but they did not or would not understand me; therefore I whistled a shotover their heads out of my fowling-piece, and then they pulled away forthe shore as hard as they could. These were no sooner ashore, than wesaw three boats coming from the islands to leeward of us, and they sooncame within call, for we lay becalmed. One of the boats had about fortymen in her, and was a large, well-built boat; the other two were butsmall. Not long after, I saw another boat coming out of the bay where Iintended to go; she likewise was a large boat, with a high head and sternpainted, and full of men. This I thought came off to fight us, as it isprobable they all did; therefore I fired another small shot over thegreat boat that was nigh us, which made them leave their babbling andtake to their paddles. We still lay becalmed; and therefore they, rowingwide of us, directed their course towards the other great boat that wascoming off. When they were pretty near each other I caused the gunner tofire a gun between them, which he did very dexterously; it was loadedwith round and partridge shot; the last dropped in the water somewhatshort of them, but the round shot went between both boats, and grazedabout one hundred yards beyond them. This so affrighted them that theyboth rowed away for the shore as fast as they could, without coming neareach other; and the little boats made the best of their way after them. And now, having a gentle breeze at south-south-east, we bore into the bayafter them. When we came by the point, I saw a great number of menpeeping from under the rocks: I ordered a shot to be fired close by, toscare them. The shot grazed between us and the point, and, mountingagain, flew over the point, and grazed a second time just by them. Wewere obliged to sail along close by the bays; and, seeing multitudessitting under the trees, I ordered a third gun to be fired among thecocoa-nut-trees to scare them; for my business being to wood and water, Ithought it necessary to strike some terror into the inhabitants, who werevery numerous, and (by what I saw now, and had formerly experienced)treacherous. After this I sent my boat to sound; they had first forty, then thirty, and at last twenty fathom water. We followed the boat, andcame to anchor about a quarter of a mile from the shore, in twenty-sixfathom water, fine black sand and ooze. We rode right against the mouthof a small river, where I hoped to find fresh water. Some of the nativesstanding on a small point at the river's mouth, I sent a small shot overtheir heads to frighten them, which it did effectually. In the afternoonI sent my boat ashore to the natives who stood upon the point by theriver's mouth with a present of cocoa-nuts; when the boat was come nearthe shore, they came running into the water, and put their nuts into theboat. Then I made a signal for the boat to come aboard, and sent both itand the yawl into the river to look for fresh water, ordering the pinnaceto lie near the river's mouth, while the yawl went up to search. In anhour's time they returned aboard with some barrecoes full fresh of water;which they had taken up about half a mile up the river. After which Isent them again with casks, ordering one of them to fill water, and theother to watch the motions of the natives, lest they should make anyopposition. But they did not, and so the boats returned a little beforesunset with a tun and a half of water; and the next day by noon broughtaboard about six tuns of water. 

I sent ashore commodities to purchase hogs, &c. Being informed that thenatives have plenty of them, as also of yams and other good roots; but mymen returned without getting anything that I sent them for, the nativesbeing unwilling to trade with us. Yet they admired our hatchets andaxes, but would part with nothing but cocoa-nuts, which they used toclimb the trees for; and so soon as they gave them our men, they beckonedto them to be gone, for they were much afraid of us. 

The 18th I sent both boats again for water, and before noon they hadfilled all my casks. In the afternoon I sent them both to cut wood; butseeing about forty natives standing on the bay at a small distance fromour men, I made a signal for them to come aboard again, which they did, and brought me word that the men which we saw on the bay were passingthat way, but were afraid to come nigh them. At four o'clock I sent boththe boats again for more wood, and they returned in the evening. Then Icalled my officers to consult whether it were convenient to stay herelonger, and endeavour a better acquaintance with these people, or go tosea. My design of tarrying here longer was, if possible, to get somehogs, goats, yams, or other roots, as also to get some knowledge of thecountry and its product. My officers unanimously gave their opinions forstaying longer here. So the next day I sent both boats ashore again, tofish and to cut more wood. While they were ashore about thirty or fortymen and women passed by them; they were a little afraid of our people atfirst, but upon their making signs of friendship, they passed by quietly, the men finely bedecked with feathers of divers colours about theirheads, and lances in their hands; the women had no ornament about them, nor anything to cover their nakedness but a bunch of small green boughsbefore and behind, stuck under a string which came round their waists. They carried large baskets on their heads, full of yams. And this I haveobserved amongst all the wild natives I have known, that they make theirwomen carry the burdens while the men walk before, without any other loadthan their arms and ornaments. At noon our men came aboard with the woodthey had cut, and had caught but six fishes at four or five hauls of theseine, though we saw abundance of fish leaping in the bay all the daylong. 

In the afternoon I sent the boats ashore for more wood; and some of ourmen went to the natives' houses, and found they were now more shy thanthey used to be, had taken down all the cocoa-nuts from the trees, anddriven away their hogs. Our people made signs to them to know what wasbecome of their hogs, &e. The natives pointing to some houses in thebottom of the bay, and imitating the noise of those creatures, seemed tointimate that there were both hogs and goats of several sizes, which theyexpressed by holding their hands abroad at several distances from theground. 

At night our boats came aboard with wood, and the next morning I wentmyself with both boats up the river to the watering-place, carrying withme all such trifles and iron-work as I thought most proper to induce themto a commerce with us; but I found them very shy and roguish. I saw buttwo men and a boy. One of the men, by some signs, was persuaded to cometo the boat's side, where I was; to him I gave a knife, a string ofbeads, and a glass bottle. The fellow called out, "Cocos, cocos, "pointing to a village hard by, and signified to us that he would go forsome; but he never returned to us: and thus they had frequently of lateserved our men. I took eight or nine men with me, and marched to theirhouses, which I found very mean, and their doors made fast with withies. 

I visited three of their villages, and, finding all the houses thusabandoned by the inhabitants, who carried with them all their hogs, &c. , I brought out of their houses some small fishing-nets in recompense forthose things they had received of us. As we were coming away we saw twoof the natives; I showed them the things that we carried with us, andcalled to them, "Cocos, cocos, " to let them know that I took these thingsbecause they had not made good what they had promised by their signs, andby their calling out "Cocos. " While I was thus employed the men in theyawl filled two hogsheads of water, and all the barrecoes. About one inthe afternoon I came aboard, and found all my officers and men veryimportunate to go to that bay where the hogs were said to be. I was lothto yield to it, fearing they would deal too roughly with the natives. Bytwo o'clock in the afternoon many black clouds gathered over the land, which I thought would deter them from their enterprise; but theysolicited me the more to let them go. At last I consented, sending thosecommodities I had ashore with me in the morning, and giving them a strictcharge to deal by fair means, and to act cautiously for their ownsecurity. The bay I sent them to was about two miles from the ship. Assoon as they were gone, I got all things ready, that, if I saw occasion, I might assist them with my great guns. When they came to land, thenatives in great companies stood to resist them, shaking their lances, and threatening them, and some were so daring as to wade into the sea, holding a target in one hand and a lance in the other. Our men held upto them such commodities as I had sent, and made signs of friendship, butto no purpose, for the natives waved them off. Seeing, therefore, theycould not be prevailed upon to a friendly commerce, my men, beingresolved to have some provision among them, fired some muskets to scarethem away, which had the desired effect upon all but two or three, whostood still in a menacing posture, till the boldest dropped his targetand ran away. They supposed he was shot in the arm; he and some othersfelt the smart of our bullets, but none were killed, our design beingrather to frighten than to kill them. Our men landed, and foundabundance of tame hogs running among the houses. They shot down nine, which they brought away, besides many that ran away wounded. They hadbut little time, for in less than an hour after they went from the shipit began to rain; wherefore they got what they could into the boats, forI had charged them to come away if it rained. By the time the boat wasaboard and the hogs taken in it cleared up, and my men desired to makeanother trip thither before night; this was about five in the evening, and I consented, giving them orders to repair on board before night. Inthe close of the evening they returned accordingly, with eight hogs more, and a little live pig; and by this time the other hogs were jerked andsalted. These that came last we only dressed and corned till morning, and then sent both boats ashore for more refreshments either of hogs orroots; but in the night the natives had conveyed away their provisions ofall sorts. Many of them were now about the houses, and none offered toresist our boats landing, but, on the contrary, were so amicable, thatone man brought ten or twelve cocoa-nuts, left them on the shore after hehad shown them to our men, and went out of sight. Our people, findingnothing but nets and images, brought some of them away, which two of mymen brought aboard in a small canoe, and presently after my boats cameoff. I ordered the boatswain to take care of the nets till we came atsome place where they might be disposed of for some refreshment for theuse of all the company. The images I took into my own custody. 

In the afternoon I sent the canoe to the place from whence she had beenbrought, and in her two axes, two hatchets (one of them helved), sixknives, six looking-glasses, a large bunch of beads, and four glassbottles. Our men drew the canoe ashore, placed the things to the bestadvantage in her, and came off in the pinnace which I sent to guard them;and now, being well-stocked with wood and all my water-casks full, Iresolved to sail the next morning. All the time of our stay here we hadvery fair weather, only sometimes in the afternoon we had a shower ofrain, which lasted not above an hour at most; also some thunder andlightning, with very little wind; we had sea and land breezes, the formerbetween the south-south-east, and the latter from north-east to north-west. 

This place I named Port Montague in honour of my noble patron: it lies inthe latitude of 6 degrees 10 minutes south, and meridian distance fromCape St. George 151 miles west. The country hereabouts is mountainousand woody, full of rich valleys and pleasant fresh-water brooks. Themould in the valleys is deep and yellowish, that on the sides of the hillof a very brown colour, and not very deep, but rocky underneath, yetexcellent planting land. The trees in general are neither very straight, thick, nor tall, yet appear green and pleasant enough; some of them boreflowers, some berries, and others big fruits, but all unknown to any ofus; cocoa-nut trees thrive very well here, as well on the bays by the sea-side, as more remote among the plantations; the nuts are of anindifferent size, the milk and kernel very thick and pleasant. Here isginger, yams, and other very good roots for the pot, that our men saw andtasted; what other fruits or roots the country affords I know not. Hereare hogs and dogs; other land animals we saw none. The fowls we saw andknew were pigeons, parrots, cockatoos, and crows like those in England; asort of birds about the bigness of a blackbird, and smaller birds many. The sea and rivers have plenty of fish; we saw abundance, though wecaught but few, and these were cavallies, yellow-tails, and whip-rays. 

We departed from hence on the 22nd of March, and on the 24th, in theevening, we saw some high land bearing north-west half-west, to the westof which we could see no land, though there appeared something like landbearing west a little southerly, but not being sure of it, I steered west-north-west all night, and kept going on with an easy sail, intending tocoast along the shore at a distance. At ten o'clock I saw a great firebearing north-west-by-west, blazing up in a pillar, sometimes very highfor three or four minutes, then falling quite down for an equal space oftime, sometimes hardly visible, till it blazed up again. I had laid medown, having been indisposed these three days; but upon a sight of this, my chief mate called me; I got up and viewed it for about half an hour, and knew it to be a burning hill by its intervals: I charged them to lookwell out, having bright moonlight. In the morning I found that the firewe had seen the night before was a burning island, and steered for it. Wesaw many other islands, one large high island, and another smaller butpretty high. I stood near the volcano, and many small low islands, withsome shoals. 

March the 25th, 1700, in the evening we came within three leagues of thisburning hill, being at the same time two leagues from the main; I found agood channel to pass between them, and kept nearer the main than theisland. At seven in the evening I sounded, and had fifty-two fathom finesand and ooze. I stood to the northward to get clear of this strait, having but little wind and fair weather. The island all night vomitedfire and smoke very amazingly, and at every belch we heard a dreadfulnoise like thunder, and saw a flame of fire after it the most terrifyingthat ever I saw; the intervals between its belches were about half aminute, some more, others less; neither were these pulses or eruptionsalike, for some were but faint convulsions, in comparison of the morevigorous; yet even the weakest vented a great deal of fire; but thelargest made a roaring noise, and sent up a large flame, twenty or thirtyyards high; and then might be seen a great stream of fire running down tothe foot of the island, even to the shore. From the furrows made by thisdescending fire, we could, in the day time, see great smoke arise, whichprobably were made by the sulphurous matter thrown out of the funnel atthe top, which tumbling down to the bottom, and there lying in a heap, burned till either consumed or extinguished; and as long as it burned andkept its heat, so long the smoke ascended from it; which we perceived toincrease or decrease, according to the quantity of matter discharged fromthe funnel: but the next night, being shot to the westward of the burningisland, and the funnel of it lying on the south side, we could notdiscern the fire there, as we did the smoke in the day when we were tothe southward of it. This volcano lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 33minutes south, and meridian distance from Cape St. George, three hundredand thirty-two miles west. 

The easternmost part of New Guinea lies forty miles to the westward ofthis tract of land; and by hydrographers they are made joining together;but here I found an opening and passage between, with many islands, thelargest of which lie on the north side of this passage or strait. Thechannel is very good, between the islands and the land to the eastward. The east part of New Guinea is high and mountainous, ending on the north-east with a large promontory, which I named King William's Cape, inhonour of his present Majesty. We saw some smoke on it, and leaving iton our larboard side, steered away near the east land, which ends withtwo remarkable capes or heads, distant from each other about six or sevenleagues: within each head were two very remarkable mountains, ascendingvery gradually from the sea-side, which afforded a very pleasant andagreeable prospect. The mountains and the lower land were pleasantlymixed with woodland and savannahs; the trees appeared very green andflourishing, and the savannahs seemed to be very smooth and even; nomeadow in England appears more green in the spring than these. We sawsmoke, but did not strive to anchor here, but rather chose to get underone of the islands (where I thought I should find few or no inhabitants), that I might repair my pinnace, which was so crazy that I could notventure ashore anywhere with her. As we stood over to the islands, welooked out very well to the north, but could see no land that way; bywhich I was well assured that we were got through, and that this eastland does not join to New Guinea; therefore I named it Nova Britannia. The north-west cape I called Cape Gloucester, and the south-west-pointCape Anne; and the north-west mountain, which is very remarkable, Icalled Mount Gloucester. 

This island which I called Nova Britannia, has about 4 degrees oflatitude: the body of it lying in 4 degrees, and the northernmost part in2 degrees 32 minutes, and the southernmost in 6 degrees 30 minutes south. It has about 5 degrees 18 minutes longitude from east to west. It isgenerally high mountainous land, mixed with large valleys, which, as wellas the mountains appeared very fertile; and in most places that we saw, the trees are very large, tall and thick. It is also very well inhabitedwith strong well-limbed negroes, whom we found very daring and bold atseveral places. As to the product of it, I know no more than what I havesaid in my account of Port Montague; but it is very probable this islandmay afford as many rich commodities as any in the world: and the nativesmay be easily brought to commerce, though I could not pretend to it undermy present circumstances. 

Being near the island to the northward of the volcano, I sent my boat tosound, thinking to anchor here, but she returned and brought me word, that they had no ground till they met with a reef of coral rocks about amile from the shore, then I bore away to the north side of the island, where we found no anchoring neither. We saw several people, and somecocoa-nut trees, but could not send ashore for want of my pinnace, whichwas out of order. In the evening I stood off to sea, to be at such adistance that I might not be driven by any current upon the shoals ofthis island, if it should prove calm. We had but little wind, especiallythe beginning of the night; but in the morning I found myself so far tothe west of the island, that the wind being at east-south-east, I couldnot fetch it, wherefore I kept on to the southward, and stemmed with thebody of a high island about eleven or twelve leagues long, lying to thesouthward of that which I before designed for. I named this island SirGeorge Rook's Island. 

We also saw some other islands to the westward, which may be better seenin my draft of these lands than here described; but seeing a very smallisland lying to the north-west of the long island which was before us, and not far from it. I steered away for that, hoping to find anchoringthere; and having but little wind, I sent my boat before to sound, which, when we were about two miles' distance from the shore, came on board andbrought me word that there was good anchoring in thirty or forty fathomwater, a mile from the isle, and within a reef of the rocks which lay ina half-moon, reaching from the north part of the island to thesouth-east; so at noon we got in and anchored in thirty-six fathom, amile from the isle. 

In the afternoon I sent my boat ashore to the island, to see whatconvenience there was to haul our vessel ashore in order to be mended, and whether we could catch any fish. My men in the boat rowed about theisland, but could not land by reason of the rocks and a great surgerunning in upon the shore. We found variation here, 8 degrees 25 minuteswest. 

I designed to have stayed among these islands till I got my pinnacerefitted; but having no more than one man who had skill to work upon her, I saw she would be a long time in repairing (which was one great reasonwhy I could not prosecute my discoveries further); and the easterly windsbeing set in, I found I should scarce be able to hold my ground. 

The 31st, in the forenoon, we shot in between two islands, lying aboutfour leagues asunder, with intention to pass between them. Thesouthernmost is a long island, with a high hill at each end; this I namedLong Island. The northernmost is a round high island towering up withseveral heads or tops, something resembling a crown; this I named CrownIsle from its form. Both these islands appeared very pleasant, havingspots of green savannahs mixed among the woodland: the trees appearedvery green and flourishing, and some of them looked white and full ofblossoms. We passed close by Crown Isle, saw many cocoa-nut trees on thebays and sides of the hills; and one boat was coming off from the shore, but returned again. We saw no smoke on either of the islands, neitherdid we see any plantations, and it is probable they are not very wellpeopled. We saw many shoals near Crown Island, and reefs of rocksrunning off from the points a mile or more into the sea: my boat was onceoverboard, with design to have sent her ashore, but having little wind, and seeing some shoals, I hoisted her in again, and stood off out ofdanger. 

In the afternoon, seeing an island bearing north-west-by-west, we steeredaway north-west-by-north, to be to the northward of it. The nextmorning, being about midway from the islands we left yesterday, andhaving this to the westward of us, the land of the main of New Guineawithin us to the southward, appeared very high. When we came within fouror five leagues of this island to the west of us, four boats came off toview us, one came within call, but returned with the other three withoutspeaking to us; so we kept on for the island, which I named Sir R. Rich'sIsland. It was pretty high, woody, and mixed with savannahs like thoseformerly mentioned. Being to the north of it, we saw an opening betweenit and another island two leagues to the west of it, which beforeappeared all in one. The main seemed to be high land, trending to thewestward. 

On Tuesday, the 2nd of April, about eight in the morning, we discovered ahigh-peaked island to the westward, which seemed to smoke at its top: thenext day we passed by the north side of the Burning Island, and saw smokeagain at its top, but the vent lying on the south side of the peak, wecould not observe it distinctly, nor see the fire. We afterwards openedthree more islands, and some land to the southward, which we could notwell tell whether it were islands or part of the main. These islands areall high, full of fair trees and spots of great savannahs, as well theBurning Isle as the rest; but the Burning Isle was more round and peakedat top, very fine land near the sea, and for two-thirds up it: we alsosaw another isle sending forth a great smoke at once, but it soonvanished, and we saw it no more; we saw also among these islands threesmall vessels with sails, which the people of Nova Britannia seem whollyignorant of. 

The 11th, at noon, having a very good observation, I found myself to thenorthward of my reckoning, and thence concluded that we had a currentsetting north-west, or rather more westerly, as the land lies. From thattime to the next morning we had fair clear weather, and a fine moderategale from south-east to east-by-north: but at daybreak the clouds beganto fly, and it lightened very much in the east, south-east, and north-east. At sun-rising, the sky looked very red in the east near thehorizon, and there were many black clouds both to the south and north ofit. About a quarter of an hour after the sun was up, there was a squallto the windward of us; when on sudden one of our men on the forecastlecalled out that he saw something astern, but could not tell what: Ilooked out for it, and immediately saw a spout beginning to work within aquarter of a mile of us, exactly in the wind: we presently put rightbefore it. It came very swiftly, whirling the water up in a pillar aboutsix or seven yards high. As yet I could not see any pendulous cloud, from whence it might come, and was in hopes it would soon lose its force. In four or five minutes' time it came within a cable's length of us, andpassed away to leeward, and then I saw a long pale stream coming down tothe whirling water. This stream was about the bigness of a rainbow: theupper end seemed vastly high, not descending from any dark cloud, andtherefore the more strange to me, I never having seen the like before. Itpassed about a mile to leeward of us, and then broke. This was but asmall spout, not strong nor lasting; yet I perceived much wind in it asit passed by us. The current still continued at north-west a littlewesterly, which I allowed to run a mile per hour. 

By an observation the 13th, at noon, I found myself 25 minutes to thenorthward of my reckoning; whether occasioned by bad steerage, a badaccount, or a current, I could not determine; but was apt to judge itmight be a complication of all; for I could not think it was wholly thecurrent, the land here lying east-by-south, and west-by-north, or alittle more northerly and southerly. We had kept so nigh as to see it, and at farthest had not been above twenty leagues from it, but sometimesmuch nearer; and it is not probable that any current should set directlyoff from a land. A tide indeed may; but then the flood has the sameforce to strike in upon the shore, as the ebb to strike off from it: buta current must have set nearly along shore, either easterly or westerly;and if anything northerly or southerly, it could be but very little incomparison of its east or west course, on a coast lying as this doth;which yet we did not perceive. If therefore we were deceived by acurrent, it is very probable that the land is here disjoined, and thatthere is a passage through to the southward, and that the land from KingWilliam's Cape to this place is an island, separated from New Guinea bysome strait, as Nova Britannia is by that which we came through. Butthis being at best but a probable conjecture, I shall insist no fartherupon it. 

The 14th we passed by Scouten's Island, and Providence Island, and foundstill a very strong current setting to the north-west. On the 17th wesaw a high mountain on the main, that sent forth great quantities ofsmoke from its top: this volcano we did not see in our voyage out. Inthe afternoon we discovered King William's Island, and crowded all thesail we could to get near it before night, thinking to lie to theeastward of it till day, for fear of some shoals that lie at the west endof it. Before night we got within two leagues of it, and having a finegale of wind and a light moon, I resolved to pass through in the night, which I hoped to do before twelve o'clock, if the gale continued; butwhen we came within two miles of it, it fell calm: yet afterwards by thehelp of the current, a small gale, and our boat, we got through beforeday. In the night we had a very fragrant smell from the island. Bymorning light we were got two leagues to the westward of it; and thenwere becalmed all the morning; and met such whirling tides, that when wecame into them, the ship turned quite round: and though sometimes we hada small gale of wind, yet she could not feel the helm when she came intothese whirlpools: neither could we get from amongst them, till a briskgale sprang up: yet we drove not much any way, but whirled round like atop. And those whirlpools were not constant to one place but drove aboutstrangely: and sometimes we saw among them large ripplings of the water, like great over-falls making a fearful noise. I sent my boat to sound, but found no ground. 

The 18th Cape Mabo bore south, distance nine leagues; by which account itlies in the latitude of 50 minutes south, and meridian distance from CapeSt. George one thousand two hundred and forty-three miles. St. John'sIsle lies forty-eight miles to the east of Cape St. George; which beingadded to the distance between Cape St. George and Cape Mabo, makes onethousand two hundred and ninety-one meridional parts; which was thefurthest that I was to the east. In my outward-bound voyage I mademeridian distance between Cape Mabo and Cape St. George, one thousand twohundred and ninety miles; and now in my return, but one thousand twohundred and forty-three; which is forty-seven short of my distance goingout. This difference may probably be occasioned by the strong westerncurrent which we found in our return, which I allowed for after Iperceived it; and though we did not discern any current when we went tothe eastward, except when near the islands, yet it is probable we had oneagainst us, though we did not take notice of it because of the strongeasterly winds. King William's Island lies in the latitude of 21 minutessouth, and may be seen distinctly off Cape Mabo. 

In the evening we passed by Cape Mabo; and afterwards steered away south-east half-east, keeping along the shore, which here trendssouth-easterly. The next morning, seeing a large opening in the land, with an island near the south side; I stood in, thinking to anchor there. When we were shot in within two leagues of the island, the wind came tothe west, which blows right into the opening. I stood to the northshore, intending, when I came pretty nigh, to send my boat into theopening and sound, before I would venture in. We found several deepbays, but no soundings within two miles of the shore; therefore I stoodoff again, then seeing a rippling under our lee, I sent my boat to soundon it; which returned in half an hour, and brought me word that therippling we saw was only a tide, and that they had no ground there.