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diff --git a/old/ausvy10.txt b/old/ausvy10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0468891 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/ausvy10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4967 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Early Australian Voyages, by John Pinkerton + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + +*It must legally be the first thing seen when opening the book.* +In fact, our legal advisors said we can't even change margins. + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +This etext was prepared by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk, +from the 1886 Cassell & Company edition. + + + + + +EARLY AUSTRALIAN VOYAGES + +by John Pinkerton + + + + +Contents: + +Introduction +Pelsart +Tasman +Dampier + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + + +In the days of Plato, imagination found its way, before the +mariners, to a new world across the Atlantic, and fabled an Atlantis +where America now stands. In the days of Francis Bacon, imagination +of the English found its way to the great Southern Continent before +the Portuguese or Dutch sailors had sight of it, and it was the home +of those wise students of God and nature to whom Bacon gave his New +Atlantis. The discoveries of America date from the close of the +fifteenth century. The discoveries of Australia date only from the +beginning of the seventeenth. The discoveries of the Dutch were +little known in England before the time of Dampier's voyage, at the +close of the seventeenth century, with which this volume ends. The +name of New Holland, first given by the Dutch to the land they +discovered on the north-west coast, then extended to the continent +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 be made at Port Jackson, in 1788, not quite a hundred +years ago, and the foundations were then laid of the settlement of +New South Wales, or Sydney. It was at first a penal colony, and its +Botany Bay was a name of terror to offenders. Western Australia, or +Swan River, was first settled as a free colony in 1829, but +afterwards used also as a penal settlement; South Australia, which +has Adelaide for its capital, was first established in 1834, and +colonised in 1836; Victoria, with Melbourne for its capital, known +until 1851 as the Port Philip District, and a dependency of New +South Wales, was first colonised in 1835. It received in 1851 its +present name. Queensland, formerly known as the Moreton Bay +District, was established as late as 1859. A settlement of North +Australia was tried in 1838, and has since been abandoned. On the +other side of Bass's Straits, the island of Van Diemen's Land, was +named Tasmania, and established as a penal colony in 1803. + +Advance, Australia! The scattered handfuls of people have become a +nation, one with us in race, and character, and worthiness of aim. +These little volumes will, in course of time, include many aids to a +knowledge of the shaping of the nations. There will be later +records of Australia than these which tell of the old Dutch +explorers, and of the first real awakening of England to a knowledge +of Australia by Dampier's voyage. + +The great Australian continent is 2,500 miles long from east to +west, and 1,960 miles in its greatest breadth. Its climates are +therefore various. The northern half lies chiefly within the +tropics, and at Melbourne snow is seldom seen except upon the hills. +The separation of Australia by wide seas from Europe, Asia, Africa, +and America, gives it animals and plants peculiarly its own. It has +been said that of 5,710 plants discovered, 5,440 are peculiar to +that continent. The kangaroo also is proper to Australia, and there +are other animals of like kind. Of 58 species of quadruped found in +Australia, 46 were peculiar to it. Sheep and cattle that abound +there now were introduced from Europe. From eight merino sheep +introduced in 1793 by a settler named McArthur, there has been +multiplication into millions, and the food-store of the Old World +begins to be replenished by Australian mutton. + +The unexplored interior has given a happy hunting-ground to satisfy +the British spirit of adventure and research; but large waterless +tracts, that baffle man's ingenuity, have put man's powers of +endurance to sore trial. + +The mountains of Australia are all of the oldest rocks, in which +there are either no fossil traces of past life, or the traces are of +life in the most ancient forms. Resemblance of the Australian +cordilleras to the Ural range, which he had especially been +studying, caused Sir Roderick Murchison, in 1844, to predict that +gold would be found in Australia. The first finding of gold--the +beginning of the history of the Australian gold-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 to the +Bathurst gold-diggings. + +Gold, wool, mutton, wine, fruits, and what more Australia can now +add to the commonwealth of the English-speaking people, Englishmen +at home have been learning this year in the great Indian and +Colonial Exhibition, which is to stand always as evidence of the +numerous resources of the Empire, as aid to the full knowledge of +them, and through that to their wide diffusion. We are a long way +now from the wrecked ship of Captain Francis Pelsart, with which the +histories in this volume begin. + +John Pinkerton was born at Edinburgh in February, 1758, and died in +Paris in March, 1826, aged sixty-eight. He was the best classical +scholar at the Lanark grammar school; but his father, refusing to +send him to a university, bound him to Scottish law. He had a +strong will, fortified in some respects by a weak judgment. He +wrote clever verse; at the age of twenty-two he went to London to +support himself by literature, began by publishing "Rimes" of his +own, and then Scottish Ballads, all issued as ancient, but of which +he afterwards admitted that fourteen out of the seventy-three were +wholly written by himself. John Pinkerton, whom Sir Walter Scott +described as "a man of considerable learning, and some severity as +well as acuteness of disposition," made clear conscience on the +matter in 1786, when he published two volumes of genuine old +Scottish Poems from the MS. collections of Sir Richard Maitland. He +had added to his credit as an antiquary by an Essay on Medals, and +then applied his studies to ancient Scottish History, producing +learned books, in which he bitterly abused the Celts. It was in +1802 that Pinkerton left England for Paris, where he supported +himself by indefatigable industry as a writer during the last +twenty-four years of his life. One of the most useful of his many +works was that General Collection of the best and most interesting +Voyages and Travels of the World, which appeared in seventeen quarto +volumes, with maps and engravings, in the years 1808-1814. +Pinkerton abridged and digested most of the travellers' records +given in this series, but always studied to retain the travellers' +own words, and his occasional comments have a value of their own. + +H.M. + + + +EARLY AUSTRALIAN VOYAGES. +VOYAGE OF FRANCIS PELSART TO AUSTRALASIA. +1628-29. + + + +It has appeared very strange to some very able judges of voyages, +that the Dutch should make so great account of the southern +countries as to cause the map of them to be laid down in the +pavement of the Stadt House at Amsterdam, and yet publish no +descriptions of them. This mystery was a good deal heightened by +one of the ships that first touched on Carpenter's Land, bringing +home a considerable quantity of gold, spices, and other rich goods; +in order to clear up which, it was said that these were not the +product of the country, but were fished out of the wreck of a large +ship that had been lost upon the coast. But this story did not +satisfy the inquisitive, because not attended with circumstances +necessary to establish its credit; and therefore they suggested +that, instead of taking away the obscurity by relating the truth, +this story was invented in order to hide it more effectually. This +suspicion gained ground the more when it was known that the Dutch +East India Company from Batavia had made some attempts to conquer a +part of the Southern continent, and had been repulsed with loss, of +which, however, we have no distinct or perfect relation, and all +that hath hitherto been collected in reference to this subject, may +be reduced to two voyages. All that we know concerning the +following piece is, that it was collected from the Dutch journal of +the voyage, and having said thus much by way of introduction, we now +proceed to the translation of this short history. + +The directors of the East India Company, animated by the return of +five ships, under General Carpenter, richly laden, caused, the very +same year, 1628, eleven vessels to be equipped for the same voyage; +amongst which there was one ship called the Batavia, commanded by +Captain Francis Pelsart. They sailed out of the Texel on the 28th +of October, 1628; and as it would be tedious and troublesome to the +reader to set down a long account of things perfectly well known, I +shall say nothing of the occurrences that happened in their passage +to the Cape of Good Hope; but content myself with observing that on +the 4th of June, in the following year 1629, this vessel, the +Batavia, being separated from the fleet in a storm, was driven on +the Abrollos or shoals, which lie in the latitude of 28 degrees +south, and which have been since called by the Dutch, the Abrollos +of Frederic Houtman. Captain Pelsart, who was sick in bed when this +accident happened, perceiving that his ship had struck, ran +immediately upon deck. It was night indeed; but the weather was +fair, and the moon shone very bright; the sails were up; the course +they steered was north-east by north, and the sea appeared as far as +they could behold it covered with a white froth. The captain called +up the master and charged him with the loss of the ship, who excused +himself by saying he had taken all the care he could; and that +having discerned this froth at a distance, he asked the steersman +what he thought of it, who told him that the sea appeared white by +its reflecting the rays of the moon. The captain then asked him +what was to be done, and in what part of the world he thought they +were. The master replied, that God only knew 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 crew immediately +agreed to throw their cannon overboard, in hopes that when the ship +was lightened she might be brought to float again. They let fall an +anchor however; and while they were thus employed, a most dreadful +storm arose of wind and rain; which soon convinced them of the +danger they were in; for being surrounded with rocks and shoals, the +ship was continually striking. + +They then resolved to cut away the main-mast, which they did, and +this augmented the shock, neither could they get clear of it, though +they cut it 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 of three leagues, and two smaller islands, or rather +rocks, which lay nearer. They immediately sent the master to +examine them, who returned about nine in the morning, and reported +that the sea at high water did not cover them, but that the coast +was so rocky and full of shoals that it would be very difficult to +land upon them; they resolved, however, to run the risk, and to send +most of their company on shore to pacify the women, children, sick +people, and such as were out of their wits with fear, whose cries +and noise served only to disturb them. About ten o'clock they +embarked these in their shallop and skiff, and, perceiving their +vessel began to break, they doubled their diligence; they likewise +endeavoured to get their bread up, but they did not take the same +care of the water, not reflecting in their fright that they might be +much distressed for want of it on shore; and what hindered them most +of all was the brutal behaviour of some of the crew that made +themselves drunk with wine, of which no care was taken. In short, +such was their confusion that they made but three trips that day, +carrying over to the island 180 persons, twenty barrels of bread, +and some small casks of water. The master returned on board towards +evening, and told the captain that it was to no purpose to send more +provisions on shore, since the people only wasted those they had +already. Upon this the captain went in the shallop, to put things +in better order, and was then informed that there was no water to be +found upon the island; he endeavoured to return to the ship in order +to bring off a supply, together with the most valuable part of their +cargo, but a storm suddenly arising, he was forced to return. + +The next day was spent in removing their water and most valuable +goods on shore; and afterwards the captain in the skiff, and the +master in the shallop, endeavoured to return to the vessel, but +found the sea run so high that it was impossible to get on board. +In this extremity the carpenter threw himself out of the ship, and +swam to them, in order to inform them to what hardships those left +in the vessel were reduced, and they sent him back with orders for +them to make rafts, by tying the planks together, and endeavour on +these to reach the shallop and skiff; but before this could be done, +the weather became so rough that the captain was obliged to return, +leaving, with the utmost grief, his lieutenant and seventy men on +the very point of perishing on board the vessel. Those who were got +on the little island were not in a much better condition, for, upon +taking an account of their water, they found they 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 little island began +to murmur, and to complain of their officers, because they did not +go in search of water, in the islands that were within sight of +them, and they represented the necessity of this to Captain Pelsart, +who agreed to their request, but insisted before he went to +communicate his design to the rest of the people; they consented to +this, but not till the captain had declared that, without the +consent of the company on the large is land, he would, rather than +leave them, go and perish on board the ship. When they were got +pretty near the shore, he who commanded the boat told the captain +that if he had anything to say, he must cry out to the people, for +that they would not suffer him to go out of the boat. The captain +immediately attempted to throw himself overboard in order to swim to +the island. Those who were in the boat prevented him; and all that +he could obtain from them was, to throw on shore his table-book, in +which line wrote a line or two to inform them that he was gone in +the skiff to look for water in the adjacent islands. + +He accordingly coasted them all with the greatest care, and found in +most of them considerable quantities of water in the holes of the +rocks, but so mixed with the sea-water that it was unfit for use; +and therefore they were obliged to go farther. The first thing they +did was to make a deck to their boat, because they found it was +impracticable to navigate those seas in an open vessel. Some of the +crew joined them by the time the work was finished; and the captain +having obtained a paper, signed by all his men, importing that it +was their desire that he should go in search of water, he +immediately put to sea, having first taken an observation by which +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 the place they had suffered shipwreck. They found +about twenty-five or thirty fathoms water; and as night drew on, +they kept out to sea; and after midnight stood in for the land, that +they might be near the coast in the morning. On the 9th of June +they found themselves as they reckoned, about three miles from the +shore; on which they plied all that day, sailing sometimes north, +sometimes west; the country appearing low, naked, and the coast +excessively rocky; so that they thought it resembled the country +near Dover. At last they saw a little creek, into which they were +willing to put, because it appeared to have a sandy bottom; but when +they attempted to enter it, the sea ran so high that they were +forced to desist. + +On the 10th they remained on the same coast, plying to and again, as +they had done the day before; but the weather growing worse and +worse, they were obliged to abandon their shallop, and even throw +part of their breath overboard, because it hindered them from +clearing themselves of the water, which their vessel began to make +very fast. That night it rained most terribly, which, though it +gave them much trouble, afforded them hopes that it would prove a +great relief to the people they had left behind them on the islands. +The wind began to sink on the 11th; and as it blew from the west- +south-west, they continued their course to the north, the sea +running still so high that it was impossible to approach the shore. +On the 12th, they had an observation, by which they found themselves +in the latitude of 27 degrees; they sailed with a south-east wind +all that day along the coast, which they found so steep that there +was no getting on shore, inasmuch as there was no creek or low land +without the rocks, as is commonly observed on seacoasts; which gave +them the more pain because within land the country appeared very +fruitful and pleasant. They found themselves on the 13th in the +latitude of 25 degrees 40 minutes; by which they discovered that the +current set to the north. They were at this time over against an +opening; the coast lying to the north-east, they continued a north +course, but found the coast one continued rock of red colour all of +a height, against which the waves broke 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 it fell calm; they were then in the height of 24 degrees, with +a small gale at 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 with this view they sailed slowly along the +coast, till, perceiving a great deal of smoke at a distance, they +rowed towards it as fast as they were able, in hopes of finding men, +and water, of course. When they came near the shore, they found it +so steep, so full of rocks, and the sea beating over them with such +fury, that it was impossible to land. Six of the men, however, +trusting to their skill in swimming, threw themselves into the sea +and resolved to get on shore at any rate, which with great +difficulty and danger they at last effected, the boat remaining at +anchor in twenty-five fathoms water. The men on shore spent the +whole day in looking for water; and while they were thus employed, +they saw four men, who came up very near; but one of the Dutch +sailors advancing towards them, they immediately ran away as fast as +they were able, so that they were distinctly seen by those in the +boat. These people were black savages, quite naked, not having so +much as any covering about their middle. The sailors, finding no +hopes of water on all the coast, swam on board again, much hurt and +wounded by their being beat by the waves upon the rocks; and as soon +as they were on board, they weighed anchor, and continued their +course along the shore, in hopes of finding some better landing- +place. + +On the 25th, in the morning, they discovered a cape, from the point +of which there ran a ridge of rocks a mile into the sea, and behind +it another ridge of rocks. They ventured between them, as the sea +was pretty calm; but finding there was no passage, they soon +returned. About noon they saw another opening, and the sea being +still very smooth, they entered it, though the passage was very +dangerous, inasmuch as they had but two feet water, and the bottom +full of stones, the coast appearing a flat sand for about a mile. +As soon as they got on shore they fell to digging in the sand, but +the water that came into their wells was so brackish that they could +not drink it, though they were on the very point of choking for +thirst. At last, in the hollows of the rocks, they met with +considerable quantities of rain-water, which was a great relief to +them, since they had been for some days at no better allowance than +a pint a-piece. They soon furnished themselves in the night with +about eighty gallons, perceiving, in the place where they landed, +that the savages had been there lately, by a large heap of ashes and +the remains of some cray-fish. + +On the 16th, in the morning, they returned on shore, in hopes of +getting more water, but were disappointed; and having now time to +observe the country, it gave them no great hopes of better success, +even if they had travelled farther within land, which appeared a +thirsty, barren plain, covered with ant-hills, so high that they +looked afar off like the huts of negroes; and at the same time they +were plagued with flies, and those in such multitudes that they were +scarce able to defend themselves. They saw at a distance eight +savages, with each a staff in his hand, who advanced towards them +within musket-shot; but as soon as they perceived the Dutch sailors +moving towards them, they fled as fast as they were able. It was by +this time about noon, and, perceiving no appearance either of +getting water, or entering into any correspondence with the natives, +they resolved to go on board and continue their course towards the +north, in hopes, as they were already in the latitude of 22 degrees +17 minutes, they might be able to find the river of Jacob +Remmescens; but the wind veering about to the north-east, they were +not able to continue longer upon that coast, and therefore +reflecting that they were now above one hundred miles from the place +where they were shipwrecked, and had scarce as much water as would +serve them in their passage back, they came to a settled resolution +of making the best of their way to Batavia, in order to acquaint the +Governor-General with their misfortunes, and to obtain such +assistance as was necessary to get their people off the coast. + +On the 17th they continued their course to the north-east, with a +good wind and fair weather; the 18th and 19th it blew hard, and they +had much rain; on the 20th they found themselves in 19 degrees 22 +minutes; on the 22nd they had another observation, and found +themselves in the height of 16 degrees 10 minutes, which surprised +them very much, and was a plain proof that the current carried them +northwards at a great rate; on the 27th it rained very hard, so that +they were not able to take an observation; but towards noon they +saw, to their great satisfaction, the coasts of Java, in the +latitude of 8 degrees, at the distance of about four or five miles. +They altered their course to west-north-west, and towards evening +entered the gulf of an island very full of trees, where they +anchored in eight fathoms water, and there passed the night; on the +28th, in the morning, they weighed, and rowed with all their force, +in order to make the land, that they might search for water, being +now again at the point of perishing for thirst. Very happily for +them, they were no sooner on shore than they discovered a fine +rivulet at a small distance, where, having comfortably quenched +their thirst, and filled all their casks with water, they about noon +continued their course for Batavia. + +On the 29th, about midnight, in the second watch, they discovered an +island, which they left on their starboard. About noon they found +themselves in the height of 6 degrees 48 minutes. About three in +the afternoon they passed between two islands, the westernmost of +which appeared full of cocoa trees. In the evening they were about +a mile from the south point of Java, and in the second watch exactly +between Java and the Isle of Princes. The 30th, in the morning, +they found themselves on the coast of the last-mentioned island, not +being able to make above two miles that day. On July 1st the +weather was calm, and about noon they were three leagues from +Dwaersindenwegh, that is, Thwart-the-way Island; but towards the +evening they had a pretty brisk wind at north-west, which enabled +them to gain that coast. On the 2nd, in the morning, they were +right against the island of Topershoetien, and were obliged to lie +at anchor 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-way Island, upon which they resolved to anchor as +near the shore as they could that night, and there wait the arrival +of the ship. In the morning they went on board her, in hopes of +procuring arms for their defence, in case the inhabitants of Java +were at war with the Dutch. They found two other ships in company, +on board one of which was Mr. Ramburg, counsellor of the Indies. +Captain Pelsart went immediately on board his ship, where he +acquainted him with the nature of his misfortune, and went with him +afterwards to Batavia. + +We will now leave the captain soliciting succours from the Governor- +General, in order to return to the crew who were left upon the +islands, among whom there happened such transactions as, in their +condition, the reader would little expect, and perhaps will hardly +credit! In order to their being thoroughly understood, it is +necessary to observe that they had for supercargo one Jerom +Cornelis, who had been formerly an apothecary at Harlem. This man, +when they were on the coast of Africa, had plotted with the pilot +and some others to run away with the vessel, and either to carry her +into Dunkirk, or to turn pirates in her on their own account. This +supercargo had remained ten days on board the wreck, not being able +in all that time to get on shore. Two whole days he spent on the +mainmast, floating to and fro, till at last, by the help of one of +the yards, he got to land. When he was once on shore, the command, +in the absence of Captain Pelsart, devolved of course upon him, +which immediately revived in his mind his old design, insomuch that +he resolved to lay hold of this opportunity to make himself master +of all that could be saved out of the wreck, conceiving that it +would be easy to surprise the captain on his return, and determining +to go on the account--that is to say, to turn pirate in the +captain's vessel. In order to carry this design into execution, he +thought necessary to rid themselves of such of the crew as were not +like to come into their scheme; but before he proceeded to dip his +hands in blood, he obliged all the conspirators to sign an +instrument, by which they engaged to stand by each other. + +The whole ship's company were on shore in three islands, the +greatest part of them in that where Cornelis was, which island they +thought fit to call the burying-place of Batavia. One Mr. Weybhays +was sent with another body into an adjacent island to look for +water, which, after twenty days' search, he found, and made the +appointed signal by lighting three fires, which, however, were not +seen nor taken notice of by those under the command of Cornelis, +because they were busy in butchering their companions, of whom they +had murdered between thirty and forty; but some few, however, got +off upon a raft of planks tied together, and went to the island +where Mr. Weybhays was, in order to acquaint him with the dreadful +accident that had happened. Mr. Weybhays having with him forty-five +men, they all resolved to stand upon their guard, and to defend +themselves to the last man, in case these villains should attack +them. This indeed was their design, for they were apprehensive both +of this body, and of those who were on the third island, giving +notice to the captain on his return, and thereby preventing their +intention of running away 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 and seven children, not in the least +doubting that they should be able to do as much by Weybhays and his +company. In the meantime, having broke open the merchant's chests, +which had been saved out of the wreck, they converted them to their +own use without ceremony. + +The traitor, Jerom Cornelis, was so much elevated with the success +that had hitherto attended his villainy, that he immediately began +to fancy all difficulties were over, and gave a loose to his vicious +inclinations in every respect. He ordered clothes to be made of +rich stuffs that had been saved, for himself and his troop, and +having chosen out of them a company of guards, he ordered them to +have scarlet coats, with a double lace of gold or silver. There +were two minister's daughters among the women, one of whom he took +for his own mistress, gave the second to a favourite of his, and +ordered that the other three women should be common to the whole +troop. He afterwards drew up a set of regulations, which were to be +the laws of his new principality, taking to himself the style and +title of Captain-General, and obliging his party to sign an act, or +instrument, by which they acknowledged him as such. These points +once settled, he resolved to carry on the war. He first of all +embarked on board two shallops twenty-two men, well armed, with +orders to destroy Mr. Weybhays and his company; and on their +miscarrying, he undertook a like expedition with thirty-seven men, +in which, however, he had no better success; for Mr. Weybhays, with +his people, though armed only with staves with nails drove into +their heads, advanced even into the water to meet them, and after a +brisk engagement compelled these murderers to retire. + +Cornelis then thought fit to enter into a negotiation, which was +managed by the chaplain, who remained with Mr. Weybhays, and after +several comings and goings from one party to the other, a treaty was +concluded upon the following terms--viz., That Mr. Weybhays and his +company should for the future remain undisturbed, provided they +delivered up a little boat, in which one of the sailors had made his +escape from the island in which Cornelis was with his gang, in order +to take shelter on that where Weybhays was with his company. It was +also agreed that the latter should have a part of the stuffs and +silks given them for clothes, of which they stood in great want. +But, while this affair was in agitation, Cornelis took 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 his demands, not doubting but by this artifice he should +be able to accomplish his end. + +His letters, however, had no effect; on the contrary, the soldiers +to whom they were directed carried them immediately to Mr. Weybhays. +Cornelis, not knowing that this piece of treachery was discovered, +went over 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 himself prisoner. One Wonterloss, who was the +only man that made his escape, went immediately back to the +conspirators, put himself at their head, and came the next day to +attack Weybhays, but met with the same fate as before--that is to +say, he and the villains that were with him were soundly 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 a +cloud of smoke ascending from one of the islands, by which he knew +that all his people were not dead. He came immediately to an +anchor, and having 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 the island to which he was going. There were +four men in the boat, of whom Weybhays was one, who immediately ran +to the captain, told him what had happened, and begged him to return +to his ship immediately, for that the conspirators intended to +surprise her, that they had already murdered 125 persons, and that +they had attacked him and his company that very morning with two +shallops. + +While they were talking the two shallops appeared; upon which the +captain rowed to his ship as fast as he could, and was hardly got on +board before they arrived at the ship's side. The captain was +surprised to see men in red coats laced with gold and silver, with +arms in their hands. He demanded what they meant by coming on board +armed. They told him he should know when they were on board the +ship. The captain replied that they should come on board, but that +they must first throw their arms into the sea, which if they did not +do immediately, he would sink them as they lay. As they saw that +disputes were to no purpose, and that they were entirely in the +captain's power, they were obliged to obey. They accordingly threw +their arms overboard, and were then taken into the vessel, where +they were instantly put in irons. One of them, whose name was John +Bremen, and who was first examined, owned that he had murdered with +his own hands, or had assisted in murdering, no less than twenty- +seven persons. The same evening Weybhays brought his prisoner +Cornelis on board, where he was put in irons and strictly guarded. + +On the 18th of September, Captain Pelsart, with the master, went to +take the rest of the conspirators in Cornelis's island. They went +in two boats. The villains, as soon as they saw them land, lost all +their courage, and fled from them. They surrendered without a blow, +and were put in irons with the rest. The captain's first care was +to recover the jewels 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 an hundred pieces; the keel +lay on a bank of sand on one side, the fore part of the vessel stuck +fast on a rock, and the rest of her lay here and there as the pieces +had been driven by the waves, so that Captain Pelsart had very +little hopes of saving any of the merchandise. One of the people +belonging to Weybhays's company told him that one fair day, which +was 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 that something might still be saved. They spent all the +19th in examining the rest of the prisoners, and in confronting them +with those who escaped from the massacre. + +On the 20th they sent several kinds of refreshments to Weybhays's +company, and carried a good quantity of water from the isle. There +was something very singular in finding this water; the people who +were on shore there had subsisted near three weeks on rainwater, and +what lodged in the clefts of the rocks, without thinking that the +water of two wells which were on the island could be of any use, +because they saw them constantly rise and fall with the tide, from +whence they fancied they had a communication within the sea, and +consequently that the water must be brackish; but upon trial they +found it to be very good, and so did the ship's company, who filled +their casks with it. + +On the 21st the tide was so low, and an east-south-east wind blew so +hard, that during the whole day the boat could not get out. On the +22nd they attempted to fish upon the wreck, but the weather was so +bad that even those who could swim very well durst not approach it. +On the 25th the master and the pilot, the weather being fair, went +off again to the wreck, and those who were left on shore, observing +that they wanted hands to get anything out of her, sent off some to +assist them. The captain went also himself to encourage the men, +who soon weighed one chest of silver, and some time after another. +As soon as these were safe ashore they returned to their work, but +the weather grew so bad that they were quickly obliged to desist, +though some of their divers from Guzarat assured them they had found +six more, which might easily be weighed. On the 26th, in the +afternoon, the weather being fair, and the tide low, the master +returned to the place where the chests lay, and weighed three of +them, leaving an anchor with a gun tied to it, and a buoy, to mark +the place 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 +wind blew stronger than the day before; and as there was no +possibility of fishing in the wreck for the present, Captain Pelsart +held a council to consider what they should do with the prisoners: +that is to say, whether it would be best to try them there upon the +spot, or to carry them to Batavia, in order to their being tried by +the Company's officers. After mature deliberation, reflecting on +the number of prisoners, and the temptation that might arise from +the vast quantity of silver on board the frigate, they at last came +to a resolution to try and execute them there, which was accordingly +done; and they embarked immediately afterwards for Batavia. + + +REMARKS. + + +This voyage was translated from the original Dutch by Thevenot, and +printed by him in the first volume of his collections. Pelsart's +route is 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 +reader with many remarks; but shall confine myself to a very few +observations, in order to show the consequences of the discovery +made by Captain Pelsart. The country upon which he suffered +shipwreck was New Holland, the coast of which had not till then been +at all examined, and it was doubtful how far it extended. There had +indeed been some reports spread with relation to the inhabitants of +this country, which Captain Pelsart's relation shows to have been +false; for it had been reported that when the Dutch East India +Company sent some ships to make discoveries, their landing was +opposed by a race of gigantic people, with whom the Dutch could by +no means contend. But our author says nothing of the extraordinary +size of the savages that were seen by Captain Pelsart's people; from +whence it is reasonable to conclude that this story was circulated +with no other view than to prevent other nations from venturing into +these seas. It is also remarkable that this is the very coast +surveyed by Captain Dampier, whose account agrees exactly with that +contained in this voyage. Now though it be true, that from all +these accounts there is nothing said which is much to the advantage +either of the country or its inhabitants, yet we are to consider +that it is impossible to represent either in a worse light than that +in which the Cape of Good Hope was placed, before the Dutch took +possession of it; and plainly demonstrated that industry could make +a paradise of what was a perfect purgatory while in the hands of the +Hottentots. If, therefore, the climate of this country be good, and +the soil fruitful, both of which were affirmed in this relation, +there could not be a more proper place for a colony than some part +of New Holland, or of the adjacent country of Carpentaria. I shall +give my reasons for asserting this when I come to make my remarks on +a succeeding voyage. At present I shall confine myself to the +reasons that have induced the Dutch East India Company to leave all +these countries unsettled, after having first shown so strong an +inclination to discover them, which will oblige me to lay before the +reader some secrets in commerce that have hitherto escaped common +observation, and which, whenever they are as thoroughly considered +as they deserve, will undoubtedly lead us to as great discoveries as +those of Columbus or Magellan. + +In order to make myself perfectly understood, I must observe that it +was the 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 rather to reach this country of New Holland. The +assertion is bold, and at first sight may appear improbable; but a +little attention will make it so plain, that the reader must be +convinced of the truth of what I say. The proposition made by +Columbus to the State of Genoa, the Kings of Portugal, Spain, +England, and France, was this, that he could discover a new route to +the East Indies; that is to say, without going round the Cape of +Good Hope. He grounded this proposition on the spherical figure of +the earth, from whence he thought it self-evident that any given +point might be sailed to through the great ocean, either by steering +east or west. In his attempt to go to the East Indies by a west +course, he met with the islands and continent of America; and +finding gold and other commodities, which till then had never been +brought from the Indies, he really thought that this was the west +coast of that country to which the Portuguese sailed by the Cape of +Good Hope, and hence came the name of the West Indies. Magellan, +who followed his steps, and was the only discoverer 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 immortal honour, +he accomplished. + +When the Dutch made their first voyages to the East Indies, which +was not many years before Captain Pelsart's shipwreck on the coast +of New Holland, for their first fleet arrived in the East Indies in +1596, and Pelsart lost his ship in 1629--I say, when the Dutch first +undertook the East India trade, they had the Spice Islands in view: +and as they are a nation justly famous for the steady pursuit of +whatever they take in hand, it is notorious that they never lost +sight of their design till they had accomplished it, and made +themselves entirely masters of these islands, of which they still +continue in possession. When this was done, and they had +effectually driven out the English, who were likewise settled in +them, they fixed the seat of their government in the island of +Amboyna, which lay very convenient for the discovery of the southern +countries; which, therefore, they prosecuted with great diligence +from the year 1619 to the time of Captain Pelsart's shipwreck; that +is, for the space of twenty years. + +But after they removed the seat of their government from Amboyna to +Batavia, they turned their views another way, and never made any +voyage expressly for discoveries on that side, except the single one +of Captain Tasman, of which we are to speak presently. It was from +this period of time that they began to take new measures, and having +made their excellent settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, resolved +to govern their trade to the East Indies by these two capital +maxims: 1. To extend their trade all over the Indies, and to fix +themselves so effectually in the richest countries as to keep all, +or at least the best and most profitable part of, their commerce to +themselves; 2. To make the Moluccas, and the islands dependent on +them, their frontier, and to omit nothing that should appear +necessary to prevent strangers, or even Dutch ships not belonging to +the Company, from ever navigating those seas, and consequently from +ever being acquainted with the countries that lie in them. How well +they have prosecuted the first maxim has been very largely shown in +a foregoing article, wherein we have an ample description of the +mighty empire in the hands of their East India Company. As for the +second maxim, the reader, in the perusal of Funnel's, Dampier's, and +other voyages, but especially the first, must be satisfied that it +is what they have constantly at heart, and which, at all events, +they are determined to pursue, at least with regard to strangers; +and as to their own countrymen, the usage they gave to James le +Maire and his people is a proof that cannot be contested. + +Those things being considered, it is very plain that the Dutch, or +rather the Dutch East India Company, are fully persuaded that they +have already as 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 either their trade declines in the East +Indies, or they are obliged to exert themselves on this side to +prevent other nations from reaping the benefits that might accrue to +them by their planting those countries. But this is not all; for as +the Dutch have no thoughts of settling these countries themselves, +they have taken all imaginable pains to prevent any relations from +being published which might invite or encourage any other nation to +make attempts this way; and I am thoroughly persuaded that this very +account of Captain Pelsart's shipwreck would never have come into +the world if it had not been thought it would contribute to this +end, or, in other words, would serve to frighten other nations from +approaching such an inhospitable coast, everywhere beset with rocks +absolutely void of water, and inhabited by a race of savages more +barbarous, and, at the same time, more miserable than any other +creatures in the world. + +The author of this voyage remarks, for the use of seamen, that in +the little island occupied by Weybhays, after digging two pits, they +were for a considerable time afraid to use the water, having found +that these pits ebbed and flowed with the sea; but necessity at last +constraining them to drink it, they found it did them no hurt. The +reason of the ebbing and flowing of these pits was their nearness to +the sea, the water of which percolated 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 +SOUTHERN COUNTRIES. +1642-43. +By direction of the Dutch East India Company. [Taken from his +original Journal.] + + + +CHAPTER I: THE OCCASION AND DESIGN OF THIS VOYAGE. + + + +The great discoveries that were made by the Dutch in these southern +countries were subsequent to the famous voyage of Jaques le Maire, +who in 1616 passed the straits called by his name; in 1618, that +part of Terra Australia was discovered which the Dutch called +Concordia. The next year, the Land of Edels was found, and received +its name from its discoverer. In 1620, Batavia was built on the +ruins of the old city of Jacatra; but the seat of government was not +immediately removed from Amboyna. In 1622, that part of New Holland +which is called Lewin's Land was first found; and in 1627, Peter +Nuyts discovered between New Holland and New Guinea a country which +bears his name. There were also some other voyages made, of which, +however, we have no sort of account, except that the Dutch were +continually beaten in all their attempts to land upon this coast. +On their settlement, however, at Batavia, the then general and +council of the Indies thought it requisite to have a more perfect +survey made of the new-found countries, that the memory of them at +least might 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 any more, which induced such as had then the direction of +the Company's affairs to wish that some such survey and description +might be made by an able seaman, who was well acquainted with those +coasts, and who might be able to add to the discoveries already +made, as well as furnish a more accurate description, even of them, +than had been hitherto given. + +This was faithfully performed by Captain Tasman; and from the lights +afforded by his journal, a very exact and curious map was made of +all these new countries. But his voyage was never published entire; +and it is very probable that the East India Company never intended +it should be published at all. However, Dirk Rembrantz, moved by +the excellency and accuracy of the work, published in Low Dutch an +extract of Captain Tasman's Journal, which has been ever since +considered as a very great curiosity; and, as such, has been +translated into many languages, particularly into our own, by the +care of the learned Professor of Gresham College, Doctor Hook, an +abridgment of which translation found a place in Doctor Harris's +Collection of Voyages. But we have made no use of either of these +pieces, the following being a new translation, made with 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 one +called the Heemskirk, and the other the Zee-Haan. On September 5 I +anchored at Maurice Island, in the latitude of 20 degrees south, and +in the longitude of 83 degrees 48 minutes. I found this island +fifty German miles more to the east than I expected; that is to say, +3 degrees 33 minutes of longitude. This island was so called from +Prince Maurice, being before known by the name of Cerne. It is +about fifteen leagues in circumference, and has a very fine harbour, +at the entrance of which there is one hundred fathoms water. The +country is mountainous; but the mountains are covered with green +trees. The tops of these mountains are so high that they are lost +in the clouds, and are frequently covered by thick exhalations or +smoke that ascends from them. The air of this island is extremely +wholesome. It is well furnished with flesh and fowl; and the sea on +its coasts abounds with all sorts of fish. The finest ebony in the +world grows here. It is a tall, straight tree of a moderate +thickness, covered with a green bark, very thick, under which the +wood is as black as pitch, and as close as ivory. There are other +trees on the island, which are of a bright red, and a third sort as +yellow as wax. The ships belonging to the East India Company +commonly touch at this island for refreshments on their passage to +Batavia. + +I left this island on the 8th of October, and continued my course to +the south 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 22nd of October, I sailed from that time to the 29th +to the east, inclining a little to the south, till I arrived in the +latitude of 45 degrees 47 minutes south, and in the longitude of 89 +degrees 44 minutes; and then observed the variation of the needle to +be 26 degrees 45 minutes towards the west. + +As our author was extremely careful in this particular, and observed +the variation of the needle with the utmost diligence, it may not be +amiss to take this opportunity of explaining this point, so that the +importance of his remarks may sufficiently appear. The needle +points exactly north only in a few places, and perhaps not +constantly in them; but in most it declines a little to the east, or +to the west, whence arises eastern and western declination: when +this was first observed, it was attributed to certain excavations or +hollows in the earth, to veins of lead, stone, and other such-like +causes. But when it was found by repeated experiments that this +variation varied, it appeared plainly that none of those causes +could take place; since if they had, the variation in the same place +must always have been the same, whereas the fact is otherwise. + +Here at London, for instance, in the year 1580, the variation was +observed to be 11 degrees 17 minutes to the east; in the year 1666, +the variation was here 34 minutes to the west; and in the year 1734, +the variation was somewhat more than 1 degree west. In order to +find the variation of the needle with the least error possible, the +seamen take this method: they observe the point the sun is in by +the compass, any time after its rising, and then take the altitude +of the sun; and in the afternoon they observe when the sun comes to +the same altitude, and observe 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; and the difference between that and the +north or south upon the card, which is pointed out by the needle, is +the variation of the compass, and shows how much the north and +south, given by the compass, deviates from the true north and south +points of the horizon. It appears clearly, from what has been said, +that in order to arrive at the certain knowledge of the variation, +and of the variation of that variation of the compass, it is +absolutely requisite to have from time to time distinct accounts of +the variation as it is observed in different places: whence the +importance of Captain Tasman's remarks, in this respect, +sufficiently appears. It is true that the learned and ingenious Dr. +Halley has given a very probable account of this matter; but as the +probability of that account arises only from its agreement with +observations, it follows those are as necessary and as important as +ever, in order to strengthen and 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, and in the longitude of 114 degrees 56 minutes; the +variation was at this time 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 concluded from thence that it was not at all +probable there should be any land between those two points. On +November 15th I was in the latitude of 44 degrees 33 minutes south, +and in the longitude of 140 degrees 32 minutes. The variation was +then 18 degrees 30 minutes west, which variation decreased every +day, in such a manner, that, on the 21st of the same month, being in +the longitude of 158 degrees, I observed the variation to be no more +than 4 degrees. On the 22nd of that month, the needle was in +continual agitation, without resting in any of the eight points; +which led me to conjecture that we were near some mine of loadstone. + +This may, at first sight, seem to contradict what has been before +laid down, as to the variation, and the causes of it: but, when +strictly considered, they will be found to agree very well; for when +it is asserted that veins of loadstone have nothing to do with the +variation of the compass, it is to be understood of the constant +variation of a few degrees to the east, or to the west: but in +cases of this nature, where the variation is absolutely irregular, +and the needle plays quite round the compass, our author's +conjecture may very well find place: yet it must be owned that it +is a point far enough from being clear, that mines of loadstone +affect the compass at a distance; which, however, might be very +easily determined, since there are large mines of loadstone in the +island of Elba, on the coast of Tuscany. + + + +CHAPTER IV: HE DISCOVERS A NEW COUNTRY TO WHICH HE GIVES THE NAME +OF VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. + + + +On the 24th of the same month, being in the latitude of 42 degrees +25 minutes south, and in the longitude of 163 degrees 50 minutes, I +discovered land, which lay east-south-east at the distance of ten +miles, which I called Van Diemen's Land. The compass pointed right +towards this land. The weather being bad, I steered south and by +east along the coast, 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 10 minutes south, and in the longitude of 167 +degrees 55 minutes, I anchored on the 1st of December, in a bay, +which I called the Bay of Frederic Henry. I heard, or at least +fancied I heard, the sound of people upon the shore; but I saw +nobody. All I met with worth observing was two trees, which were +two fathoms or two fathoms and a half in girth, and sixty or sixty- +five feet high from the root to the branches: they had cut with a +flint a kind of steps in the bark, in order to climb up to the +birds' nests: these steps were the distance of five feet from each +other; so that we must conclude that either these people are of a +prodigious size, or that they have some way of climbing trees that +we are not used to; in one of the trees the steps were so fresh, +that we judged they could not have been cut above four days. + +The noise we heard resembled the noise of some sort of trumpet; it +seemed to be at no great distance, but we saw no living creature +notwithstanding. I perceived also in the sand the marks of wild +beasts' feet, resembling those of a tiger, or some such creature; I +gathered also some gum from the trees, and likewise some lack. The +tide ebbs and flows there about three feet. The trees in this +country do not grow very close, nor are they encumbered with bushes +or underwood. I observed smoke 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 a flag. I observed that in this +place the variation was changed to 3 degrees eastward. On December +5th, being then, by observation, in the latitude of 41 degrees 34 +minutes, and in the longitude 169 degrees, I quitted Van Diemen's +Land, and resolved to steer east to the longitude of 195 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 there 5 degrees to the east. On the 12th of the same month, +finding a great rolling sea coming in on the south-west, I judged +there was no land to be hoped for on that point. On the 13th, being +in the latitude of 42 degrees 10 minutes south, and in the longitude +of 188 degrees 28 minutes, I found the variation 7 degrees 30 +minutes eastward. In this situation I discovered a high mountainous +country, which is at present marked in the charts under the name of +New Zealand. I coasted along the shore of this country to the +north-north-east till the 18th; and being then in the latitude of 40 +degrees 50 minutes south, and in the longitude of 191 degrees 41 +minutes, I anchored in a fine bay, where I observed the variation 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 nearer than a stone's throw; and we often observed them +playing on a kind of trumpet, to which we answered with the +instruments that were on board our vessel. These people were of a +colour between brown and yellow, their hair long, and almost as +thick as that of the Japanese, combed up, and fixed on the top of +their heads with a quill, or some such thing, that was thickest in +the middle, in the very same manner that Japanese fastened their +hair behind their heads. These people cover the middle of their +bodies, some with a kind of mat, others with a sort of woollen +cloth, but, as for their upper and lower parts, they leave them +altogether naked. + +On the 19th of December, these savages began to grow a little +bolder, and more familiar, insomuch that at last they ventured on +board the Heemskirk in order to trade with those in the vessel. As +soon as I perceived it, being apprehensive that they might attempt +to surprise that ship, I sent my shallop, with seven men, to put the +people in the Heemskirk upon their guard, and to direct them not to +place any confidence in those people. My seven men, being without +arms, were attacked by these savages, who killed three of the seven, +and forced the other four to swim for their lives, which occasioned +my giving that place the 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 round us. 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 strong west +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 OF OTHER ISLANDS DISCOVERED BY SCHOVTEN. + + + +On the 24th of December, as the wind would not permit us to continue +our way to the north, as we knew not whether we should be able to +find a passage on that side, and as the flood came in from the +south-east, we concluded that it would be the best to return into +the bay, and seek some other way out, but on the 26th, the wind +becoming more favourable, we continued our route to the north, +turning a little to the west. On the 4th of January, 1643, being +then in the latitude of 34 degrees 35 minutes south, and in the +longitude of 191 degrees 9 minutes, we sailed quite to the cape, +which lies north-west, where we found the sea rolling in from the +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 we called the island of the Three Kings; the cape of which we +doubled, with a design to have refreshed ourselves; but, as we +approached it, we perceived on the mountain thirty or five-and- +thirty persons, who, as far as we could discern at such a distance, +were men of very large size, and had each of them a large club in +his hand: they called out to us in a rough strong voice, but we +could meet understand anything of what they said. We observed that +these people walked at a very great rate, and that 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 the country +seem to be cultivated; we found, indeed, a fresh-water river, and +then we resolved to sail east, as far as 220 degrees of longitude; +and from thence north, as far as the latitude of 17 degrees south; +and thence to the west, till we arrived at the isles of Cocos and +Horne, which were discovered by William Schovten, where we intended +to refresh ourselves, in case we found no opportunity of doing it +before, for though we had actually landed on Van Diemen's Land, we +met with nothing there; and, as for New Zealand, we never set foot +on it. + +In order to render this passage perfectly intelligible it is +necessary to observe that the island of Cocos lies in the latitude +of 15 degrees 10 minutes south; and, according to Schovten's +account, is well inhabited, and well cultivated, abounding with all +sorts of refreshments; but, at the same time, he describes the +people as treacherous and base to the last degree. As for the +islands of Horne, they lie nearly in the latitude of 15 degrees, are +extremely fruitful, and inhabited by people of a kind and gentle +disposition, who readily bestowed on the Hollanders whatever +refreshments they could ask. It was no wonder, therefore, that, +finding themselves thus distressed, Captain Tasman thought of +repairing to these islands, where he was sure of obtaining +refreshments, either by fair means or otherwise, which design, +however, he did not think fit to put in execution. + + + +CHAPTER VII: REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN THE VOYAGE. + + + +On the 8th of January, being in the latitude of 30 degrees 25 +minutes south, and in the longitude of 192 degrees 20 minutes, we +observed the variation of the needle to be 90 degrees towards the +east, and as we had a high rolling sea from the south-west, I +conjectured there could not be any land hoped for on that side. On +the 12th we found ourselves in 30 degrees 5 minutes south latitude, +and in 195 degrees 27 minutes of longitude, 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 very plain, from these +observations, that the position laid down by Dr. Halley, that the +motion of the needle is not governed by the poles of the world, but +by other poles, which move round them, is highly probable, for +otherwise it is not easy to understand how the needle came to have, +as our author affirms it had, a variation of near 27 degrees to the +west, in the latitude of 45 degrees 47 minutes, and then gradually +decreasing till it had no variation at all; after which it turned +east, in the latitude of 42 degrees 37 minutes, and so continued +increasing its variation eastwardly to this time. + + + +CHAPTER VIII: OBSERVATIONS ON, AND EXPLANATION OF, THE VARIATION OF +THE COMPASS. + + + +On the 16th we were in the latitude of 26 degrees 29 minutes south, +and in the longitude of 199 degrees 32 minutes, the variation of the +needle being 8 degrees. Here we are to observe that the eastern +variation decreases, which is likewise very agreeable to Doctor +Halley's hypothesis; which, in few words, is this: that a certain +large solid body contained within, and every way separated from the +earth (as having its own proper motion), and being included like a +kernel in its shell, revolves circularly from east to west, as the +exterior earth revolves the contrary way in the diurnal motion, +whence it is easy to explain the position of the four magnetical +poles which he attributes to the earth, by allowing two to the +nucleus, and two to the exterior earth. And, as the two former +perpetually alter the situation by their circular motion, their +virtue, compared with the exterior poles, must be different at +different times, and consequently the variation of the needle will +perpetually change. The doctor attributes to the nucleus an +European north pole and an American south one, on account of the +variation of variations observed near these places, as being much +greater than those found near the two other poles. And he +conjectures that these poles will finish their revolution in about +seven hundred years, and after that time the 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 thoroughly adjusted. He +assigns this probable cause of the circular revolution of the +nucleus that the diurnal motion, being impressed from without, was +not so exactly communicated to the internal parts as to give them +the same precise velocity of rotation as the external, whence the +nucleus, being left behind by the exterior earth, seems to move +slowly in a contrary direction, as from east to west, with regard to +the external earth, considered as at rest in respect of the other. +But to return to our 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 +minutes south, and in the longitude of 204 degrees 15 minutes, we +had 7 degrees 30 minutes east variation. In this situation we +discovered an island about two or three miles in circumference, +which was, as far as we could discern, very high, steep, and barren. +We were very desirous of coming nearer it, but were hindered by +south-east and south-south-east winds. We called it the Isle of +Pylstaart, because of the great number of that sort of birds we saw +flying about it, and the next day we saw two other islands. + + + +CHAPTER X: AND TWO ISLANDS, TO WHICH HE GIVES THE NAME OF AMSTERDAM +AND ROTTERDAM + + + +On the 21st, being in the latitude of 21 degrees 20 minutes south, +and in the longitude of 205 degrees 29 minutes, we found our +variation 7 degrees to the north-east. We drew near to the coast of +the most northern island, which, though not very high, yet was the +larger of the two: we called one of these islands Amsterdam, and +the other Rotterdam. Upon that of Rotterdam we found great plenty +of hogs, fowls, and all sorts of fruits, and other refreshments. +These islanders did not seem to have the use of arms, inasmuch as we +saw nothing like them in any of their hands while we were upon the +island; the usage they gave us was fair and friendly, except that +they would steal a little. The current is not very considerable in +this place, where it ebbs north-east, and flows south-west. A +south-west moon causes a spring-tide, which rises seven or eight +feet at least. The wind blows there continually south-east, or +south-south-east, which occasioned the Heemskirk's being carried out +of the road, but, however, without any damage. We did not fill any +water here because it was extremely hard to get it to the ship. + +On the 25th we were in the latitude 20 degrees 15 minutes south, and +in the longitude of 206 degrees 19 minutes. The variation here was +6 degrees 20 minutes to the east; and, after leaving had sight of +several other islands, we made that of Rotterdam: the islanders +here resemble those on the island of Amsterdam. The people were +very good-natured, parted readily with what they had, did not seem +to be acquainted with the use of arms, but were given to thieving +like the natives of Amsterdam Island. Here we took in water, and +other refreshments, with all the conveniency imaginable. We made +the whole circuit of the island, which we found well-stocked with +cocoa-trees, very regularly planted; we likewise saw abundance of +gardens, extremely well laid out, plentifully stocked with all kinds +of fruit-trees, all planted in straight lines, and the whole kept in +such excellent order, that nothing could have a better effect upon +the eye. After quitting the island of Rotterdam, we had sight of +several other islands; which, however, did not engage us to alter +the resolution we had taken of sailing north, to the height of 17 +degrees south latitude, and from thence to shape a west course, +without going near either Traitor's Island, or those of Horne, we +having then a very brisk wind from the south-east, or east-south- +east. + +I cannot help remarking upon this part of Captain Tasman's journal, +that it 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 Amsterdam Island, but especially at the former; since, perhaps, +there is not a place in the world so happily seated, for making new +discoveries with ease and safety. He owns that he traversed the +whole island, that he found it a perfect paradise, and that the +people gave him not the least cause of being diffident in point of +security; so that if his men had thrown up ever so slight a +fortification, a part of them might have remained there in safety, +while the rest had attempted the discovery of the Islands of Solomon +on the one hand, or the continent of De Quiros on the other, from +neither of which they were at any great distance, and, from his +neglecting this opportunity, I take it for granted that he was +circumscribed, both as to his course and to the time he was to +employ in these discoveries, by his instructions, for otherwise so +able a seaman and so curious a man as his journal shows him to have +been, would not certainly 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 in the longitude of 201 degrees 35 minutes, we found ourselves +embarrassed by nineteen or twenty small islands, every one of which +was surrounded with sands, shoals, and rocks. These are marked in +the charts by the name of Prince William's Islands, or Heemskirk's +Shallows. On the 8th we were in the latitude of 15 degrees 29 +minutes, and in the longitude of 199 degrees 31 minutes. We had +abundance of rain, a strong wind from the north-east, or the north- +north-east, with dark cold weather. Fearing, therefore, that we +were run farther to the west than we thought ourselves by our +reckoning, and dreading that we should fall to the south of New +Guinea, or be thrown upon some unknown coast in such blowing misty +weather, 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 least dangerous way that we could take. + +It is very plain from hence, that Captain Tasman had now laid aside +all thoughts of discovering farther, and I think it is not difficult +to guess at the reason; when he was in this latitude, line was +morally certain that he could, without further difficulty, sail +round by the coast of New Guinea, and so back again to the East +Indies. It is therefore extremely probable that he was directed by +his instructions to coast round that great southern continent +already discovered, in order to arrive at a certainty whether it was +joined to any other part of the world, or whether, notwithstanding +its vast extent, viz., from the equator to 43 degrees of south +latitude, and from the longitude of 123 degrees to near 190 degrees, +it was, notwithstanding, an island. This, I say, was in all +appearance the true design of his voyage, and the reason of it seems +to be this: that an exact chart being drawn from his discoveries, +the East India Company might have perfect intelligence of the extent +and situation of this now-found country before they executed the +plan they were then contriving for preventing its being visited or +farther discovered by their own or any other nation; and this too +accounts for the care taken in laying down the map of this country +on the pavement of the new stadthouse at Amsterdam; for as this +county was henceforward to remain as a kind of deposit or land of +reserve in the hands of the East India Company, they took this +method of intimating as much to their countrymen, so that, while +strangers are gaping at this map as a curiosity, every intelligent +Dutchman may say to himself, "Behold the wisdom of the East India +Company. By their present empire they support the authority of this +republic abroad, and by their extensive commerce enrich its subjects +at home, and at the same time show us here what a reserve they have +made for the benefit of posterity, whenever, through the +vicissitudes to which all sublunary things are liable, their present +sources of power and grandeur shall fail." + +I cannot help supporting my opinion in this respect, by putting the +reader in mind of a very curious piece of ancient history, which +furnishes us with the like instance in the conduct of another +republic. Diodorus Siculus, in the fifth book of his Historical +Library, informs us that in the African Ocean, some days' sail west +from Libya, there had been discovered an island, the soil of which +was exceedingly fertile and the country no less pleasant, all the +land being finely diversified by mountains and plains, the former +thick clothed with trees, the latter abounding with fruits and +flowers, the whole watered by innumerable rivulets, and affording so +pleasant an habitation that a finer or more delightful country fancy +itself could not feign; yet he assures us, the Carthagenians, those +great masters of maritime power and commerce, though they had +discovered this admirable island, would never suffer it to be +planted, but reserved it as a sanctuary to which they might fly, +whenever the ruin of their own republic left them no other resource. +This tallies exactly with the policy of the Dutch East India +Company, who, if they should at any time be driven from their +possessions in Java, Ceylon, and other places in that neighbourhood, +would without doubt retire back into the Moluccas, and avail +themselves effectually of this noble discovery, which lies open to +them, and has been hitherto close shut up to all the world 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 much rain and bad weather, but this day the wind +sinking, we hailed our consort the Zee-Haan, and found to our great +satisfaction that our reckonings agreed. On the 20th, in the +latitude of 13 degrees 45 minutes, and in the longitude of 193 +degrees 35 minutes, we had dark, cloudy weather, much rain, thick +fogs, and a rolling sea, on all sides the wind variable. On the +26th, in the latitude of 9 degrees 48 minutes south, 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, rained more or +less. On March 2nd, in the latitude of 9 degrees 11 minutes south, +and in the longitude of 192 degrees 46 minutes, the variation was 10 +degrees to the east, the wind and weather still varying. On March +8th, in the latitude of 7 degrees 46 minutes south, and in the +longitude of 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 +the longitude of 186 degrees 14 minutes, we found the variation 8 +degrees 45 minutes to the east. We passed some days without being +able to take any observation, because the weather was all that time +dark and rainy. On March 20th, in the latitude of 5 degrees 15 +minutes south, and in the longitude of 181 degrees 16 minutes, the +weather being then fair, we found the variation 9 degrees eastward. +On the 22nd, in the latitude of 5 degrees 2 minutes south, and in +the longitude of 178 degrees 32 minutes, we had fine fair weather, +and the benefit of the east trade wind. This day we had sight of +land, which lay four miles west. This land proved to be a cluster +of twenty islands, which in the maps are called Anthong Java. They +lie ninety miles or thereabouts from the coast of New Guinea. It +may not be amiss to observe here, that what Captain Tasman calls the +coast of New Guinea, is in reality the coast of New Britain, which +Captain Dampier first discovered to be a large island separated 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 +the longitude of 175 degrees 10 minutes, we found the variation 9 +degrees 30 minutes east. We were then in the height of the islands +of Mark, which were discovered by William Schovten and James le +Maire. They are fourteen or fifteen in number, inhabited by +savages, with black hair, dressed and trimmed in the same manner as +those we saw before at the Bay of Murderers in New Zealand. On the +29th we passed the Green Islands, and on the 30th that of St. John, +which were likewise discovered by Schovten and Le Maire. This +island they found to be of a considerable extent, and judged it to +lie at the distance of one thousand eight hundred and forty leagues +from the coast of Peru. It appeared to them well inhabited and well +cultivated, abounding with flesh, fowl, fish, fruit, and other +refreshments. The inhabitants made use of canoes of all sizes, were +armed with slings, darts, and wooden swords, wore necklaces and +bracelets of pearl, and rings in their noses. They were, however, +very intractable, notwithstanding all the pains that could be taken +to engage them in a fair correspondence, so that Captain Schovten +was at last obliged to fire upon them to prevent them from making +themselves masters of his vessel, which they attacked with a great +deal of vigour; and very probably this was the reason that Captain +Tasman did not attempt to land or make any farther discovery. On +April 1st, we were in the latitude of 4 degrees 30 minutes south, +and in the longitude of 171 degrees 2 minutes, the variation being 8 +degrees 45 minutes to the east, having now sight of the coast of New +Guinea; and endeavouring to double the cape which the Spaniards call +Cobo Santa Maria, we continued to sail along the coast which lies +north-west. We afterwards passed the islands of Antony Caens, +Gardeners Island, and Fishers Island, advancing towards the +promontory called Struis Hoek, where the coast runs south and south- +east. We resolved to pursue the same route, and to continue +steering south till we should either discover land or a passage on +that side. + +It is necessary to observe, that all this time they continued on the +coast, not of New Guinea but of New Britain, for that cape which the +Spaniards called Santa Maria is the very same that Captain Dampier +called Cape St. George, and Caens, Gardeners, and Fishers Islands +all lie upon the same coast. They had been discovered by Schovten +and Le Maire, who found them to be well inhabited, but by a very +base and treacherous people, who, after making signs of peace, +attempted to surprise their ships; and these islanders managed their +slings with such force and dexterity, as to drive the Dutch sailors +from their decks; which account of Le Maire's agree perfectly well +with what Captain Dampier tells us of the same people. As for the +continent of New Guinea, it lies quite behind the island of New +Britain, and was therefore laid down in all the charts before +Dampier's discovery, at least four degrees more to the east than 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 +the longitude of 167 degrees, we found the variation 10 degrees +towards the east. That night part of the crew were wakened out of +their sleep by an earthquake. They immediately ran upon deck, +supposing that the ship had struck. On heaving the lead, however, +there was no bottom to be found. We had afterwards several shocks, +but none of them so violent as the first. We had then doubled the +Struis Hoek, and were at that time in the Bay of Good Hope. On the +14th, in the latitude of 5 degrees 27 minutes south, and in the +longitude of 166 degrees 57 minutes, we observed the variation to be +9 degrees 15 minutes to the east. The land lay then north-east, +east-north-east, and again south-south-west, so that we imagined +there had been a passage between those two points; but we were soon +convinced of our mistake, and that it was all one coast, so that we +were obliged to double the West Cape and to continue creeping along +shore, and were much hindered in our passage by calms. This +description agrees very well with that of Schovten and Le Maire, so +that probably they 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 burning mountains that will be hereafter mentioned, that this +country is very subject to earthquakes, and if so, without doubt it +abounds with metals and minerals, of which we have also another +proof from a point in which all these writers agree, viz., that the +people they saw had rings on their noses and ears, though none of +them tell us of what metal these rings were made, which Le Maire +might easily have done, since he carried off a man from one of the +islands whose name was Moses, from whom he learned that almost every +nation on this coast speaks a different language. + + + +CHAPTER XVI: ARRIVES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF BURNING ISLAND, AND +SURVEYS THE WHOLE COAST OF NEW GUINEA. + + + +On the 20th, in the latitude of 5 degrees 4 minutes south, and in +the longitude 164 degrees 27 minutes, we found the variation 8 +degrees 30 minutes east. We that night drew near the Brandande +Yland, i.e., burning island, which William Schovten mentions, and we +perceived a great flame issuing, as he says, from the top of a high +mountain. When we were between that island and the continent, we +saw a vast number of fires along the shore and half-way up the +mountain, from whence we concluded that the country must be very +populous. We were often detained on this coast by calms, and +frequently observed small trees, bamboos, and shrubs, which the +rivers on that coast carried into the sea; from which we inferred +that this part of the country was extremely well watered, and that +the land must be very good. The next morning we passed the burning +mountain, and continued a west-north-west course along that coast. + +It is remarkable that Schovten had made the same observation with +respect to the drift-wood forced by the rivers into the sea. He +likewise observed that there was so copious a discharge of fresh +water, that it altered the colour and the taste of the sea. He +likewise says that the burning island is extremely well peopled, and +also well cultivated. He afterwards anchored on the coast of the +continent, and endeavoured to trade with the natives, who made him +pay very dear for hogs and cocoa-nuts, and likewise showed him some +ginger. It appears from Captain Tasman's account that he was now in +haste to return to Batavia, and did not 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, his commission was no more +than to sail round the new discovered coasts, in order 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 in the longitude of 146 degrees 57 minutes, we fancied that we +had a sight of the island of Moa, but it proved to be that of Jama, +which lies a little to the east of Moa. We found here great plenty +of cocoa-nuts and other refreshments. The inhabitants were +absolutely black, and could easily repeat the words that they heard +others speak, which shows their own to be a very copious language. +It is, however, exceedingly difficult to pronounce, because they +make frequent use of the letter R, and sometimes to such a degree +that it occurs twice or thrice in the same word. The next day we +anchored on the coast of the island of Moa, where we likewise found +abundance of refreshments, and where we were obliged by bad weather +to stay till May 9th. We purchased there, by way of exchange, six +thousand cocoa-nuts, and a hundred bags of pysanghs or Indian figs. +When we first began to trade with these people, one of our seamen +was wounded by an arrow that one of the natives let fly, either +through malice or inadvertency. We were at that very juncture +endeavouring to bring our ships close to the shore, which so +terrified these islanders, that they brought of their own accord on +board us, the man who had shot the arrow and left him at our mercy. +We found them after this accident much more tractable than before in +every respect. Our sailors, therefore, pulled off the iron hoops +from some of the old water-casks, stuck them into wooden handles, +and filing them to an edge, sold these awkward knives to the +inhabitants for their fruits. + +In all probability they had not forgot what happened to our people +on July 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 to the shore, and fired a broadside through the +woods; the bullets, flying through the trees, struck the negroes +with such a panic, that they fled in an instant up into the country, +and durst not show their heads again till they had made full +satisfaction for what was past, and thereby secured their safety for +the time to come; and he traded with them afterwards very peaceably, +and with mutual satisfaction. + +This account of our author's seems to have been taken upon memory, +and is not very exact. Schovten's seamen, or rather the petty +officer who commanded his long boat, insulted the natives grossly +before they offered any injury to his people; and then, +notwithstanding they fired upon them with small arms, the islanders +obliged them to retreat; so that they were forced to bring the great +guns to bear upon the island before they could reduce them. These +people do not deserve to be treated as savages, because Schovten +acknowledges that they had been engaged in commerce with the +Spaniards; as appeared by their having iron pots, glass beads, and +pendants, with other European commodities, before he came thither. +He also tells us that they were a very civilised people, their +country well cultivated and very fruitful; that they had a great +many boats, and other small 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 seems they are always at war; which, +however, he refused to do, unless provoked to it by some injury +offered by those people. It is therefore very apparent that the +inhabitants of Moa are a people with whom any Europeans, settled in +their neighbourhood, might without any difficulty settle a commerce, +and receive considerable assistance from them in making discoveries. +But perhaps some nations are fitter for these kind of expeditions +than others, as being less apt to make use of their artillery and +small arms upon every little dispute; for as the inhabitants of Moa +are well enough acquainted with the superiority which the Europeans +have over them, it cannot be supposed that they will ever hazard +their total destruction by committing any gross act of cruelty upon +strangers who visit their coast; and it is certainly very unfair to +treat people as savages and barbarians, merely for defending +themselves when insulted or attacked without cause. The instance +Captain Tasman gives us of their delivering up the man who wounded +his sailor is a plain proof of this; and as to the diffidence and +suspicion which some later voyagers have complained of with respect +to the inhabitants of this island, they must certainly be the +effects of the bad behaviour of such Europeans as this nation have +hitherto dealt with, and would be effectually removed, if ever they +had a settled experience of a contrary conduct. The surest method +of teaching people to behave honestly towards us is to behave +friendly and honestly towards them, and then there is no great +reason to fear, that such as give evident proofs of capacity and +civility in the common affairs of life should be guilty of treachery +that must 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, +and in the longitude of 153 degrees 17 minutes, we found the +variation 6 degrees 30 minutes to the east. We continued coasting +the north side of the island of William Schovten, which is about +eighteen or nineteen miles long, very populous, and the people very +brisk and active. It was with great caution that Schovten gave his +name to this island, for having observed that there were abundance +of small islands laid down in the charts on the coast of New Guinea, +he was suspicious that this might be of the number. But since that +time it seems a point generally agreed, that this island had not +before any particular name; and therefore, in all subsequent +voyages, we find it constantly mentioned by the name of Schovten's +Island. + +He describes it as a very fertile and well-peopled island; the +inhabitants of which were so far from discovering anything of a +savage nature, that they gave apparent testimonies of their having +had an extensive commerce before he touched there, since they not +only showed him various commodities from the Spaniards, but also +several samples of China ware; he observes that they are very unlike +the nations he had seen before, being rather of an olive colour than +black; some having short, others long hair, dressed after different +fashions; they were also a taller, stronger, and stouter people than +their neighbours. These little circumstances, which may seem +tedious or trifling to such as read only for amusement, are, +however, of very great importance to such as have discoveries in +view; because they argue that these people have a general +correspondence; the difference of their complexion must arise from a +mixed descent; and the different manner of wearing their hair is +undoubtedly owing to their following the fashion of different +nations, as their fancies lead them. He farther observes that their +vessels were larger and better contrived than their neighbours; that +they readily parted with their bows and arrows in exchange for +goods, and that they were particularly fond of glass and ironware, +which, perhaps, they not only used themselves, but employed likewise +in their commerce. The most western point of the island he called +the Cape of Good Hope, because by doubling that cape he expected to +reach the island of Banda; and that we may not wonder that he was in +doubts and difficulties as to the situation on of these places, we +ought to reflect that Schovten was the first who sailed round the +world by this course, and the last too, except Commodore Roggewein, +other navigators choosing rather to run as high as California, and +from thence to the Ladrone Islands, merely because it is the +ordinary route. + +In the neighbourhood of this island Schovten also met with an +earthquake, which alarmed the ship's company excessively, from an +apprehension that they had struck upon a rock. There are some other +islands in the neighbourhood of this, well peopled, and well +planted, abounding with excellent fruits, especially of the melon +kind. These islands lie, as it were, on the confines of the +southern continent, and the East Indies, so that the inhabitants +enjoy all the advantages resulting from their own happy climate, and +from their traffic with their neighbours, especially with those of +Ternate and Amboyna, who come thither yearly to purchase their +commodities, and who are likewise visited at certain seasons by the +people 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 the +longitude of 147 degrees 55 minutes, we observed the variation to be +5 degrees 30 minutes east. We were now arrived at the western +extremity of New Guinea, which is a detached point or promontory +(though it is not marked so even in the latest maps); here we met +with calms, variable and contrary winds, with much rain; from thence +we steered for Ceram, leaving the Cape on the north, and arrived +safely on that island; by this time Captain Tasman had fairly +surrounded the continent he was instructed to discover, and had +therefore nothing now farther in view than to return to Batavia, in +order to report the discoveries he had made. + +On the 27th of May we passed through the straits of Boura, or +Bouton, and continued 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 of 127 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 as the clearest and most exact that was +ever made for the discovery of the Terra Australis Incognita, from +whence that chart and map was laid down in 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 of +circumnavigators, with a few remarks, previous to which it will be +requisite to state clearly and succinctly the discoveries, either +made or confirmed by Captain Tasman's voyage, that the importance of +it may fully appear, as well as the probability of our conjectures +with regard to the motives that induced the Dutch East India Company +to be at so much pains about these discoveries. + + + +CHAPTER XX: CONSEQUENCES OF CAPTAIN TASMAN'S DISCOVERIES. + + + +In the first place, then, it is most evident, from Captain Tasman's +voyage, that New Guinea, Carpentaria, New Holland, Antony van +Diemen's Land, 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 we are now speaking, plainly does to +America. This continent reaches from the equinoctial to 44 degrees +of south latitude, and extends from 122 degrees to 188 degrees of +longitude, making indeed a very large country, but nothing like what +De Quiros imagined; which shows how dangerous a thing it is to trust +too much to conjecture in such points as these. It is, secondly, +observable, that as New Guinea, Carpentaria, and New Holland, had +been already pretty well examined, Captain Tasman fell directly to +the south of these; so that his first discovery was Van Diemen's +Land, the most southern part of the continent on this side the +globe, and then passing round by New Zealand, he plainly discovered +the opposite side of that country towards America, though he visited +the islands only, and never fell in again with the continent till he +arrived on the coast of New Britain, which he mistook for that of +New Guinea, as he very well might; that country having never been +suspected to be an island, till Dampier discovered it to be such in +the beginning of the present century. Thirdly, by this survey, +these countries are for ever marked 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 direct settlements, or new +discoveries, either in New Guinea, from the Moluccas, or in New +Holland, from Batavia directly. The prudence shown in the conduct +of this affair deserves the highest praise. To have attempted +heretofore, or even now, the establishing colonies in those +countries, would be impolitic, because it would be grasping more +than the East India Company, or than even the republic of Holland, +could manage; for, in the first place, to reduce a continent between +three and four thousand miles broad is a prodigious undertaking, and +to settle it by degrees would be to open to all the world the +importance of that country which, for anything we can tell, may be +much superior to any country yet known: the only choice, therefore, +that the Dutch had left, was to reserve this mighty discovery till +the season arrived, in which they should be either obliged by +necessity or invited by occasion to make use of it; but though this +country be reserved, it is no longer either unknown or neglected by +the Dutch, which is a point of very great consequence. To the other +nations of Europe, the southern continent is a chimera, a thing in +the clouds, or at least a country about which there are a thousand +doubts and suspicions, so that to talk of discovering or settling it +must be regarded as an idle and empty project: but, with respect to +them, it is a thing perfectly well known; its extent, its +boundaries, its situation, the genius of its several nations, and +the commodities of which they are possessed, are absolutely within +their cognisance, so that they are at liberty to take such measures +as appear to them best, for securing the eventual possession of this +country, whenever they think fit. This account explains at once all +the mysteries which the best writers upon this subject have found in +the Dutch proceedings. It shows why they have been at so much pains +to obtain a clear and distinct survey of these distant countries; +why they have hitherto forborne settling, and why they take so much +pains to prevent other nations from coming at a distinct knowledge +of them: and I may add to this another particular, which is that it +accounts for their permitting the natives of Amboyna, who are their +subjects, to carry on a trade to New Guinea, and the adjacent +countries, since, by this very method, it is apparent that they gain +daily fresh intelligence as to the product and commodities of those +countries. Having thus explained the consequence of Captain +Tasman's voyage, and thereby fully justified my giving it a place in +this part of my work, I am now at liberty to pursue the reflections +with which I promised to close this section, and the history of +circumnavigators, and in doing which, I shall endeavour to make the +reader sensible of the advantages that arise from publishing these +voyages in their proper order, so as to show what is, and what is +yet to be discovered of the globe on which we live. + + + +CHAPTER XXI: REMARKS UPON THE VOYAGE. + + + +In speaking of the consequences of Captain Tasman's voyage, it has +been very amply shown that this part of Terra Australis, or southern +country, has been fully and certainly discovered. To prevent, +however, the reader's making any mistake, I will take this +opportunity of laying before him some remarks on the whole southern +hemisphere, which will enable him immediately to comprehend all that +I have afterwards to say on this subject. + +If we suppose the south pole to be the centre of a chart of which +the equinoctial is the circumference, we shall then discern four +quarters, of the contents of which, if we could give a full account, +this part of the world would be perfectly discovered. To begin then +with the first of these, that is, from the first meridian, placed in +the island of Fero. Within this division, that is to say, from the +first to the nineteenth degree of longitude, there lies the great +continent of Africa, the most southern point of which is the Cape of +Good Hope, lying in the latitude of 34 degrees 15 minutes south. +Between that and the pole, several small but very inconsiderable +islands have been discovered, affording us only this degree of +certainty, that to the latitude of 50 degrees there is no land to be +found of any consequence; there was, indeed, a voyage made by Mr. +Bovet in the year 1738, on purpose to discover whether there were +any lands to the south in that quarter or not. This gentleman +sailed from Port 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 the latitude of 54 degrees south, and in the +longitude of 28 degrees 30 minutes, 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 +180 degrees, lie the countries of which we have been speaking, or +that large southern island, extending from the equinoctial to the +latitude of 43 degrees 10 minutes, and the longitude of 167 degrees +55 minutes, which is the extremity of Van Diemen's Land + +In the third quarter, that is, from the longitude of 150 degrees to +170 degrees, there is very little discovered with any certainty. +Captain Tasman, indeed, visited the coast of New Zealand, in the +latitude of 42 degrees 10 minutes south, and in the longitude of 188 +degrees 28 minutes; but besides this, and the islands of Amsterdam +and Rotterdam, we know very little; and therefore, if there be any +doubts about the reality of Terra Australis, it must be with respect +to that part of it which lies within this quarter, through which +Schovten and Le Maire sailed, but without discovering anything more +than a few small islands. + +The fourth and last quarter is from 270 degrees of longitude to the +first meridian, within which lies the continent of South America, +and the island of Terra del Fuego, the most southern promontory of +which is supposed to be Cape Horn, which, according to the best of +observations, is in the latitude of 56 degrees, beyond which there +has been nothing with any degree of certainty discovered on this +side. + +On the whole, therefore, it appears there are three continents +already tolerably discovered which point towards the south pole, and +therefore it is very probable there is a fourth, which if there be, +it must lie between the country of New Zealand, discovered by +Captain Tasman, and that country which was seen by Captain Sharpe +and Mr. Wafer in the South Seas, to which land therefore, and no +other, the title of Terra Australis Incognita properly belongs. +Leaving this, therefore, to the industry of future ages to discover, +we will now return to that great southern island which Captain +Tasman actually surrounded, and the bounds of which are tolerably +well known. + +In order to give the reader a proper idea of the importance of this +country, it will be requisite to say something of the climates in +which it is situated. As it lies from the equinoctial to near the +latitude of 44 degrees, the longest day in the most northern parts +must be twelve hours, and in the southern about fifteen hours, or +somewhat more, so that it extends from the first to the seventh +climate, which shows its situation to be the happiest in the world, +the country called Van Diemen's Land resembling in all respects the +south of France. As there are in all countries some parts more +pleasant than others, so there seems good reason to believe that +within two or three degrees of the tropic of Capricorn, which passes +through the midst of New Holland, is the most unwholesome and +disagreeable part of this country; the reason of which is very +plain, for in those parts it must be excessively hot, much more so +than under the line itself, since the days and nights are there +always equal, whereas within three or four degrees of the tropic of +Capricorn, that is to say, in the latitude 27 degrees south, the +days are thirteen hours and a half long, and the sun is twice in +their zenith, first in the beginning of December, or rather in the +latter end of November, and again when it returns back, which +occasions a burning heat for about two months, or something more; +whereas, either farther to the south or nearer to the line, the +climate must be equally wholesome and pleasant. + +As to the product and commodities of this country in general, there +is the greatest reason in the world to believe that they are +extremely rich and valuable, because the richest and finest +countries in the known world lie all of them within the same +latitude; but to return from conjectures to facts, the country +discovered by De Quiros makes a part of this great island, and is +the opposite coast to that of Carpentaria. This country, the +discoverer called La Australia del Espiritu Santo, in the latitude +of 15 degrees 40 minutes south, and, as he reports, it abounds with +gold, silver, pearl, nutmegs, mace, ginger, and sugar-canes, of an +extraordinary size. I do not wonder that formerly the fact might be +doubted, but at present I think there is sufficient reason to induce +us to believe it, for Captain Dampier describes the country about +Cape St. George and Port Mountague, which are within 9 degrees of +the country described by De Quiros. I say Captain Dampier describes +what he saw in the following words: "The country hereabouts is +mountainous and woody, full of rich valleys and pleasant fresh-water +brooks; the mould in the valleys is deep and yellowish, that on the +sides of the hills of a very brown colour, and not very deep, but +rocky underneath, yet excellent planting land; the trees in general +are neither very straight, thick, nor tall, 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, as more remote +among the plantations; the nuts are of an indifferent size, the milk +and kernel very thick and pleasant; here are ginger, yams, and other +very good roots for the pot, that our men saw and tasted; what other +fruits or roots the country affords I know not; here are hogs and +dogs, other land animals we saw none; the fowls we saw and knew were +pigeons, parrots, cocadores, and crows, like those in England; a +sort of birds about the bigness of a blackbird, and smaller birds +many. The sea and rivers have plenty of fish; we saw abundance, +though we catched but few, and these were cavallies, yellow-tails, +and whip-wreys." + +This account is grounded only on a very slight view, whereas De +Quiros resided for some time in the place he has mentioned. In +another place Captain Dampier observes that he saw nutmegs amongst +them, which seemed to be fresh-gathered, all which agrees perfectly +with the account given by De Quiros; add to this, that Schovten had +likewise observed, that they had ginger upon this coast, and some +other spices, so that on the whole there seems not the least reason +to doubt that if any part of this country was settled, it must be +attended with a very rich commerce; for it 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 reports agree 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 those +countries, and the fish on the coasts, where these commodities are +known to abound within land, seem to intimate a perfect conformity +throughout. + +The next thing to be considered is, the possibility of planting in +this part of the world, which at first sight, I must confess, seems +to be attended with considerable difficulties with respect to every +other nation except the Dutch, who either from Batavia, the +Moluccas, or even from the Cape of Good Hope, might with ease settle +themselves wherever they thought fit; as, however, they have +neglected this for above a century, there seems to be no reason why +their conduct in this respect should become the rule of other +nations, or why any other nation should be apprehensive of drawing +on herself the displeasure of the Dutch, by endeavouring to turn to +their benefit countries the Dutch have so long suffered to lie, with +respect to Europe, waste and desert. + +The first point, with respect to a discovery, would be to send a +small squadron on the coast of Van Diemen's Land, and from thence +round, in the same course taken by Captain Tasman, by the coast of +New Guinea, which might enable the nations that attempted it to come +to an absolute certainty with regard to its commodities and +commerce. Such a voyage as this might be performed with very great +ease, and at a small expense, by our 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 time or other, when the +legislature is more than usually intent on affairs of commerce, they +may be directed to make such an expedition at the expense of the +public. By this means all the back coast of New Holland and New +Guinea might be thoroughly examined, and we might know as well, and +as certainly as the Dutch, how far a colony settled there might +answer our expectations; one thing is certain, that to persons used +to the navigation of the Indies, such an expedition could not be +thought either dangerous or difficult, because it is already +sufficiently known that there are everywhere islands upon the coast, +where ships upon such a discovery might be sure to meet with +refreshments, as is plain from Commodore Roggewein's voyage, made +little more than twenty years ago. + +The only difficulty that I can see would be the getting a fair and +honest account of this expedition when made; for private interest is +so apt to interfere, and get the better of the public service, that +it is very hard to be sure of anything of this sort. That I may not +be suspected of any intent 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 which an Act of Parliament was with +great difficulty obtained, though visibly for the advantage of the +nation; the other instance is, the voyage of Captain Middleton, for +the discovery of a north-west passage into the south seas, which is +ended by a very warm dispute, whether that passage be found or not, +the person supposed to have found it maintaining the negative. + +Whenever, therefore, such an expedition is undertaken, it ought to +be under the direction, not only of a person of parts and +experience, but of unspotted character, who, on his return, should +be obliged to deliver his journal upon oath, and the principal +officers under him should likewise be directed to keep their +journals distinctly, and without their being inspected by the +principal officer; all which journals ought to be published by +authority as soon as received, that every man might be at liberty to +examine them, and deliver his thoughts as to the discoveries made, +or the impediments suggested to have hindered or prevented such +discoveries, by which means the public would be sure to obtain a +full and distinct account of the matter; and it would thence +immediately appear whether it would be expedient to prosecute the +design or not. + +But if it should be thought too burdensome for a company in so +flourishing a condition, and consequently engaged in so extensive a +commerce 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 by foreign trade; if this, I say, should be thought +too grievous for a company that has purchased her privileges from +the public by a large loan at low interest, there can certainly be +no objection to the putting this project into the hands of the Royal +African Company, who are not quite in so flourishing a condition; +they have equal opportunities for undertaking it, since the voyage +might be with great ease performed from their settlements in ten +months, and if the trade was found to answer, it might encourage the +settling a colony at Madagascar to and from which ships might, with +the greatest conveniency, carry on the trade to New Guinea. I +cannot say how far such a trade might be consistent with their +present charter; but if it should be found advantageous to the +public, and beneficial to the company, I think there can be no +reason assigned why it should 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 now at, for the support of the forts and garrisons +belonging to that company on the coasts of Africa; which would alone +prove of great and immediate service, both to the public and to the +company. To say the truth, something of this sort is absolutely +necessary to vindicate the expense the nation is at; for if the +trade, for the carrying on of which a company is established, +proves, by a change of circumstances, incapable of 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 the striking +out, if possible, some new branch of trade, which may restore it to +its former splendour; and in this as it hath an apparent right, so +there is not the least reason to doubt that it would meet with all +the countenance and assistance from the government that it could +reasonably expect or desire. + +If such a design should ever be attempted, perhaps the island of New +Britain might be the properest place for them to settle. As to the +situation, extent, and present condition of that island, all that +can be said of it must be taken from the account given by its +discoverer Captain Dampier, which, in few words, amounts to this: +"The island which I call Nova Britannia has about 4 degrees of +latitude, the body of it lying in 4 degrees, the northernmost part +in 2 degrees 30 minutes, and the southernmost in 6 degrees 30 +minutes. It has about 5 degrees 18 minutes longitude from east to +west; it is generally high mountainous land, mixed with large +valleys, which, as well as 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 inhabited with strong, well-limbed +negroes, whom we found very daring and bold at several places: as +to the product of it, it is very probable this island may afford as +many rich commodities as any in the world; and the natives may be +easily brought to commerce, though I could not pretend to it in my +circumstances." If any objections should be raised from Dampier's +misfortune in that voyage, it is 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 a bad commander; besides, the +Roebuck, in which he sailed, was a worn-out frigate that would +hardly swim; and it is no great wonder that in so crazy a vessel the +people were a little impatient at being abroad on discoveries; yet, +after all, he performed what he was sent for; and, by the discovery +of this island of New Britain, secured us an indisputable right to a +country, that is, or might be made, very valuable. + +It is so situated, that a great trade might be carried on from +thence through the whole Terra Australis on one side, and the most +valuable islands of the East Indies on the other. In short, all, or +at least most, of the advantages proposed by the Dutch West India +Company's joining with their East India Company, of which a large +account has already been given, might be procured for this nation, +by the establishing a colony in this island of New Britain, and +securing the trade of that colony to the African Company by law; the +very passing of which law would give the company more than +sufficient credit, to fit out a squadron at once capable of securing +the possession of that island, and of giving the public such +satisfaction as to its importance, as might be requisite to obtain +further power and assistance from the State, if that should be found +necessary. It would be very easy to point out some advantages +peculiarly convenient for that company; but it will be time enough +to think of these whenever the African Company shall discover an +inclination to prosecute this design. At present I have done what I +proposed, and have shown that such a collection of voyages as this +ought not to be considered as a work of mere amusement, but as a +work calculated for the benefit of mankind in general, and of this +nation in particular, which it is the duty of every man to promote +in his station; and whatever fate these reflections may meet with, I +shall always have the satisfaction of remembering that I have not +neglected it in mine, but have taken the utmost pains to turn a +course of laborious reading to the advantage 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 to attempt this discovery, there is yet a third +company, within the spirit of whose charter, I humbly conceive, the +prosecution of such a scheme immediately lies. The reader will +easily discern that I mean the company for carrying on a trade to +the South Seas, who, notwithstanding the extensiveness of their +charter, confirmed and supported by authority of parliament, have +not, so far as my information reaches, ever attempted to send so +much as a single ship for the sake of discoveries into the South +Seas, which, however, was the great point proposed when this company +was first established. In order to prove this, I need only lay +before the reader the limits assigned that company by their charter, +the substance of which is contained in the following words:- + +"The corporation, and their successors, shall, for ever, be vested +in the sole trade into and from all the kingdoms and lands on the +east side of America, from the River Oroonoco, to the southernmost +part of Terra del Fuego, and on the west side thereof from the said +southernmost part of Terra del Fuego, through the South Sea, to the +northernmost part of America, and into and through all the +countries, islands, and places within the said limits, which are +reputed to belong to Spain, or which shall hereafter be found out +and discovered within the limits aforesaid, not exceeding 300 +leagues from the continent of America, between the southernmost part +of the Terra del Fuego and the northernmost part of America, on the +said west side thereof, except the Kingdom of Brazil, and such other +places on the east side of America, as are now in the possession of +the King of Portugal, and the country of Surinam, in the possession +of the States-general. The said company, and none else, are to +trade within the said limits; and, if any other persons shall trade +to the 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 company shall be the sole owners of the islands, forts, +etc., which they shall discover within the said limits, to be held +of the crown, under an annual rent of an ounce of gold, and of all +ships taken as prizes by the ships of the said company; and the +company may seize, by force of arms, all other British ships trading +in those seas." + +It is, I think, impossible for any man to imagine that either these +limits should be secured to the company for no purpose in the world; +or that these prohibitions and penalties should take place, +notwithstanding the company's never attempting to make any use of +these powers; from whence I infer that it was the intent of the +legislature that new discoveries should be made, new plantations +settled, and a new trade carried on by this new corporation, +agreeable to the rules prescribed, and for the general benefit of +this nation; which I apprehend was chiefly considered in the +providing that this new commerce should be put under the management +of a particular company. But I am very well aware of an objection +that may be made to what I have advanced; viz., that, from my own +showing, this southern continent lies absolutely without their +limits; and that there is also a proviso in the charter of that +company that seems particularly calculated to exclude it, since it +recites that. + +"The agents of the company shall not sail beyond the southernmost +parts of Terra del Fuego, except through the Straits of Magellan, or +round Terra del Fuego; nor go from thence to any part of the East +Indies, nor return to Great Britain, or any port or place, unless +through the said straits, 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 of merchants of England trading to +East India (such India goods excepted as shall be actually exported +from Great Britain, and also such gold, silver, wrought plate, and +other goods and commodities, which are the produce, growth, or +manufactures of the West Indies, or continent of America): neither +shall they send ships, or use them or any vessel, within the South +Seas, from Terra del Fuego to the northernmost parts of America, +above three hundred leagues to the westward of, and distant from the +land of Chili, Peru, Mexico, California, or any other the lands or +shores of Southern or Northern America, between Terra del Fuego and +the northernmost part of America, on pain of the forfeiture of the +ships and goods; one-third to the crown, and the other two-thirds to +the East India Company." + +But the reader will observe that I mentioned the East India and +African Companies before; and that I now mention the South Sea +Company, on a supposition that the two former may refuse it. In +that case, I presume, the legislature will make the same distinction +that the States of Holland did, and not suffer the private advantage +of any particular company to stand in competition with the good of a +whole people. It was upon this principle that I laid it down as a +thing certain, that the African company would be allowed to settle +the island of Madagascar, though it lies within the limits of the +East India Company's charter, in case it should be found necessary +for the better carrying on of this trade. It is upon the same +principle I say this southern continent lies within the intention of +the South Sea Company's charter, because, I presume, the intent of +that charter was to grant them all the commerce in those seas, not +occupied before by British subjects; for, if it were otherwise, what +a condition should we be in as a maritime power? If a grant does +not oblige a company to carry on a trade within the limits granted +to that company, and is, at the same time, of force to preclude all +the subjects of this nation from the right they before had to carry +on a trade within those limits, such a law is plainly destructive to +the nation's interest and to commerce in general. I therefore +suppose, that, if the South Sea Company should think proper to +revive their trade in the manner I propose, this proviso would be +explained by Parliament to mean no more than excluding the South Sea +Company from settling or trading in or to any place at present +settled in or traded to by the East India Company: for, as this +interpretation would secure the just rights of both companies, and, +at the same time reconcile the laws for establishing them to the +general interest of trade and the nation, there is the greatest +reason to believe this to be the intention of the legislature. I +have been obliged to insist fully upon this matter, because it is a +point hitherto untouched, and a point of such high importance, that, +unless it be understood according to my sense of the matter, there +is an end of all hopes of extending our trade on this side, which is +perhaps the only side on 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 be blocked up by the rights of another +company; so that, according to the letter of our laws, each company +is to have its rights, and the nation in general no right at all. + +If, therefore, the settling of this part of Terra Australis should +devolve on the South Sea Company, by way of equivalent for the loss +of their Assiento contract, there is no sort of question but it +might be as well performed by them as by any other, and the trade +carried on without interfering with that which is at present carried +on, either by the East India or African Companies. It would indeed, +in this case, be absolutely necessary to settle Juan Fernandez, the +settlement of which place, under the direction of that company, if +they could, as very probably they might, fall into some share of the +slave-trade from New Guinea, must prove wonderfully advantageous, +considering the opportunity they would have of vending those slaves +to the Spaniards in Chili and Peru. The settling of this island +ought to be performed at once, and with a competent force, since, +without doubt, the Spaniards would leave no means unattempted to +dispossess them: yet, if a good fortification was once raised, the +passes properly retrenched, and a garrison left there of between +three and five hundred men, it would be simply impossible for the +Spaniards to force them out of it before the arrival of another +squadron from hence. Neither do I see any reason why, in the space +of a very few years, the plantation of this island should not prove +of as great consequence to the South Sea Company as that of Curacao +to the Dutch West India Company, who raise no less than sixty +thousand florins per annum for 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 the time that a squadron returned from Juan Fernandez, and +another squadron's arrival there from hence. It is true that, if +once a considerable settlement was made in the most southern part of +Terra Australis, the company might then fall into a large commerce +in the most valuable East India goods, very probably gold, and +spices of all sorts: yet I cannot think that even these would fall +within the exclusive proviso of their charter; for that was +certainly intended to hinder their trading in such goods as are +brought hither by our East India Company; and I must confess I see +no difference, with respect to the interest of that company, between +our having cloves, cinnamon, and mace, by the South Sea Company's +ships from Juan Fernandez, and our receiving them from Holland, +after the Dutch East India Company's ships have brought them thither +by the way of the Cape of Good Hope. Sure I am they would come to +us sooner by some months by the way of Cape Horn. If this reasoning +does not satisfy people, but they still remain persuaded that the +South Sea Company ought not to intermeddle with the East India trade +at all, I desire to know why the West India merchants are allowed to +import coffee from Jamaica, when it is well known that the East +India Company can supply the whole demand of this kingdom from +Mocha? If it be answered that the Jamaica coffee comes cheaper, and +is the growth of our own plantations, I reply, that these spices +will not only be cheaper, but better, and be purchased by our own +manufacturers; and these, I think, are the strongest reasons that +can be given. + +If it be demanded what certainty I have that spices can be had from +thence, I answer, all the certainty that in a thing of this nature +can be reasonably expected: Ferdinand de Quiros met with all sorts +of spices in the country he discovered; William Schovten, and +Jacques le Maire, saw ginger and nutmegs; so did Dampier; and the +author of Commodore Roggewein's Voyage asserts, that the free +burgesses of Amboyna purchase nutmegs 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 Old England. + +The reason I recommend settling on the south coast of Terra +Australis, if this design should be prosecuted, from Juan Fernandez, +rather than the island of New Britain, which I mentioned before, is, +because that coast is nearer, and is situated in a better and +pleasanter climate. Besides all which advantages, as it was never +hitherto visited by the Dutch, they cannot, with any colour of +justice, take umbrage at our attempting such a settlement. To close +then this subject, the importance of which alone inclined 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 Juan +Fernandez, proper magazines erected, and a constant correspondence +established between that island and the Terra Australis, these three +consequences must absolutely follow from thence: 1. That a new +trade would be opened, which must carry off a great quantity of our +goods and manufactures, that cannot, at present, be brought to any +market, or at least, 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, and consequently so terrible, to us, easy +and familiar; which might be attended with advantages that cannot be +foreseen, especially since there is, as I before observed, in all +probability another southern continent, which is still to be +discovered. 3. It would greatly increase our shipping and our +seamen, which are the true and natural strength of this country, +extend our naval power, and raise the reputation of this nation; the +most distant prospect of which is sufficient to warm the soul of any +man who has the least regard for his country, with courage +sufficient to despise the imputations that may be thrown upon him as +a visionary projector, for taking so much pains about an affair that +can tend so little to his private advantage. We will now add a few +words with respect to the advantages arising from having thus +digested the history of circumnavigators, from the earliest account +of time to the present, and then shut up the whole with another +section, containing the last circumnavigation by Rear-Admiral Anson, +whose voyage has at least shown that, under a proper officer, +English seamen are able to achieve as much as they ever did; and +that is as much as was ever done by any nation in the world. + +It is a point that has always admitted some debate, whether science +stands more indebted to speculation or practice; or, in other words, +whether the greater discoveries have been made by men of deep study, +or persons of great experience in the most useful parts of +knowledge. But this, I think, is a proposition that admits of no +dispute at all, that the noblest discoveries have been the result of +a just mixture of theory with practice. It was from hence that the +very notion of sailing round the earth took rise; and the ingenious +Genoese first laid down this system of the world, according to his +conception, and then added the proofs derived from experience. It +is much to be deplored that we have not that plan of discovery which +the great Christopher Columbus sent over thither by his brother +Bartholomew to King Henry VII., for if we had we should certainly +find abundance of very curious observations, which might still be +useful to mariners: for it appears clearly, from many little +circumstances, that he was a person of universal genius, and, until +bad usage obliged him to take many precautions, very communicative. + +It was from this plan, as it had been communicated to the Portuguese +court, that the famous Magellan came to have so just notions of the +possibility of sailing by the West to the East Indies; and there was +a great deal of theory in the proposal made by that great man to the +Emperor Charles V. Sir Francis Drake was a person of the same +genius, and of a like general knowledge; and it is very remarkable +that these three great seamen met also with the same fate; by which +I mean, that they were constantly pursued by envy while they lived, +which hindered so much notice being taken of their discourses and +discoveries as they deserved. But when the experience of succeeding +times had verified many of their sayings, which had been considered +as vain and empty boastings in their lifetimes, then prosperity +began to pay a superstitious regard to whatever could be collected +concerning them, and to admire all they delivered as oraculous. Our +other discoverer, Candish, was likewise a man of great parts and +great penetration, as well as of great spirit; he had, undoubtedly, +a mighty genius for discoveries; but the prevailing notion of those +times, that the only way to serve the nation was plundering the +Spaniards, seems to have got the better of his desire to find out +unknown countries; and made him choose to be known to posterity +rather as a gallant privateer than as an able seaman, though in +truth he was both. + +After these follow Schovten and Le Maire, who were fitted out to +make discoveries; and executed their commission with equal capacity +and success. If Le Maire had lived to return to Holland, and to +have digested into proper order his own accounts, we should, without +question, have received a much fuller and clearer, as well as a much +more correct and satisfactory detail of them than we have at +present: though the voyage, as it is now published, is in all +respects the best, and the most curious of all the circumnavigators. +This was, very probably, owing to the ill-usage he met with from the +Dutch East India Company; which put Captain Schovten, and the +relations of Le Maire, upon giving the world the best information +they could of what had been in that voyage performed. Yet the fate +of Le Maire had a much greater effect in discouraging, than the fame +of his discoveries had in exciting, a spirit of emulation; so that +we may safely say, the severity of the East India Company in Holland +extinguished that generous desire of exploring unknown lands, which +might otherwise have raised the reputation and extended the commerce +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 Dutch +voyage in pursuit of Le Maire's discoveries; and we see, when +Commodore Roggewein, in our own time, revived that noble design, it +was again cramped by the same power that stifled it before; and +though the States did justice to the West India Company, and to the +parties injured, yet the hardships they suffered, and the plain +proof they gave of the difficulties 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 the spirit of discovery, for perhaps +another century, in Holland. + +It is very observable that all the mighty discoveries that have been +made arose from these great men, who joined reasoning with practice, +and were men of genius and learning, as well as seamen. To Columbus +we owe the finding America; to Magellan the passing by the straits +which bear his name, by a new route to the East Indies; to Le Maire +a more commodious passage round Cape Horn, and without running up to +California; Sir Francis Drake, too, hinted the advantages that might +arise by examining the north-west side of America; and Candish had +some notions of discovering a passage between China and Japan. As +to the history we have of Roggewein's voyage, it affords such lights +as nothing but our own negligence can render useless. But in the +other voyages, whatever discoveries we meet with are purely +accidental, except it be Dampier's voyage to the coasts of New +Holland and New Guinea, which was expressly made for discoveries; +and in which, if an abler man had been employed in conjunction with +Dampier, we cannot doubt that the interior and exterior of those +countries would have been much better known than they are at +present; because such a person would rather have chosen to have +refreshed in the island of New Britain, or some other country not +visited before, than at that of Timer, already settled both by the +Portuguese and the Dutch. + +In all attempts, therefore, of this sort, those men are fittest to +be employed who, with competent abilities as seamen, have likewise +general capacities, are at least tolerably acquainted with other +sciences, and have settled judgments and solid understandings. +These are the men from whom we are to expect the finishing that +great work which former circumnavigators have begun; I mean the +discovering every part and parcel of the globe, and the carrying to +its utmost perfection the admirable and useful 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 +and guided by their discoveries. We owe to them the being freed, +not only from the errors, but from the doubts and difficulties with +which former ages were oppressed; to them we stand indebted for the +discovery of the best part of the world, which was entirely unknown +to the ancients, particularly some part of the eastern, most of the +southern, and all the western hemisphere; from them we have learned +that the earth is surrounded by the ocean, and that all the +countries under the torrid zone are inhabited, and that, quite +contrary to the notions that were formerly entertained, they are +very far from being the most sultry climate in the world, those +within a few degrees of the tropics, though habitable, being much +more hot, for reasons which have been elsewhere explained. By their +voyages, and especially by the observations of Columbus, we have +been taught the general motion of the sea, the reason of it, and the +cause and difference of currents in particular places, to which we +may add the doctrine of tides, which were very imperfectly known, +even by the greatest men in former times, whose accounts have been +found equally repugnant to reason and experience. + +By their observations we have acquired a great knowledge as to the +nature and variation of winds, particularly the monsoons, or trade +winds, and other periodical winds, of which the ancients had not the +least conception; and by these helps we not only have it in our +power to proceed much farther in our discoveries, but we are +likewise delivered from a multitude of groundless apprehensions, +that frightened them from prosecuting discoveries. We give no +credit now to the fables that not only amused antiquity, but even +obtained credit within a few generations. The authority of Pliny +will not persuade us that there are any nations without heads, whose +eyes and mouths are in their breasts, or that the Arimaspi have only +one eye, fixed in their forehead, and that they are perpetually at +war with the Griffins, who guard hidden treasures; or that there are +nations that have long hairy tales, and grin like monkeys. No +traveller can make us believe that, under the torrid zone, there are +a nation every man of which has one large flat foot, with which, +lying upon his back, he covers himself from the sun. In this +respect we have the same advantage over the ancients that men have +over children; and we cannot reflect without amazement on men's +having so much knowledge and learning in other respects, with such +childish understandings in these. + +By the labours of these great men in the two last centuries we are +taught to 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 the south. We can form a very certain judgment of the +climate of countries undiscovered, and can foresee the advantages +that will result from discoveries before they are made; all which +are prodigious advantages, and ought certainly to animate us in our +searches. I might add to this the great benefits we receive from +our more perfect acquaintance with the properties of the loadstone, +and from the surprising accuracy of astronomical observations, to +which I may add the physical discoveries made of late years in +relation to the figure of the earth, all of which are 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 +some of the great admirers of the Eastern nations, dispute these +facts, and would have us believe that almost everything was known to +the old philosophers, and not only known but practised by the +Chinese long before the time of the great men to whom we ascribe +them. But the difference between their assertions and ours is, that +we fully prove the facts we allege, whereas they produce no evidence +at all; for instance, Albertus Magnus says that Aristotle wrote an +express treatise on the direction of the loadstone; but nobody ever +saw that treatise, nor was it ever heard of by any of the rest of +his commentators. We have in our hands some of the best +performances of antiquity in regard to geography, and any man who +has eyes, and is at all acquainted with that science, can very +easily discern how far they fall short of maps that were made even a +hundred years ago. The celebrated Vossius, and the rest of the +admirers of the Chinese, who, by the way, derived all their +knowledge from hearsay, may testify, in as strong terms as they +think fit, their contempt for the Western sages and their high +opinion of those in the East; but till they prove to us that their +favourite Chinese made any voyages comparable to the Europeans, +before the discovery of a passage to China by the Cape of Good Hope, +they will excuse us from believing them. Besides, if the ancients +had all this knowledge, how came it not to display itself in their +performances? How came they to make such difficulties of what are +now esteemed trifles? And how came they never to make any voyages, +by choice at least, that were out of sight of land? Again, with +respect to the Chinese, if they excel us so much in knowledge, how +came the missionaries to be so much admired for their superior skill +in the sciences? But to cut the matter short, we are not disputing +now about speculative points of science, but as to the practical +application of it; in which, I think, there is no doubt that the +modern inhabitants of the western parts of the world excel, and +excel chiefly from the labours and discoveries of these great and +ingenious men, who applied their abilities to the improvement of +useful arts, for the particular benefit of their countrymen, and to +the common good of mankind; which character is not derived from any +prejudice of ours, either against the ancients or the Oriental +nations, but is founded on facts of public notoriety, and on general +experience, which are a kind of evidence not to be controverted or +contradicted. + +We are still, however, in several respects short of perfection, and +there are many things left to exercise the sagacity, penetration, +and application of this and of succeeding ages; for instance, the +passages to the north-east and north-west are yet unknown; there is +a great part of the southern continent undiscovered; we are, in a +manner, ignorant of what lies between America and Japan, and all +beyond that country lies buried in obscurity, perhaps in greater +obscurity than it was an age ago; so that there is still room for +performing great things, which in their consequences perhaps might +prove greater than can well be imagined. I say nothing of the +discoveries that yet remain with regard to inland countries, because +these fall properly under another head, I mean that of travels. But +it will be time enough to think of penetrating into the heart of +countries when we have discovered the sea-coasts of the whole globe, +towards which the voyages recorded in this chapter have so far +advanced already. But the only means to arrive at these great ends, +and to transmit to posterity a fame approaching, at least in some +measure, to that of our ancestors, is to revive and restore that +glorious spirit which led them to such great exploits; and the most +natural method of doing this is to collect and preserve the memory +of their exploits, that they 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 greatest probability 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 +celebrated navigator 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 was about two leagues wide, we saw rocks and foul ground +within, and therefore stood out again; there we had twenty fathom +water within two miles of the shore: the land everywhere appeared +pretty low, flat, and even, but with steep cliffs to the sea, and +when we came near it there were no trees, shrubs, or grass to be +seen. The soundings in the latitude of 26 degrees south, from about +eight or nine leagues off till you come within a league of the +shore, are generally about forty fathoms, differing but little, +seldom above three or four fathoms; but the lead brings up very +different sorts of sand, some coarse, some fine, and of several +colours, as yellow, white, grey, brown, bluish, and reddish. + +When I saw there was no harbour here, nor good anchoring, I stood +off to sea 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 to have 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 the shore, 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 wind still increasing, I took in +my main-top-sail, being able to carry no more sail 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 my sails but +my mainsail, though the wind blew so hard, we had pretty clear +weather till noon, but then the whole sky was blackened with thick +clouds, and we had some rain, which would last a quarter of an hour +at a time, and then it would blow very fierce while the squalls of +rain were over our heads, but as soon as they were gone the wind was +by much abated, the stress of the storm being over; we sounded +several times, but had no ground till eight o'clock, August the 4th, +in the evening, and then had sixty fathom water, coral ground. At +ten we had fifty-six fathom, fine sand. At twelve we had fifty-five +fathom, fine sand, of a pale bluish colour. It was now pretty +moderate weather, yet I made no sail till morning, but then the wind +veering about to the south-west, I made 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 noon we were in latitude 25 +degrees 30 minutes, and in the afternoon our cook died, an old man, +who had been sick a great while, being infirm before we came out of +England. + +The 6th of August, in the morning, we saw an opening in the land, +and we ran into it, and anchored in seven and a half fathom water, +two miles from 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 before me. The mouth of this sound, which I called +Shark's Bay, lies in about 25 degrees south latitude, and our +reckoning made its longitude from the Cape of Good Hope to be about +87 degrees, which is less by one hundred and 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 soon as I came to +anchor in this bay, I sent my boat ashore to seek for fresh water, +but in the evening my men returned, having found none. The next +morning I went ashore myself, carrying pickaxes and shovels with me, +to dig for water, and axes to cut wood. We tried in several places +for water, but finding none after several trials, nor in several +miles compass, we left any further search for it, and spending the +rest of the day in cutting wood, we went aboard at night. + +The land is of an indifferent height, so that it may be seen nine or +ten leagues off. It appears at a distance very even; but as you +come nigher you find there are many gentle risings, though none +steep or high. It is all a steep shore against the open sea; but in +this bay or sound we were now in, the land is low by the seaside, +rising gradually in with the land. The mould is sand by the +seaside, producing a large sort of samphire, which bears a white +flower. Farther in the mould is reddish, a sort of sand, producing +some grass, plants, and shrubs. The grass grows in great tufts as +big as a bushel, here and there a tuft, being intermixed with much +heath, much of the kind we have growing on our commons in England. +Of trees or shrubs here are divers sorts, but none above ten feet +high, their bodies about three feet about, and five or six feet high +before you come to the branches, which are bushy, and composed of +small twigs there spreading abroad, though thick set and full of +leaves, which were mostly long and narrow. The colour of the leaves +was on one side whitish, and on the other green, and the bark of the +trees was generally of the same colour with the leaves, of a pale +green. Some of these trees were sweet-scented, and reddish within +the bark, like sassafras, but redder. Most of the trees and shrubs +had at this time either blossoms or berries on them. The blossoms +of the different sorts of trees were of several colours, as red, +white, yellow, etc., but mostly blue, and these generally smelt very +sweet and fragrant, as did some also of the rest. There were also +besides some plants, herbs, and tall flowers, some very small +flowers growing on the ground, that were sweet and 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 larger +sorts of birds, but five or six sorts of small birds. The biggest +sort of these were not bigger than larks, some no bigger than wrens, +all singing with great variety of fine shrill notes; and we saw some +of their nests with young ones in them. The water-fowls are ducks +(which had young ones now, this being the beginning of the spring in +these parts), curlews, galdens, crab-catchers, cormorants, gulls, +pelicans, and some water-fowl, such as I have not seen anywhere +besides. + +The land animals that we saw here were only a sort of raccoons, +different from those of the West Indies, chiefly as to their legs, +for these have very short forelegs, but go jumping upon them as the +others do (and like them are very good meat), and a sort of guanos, +of the same shape and size with other guanos described, but +differing from them in three remarkable particulars; for these had a +larger and uglier head, and had no tail, and at the rump, instead of +the tail there, they had a stump of a tail, which appeared like +another head, but not really such, being without mouth or eyes; yet +this creature seemed by this means to have a head at each end, and, +which may be reckoned a fourth difference, the legs also seemed all +four of them to be fore-legs, being all alike in shape and length, +and seeming by the joints and bending to be made as if they were to +go indifferently either head or tail foremost. They were speckled +black and yellow like toads, and had scales or knobs on their backs +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 +comes nigh them they will stand still and hiss, not endeavouring to +get away. Their livers are also spotted black and yellow; and the +body, when opened, hath a very unsavoury smell. I did never see +such ugly creatures anywhere but here. The guanos I have observed +to be very good meat, and I have often eaten of them with pleasure; +but though I have eaten of snakes, crocodiles, and alligators, and +many creatures that look frightfully enough, and there are but few I +should have been afraid to eat of if pressed by hunger, yet I think +my stomach would scarce have served to venture upon these New +Holland guanos, both the looks and the smell of them being so +offensive. + +The sea-fish that we saw here (for here was no river, land or pond +of fresh water to be seen) are chiefly sharks. There are abundance +of them in this particular sound, that I therefore gave it the name +of Shark's Bay. Here are also skates, thornbacks, and other fish of +the ray kind (one sort especially like the sea-devil), and gar-fish, +bonetas, etc. Of shell-fish we got here mussels, periwinkles, +limpets, oysters, both of the pearl kind and also eating oysters, as +well the common sort as long oysters, besides cockles, etc. The +shore was lined thick with many other sorts of very strange and +beautiful shells for variety of colour and shape, most finely +spotted with red, black, or yellow, etc., such as I have not seen +anywhere but at this place. I brought away a great many of them, +but lost all except a very few, and those not of the best. + +There are also some green turtle weighing about two hundred pounds. +Of these we caught two, which the water ebbing had left behind a +ledge of rock which they could not creep over. These served all my +company two days, and they were indifferent sweet meat. Of the +sharks we caught a great many, which our men ate very savourily. +Among them we caught one which was eleven feet long. The space +between its two eyes was twenty inches, 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 sharp knife could scarce cut it, in +which we found the head and bones of a hippopotamus, 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 one end, and a +little crooked, the rest not above half so long. The maw was full +of jelly, which stank extremely. However, I saved for awhile the +teeth and the shark's jaw. The flesh of it was divided among my +men, and they 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 we +anchored at three several places, and stayed at the first of them +(on the west 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 my company were all here very well refreshed +with raccoons, turtle, shark, and other fish, and some fowls, so +that we were now all much brisker than when we came in hither. Yet +still I was for standing farther into the bay, 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 this part of the coast. +I was invited to go further by seeing from this anchoring-place all +open before me, which therefore I designed to search before 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, sometimes +deepening the water. About two in the afternoon we saw the land +ahead that makes the south of the bay, and before night we had again +sholdings from that shore, and therefore shortened sail and stood +off and on all night, under two topsails, continually sounding, +having never more than ten fathom, and seldom less than seven. The +water deepened and sholdened so very gently, that in heaving the +lead five or six times we should scarce have a foot difference. +When we came into seven fathom either way, we presently went about. +From this south part of the bay we could not see the land from +whence we came in the afternoon; and this land we found to be an +island of three or four leagues long; but it appearing barren, I did +not strive to go nearer it, and the rather because the winds would +not permit us to do it without much trouble, and at the openings the +water was generally shoal: I therefore made no farther attempts in +this south-west and south part of the bay, but steered away to the +eastward, to see if there was any land that way, for as yet we had +seen none there. On the 12th, in the morning, we passed by the +north point of that land, and were confirmed in the persuasion of +its being an island by seeing an opening to the east of it, as we +had done on the west. Having fair weather, a small gale, and smooth +water, we stood further on in the bay to see what land was on the +east of it. Our soundings at first were seven fathom, which held so +a great while, but at length it decreased to six. Then we saw the +land right ahead. We could not come near it with the ship, having +but shoal water, and it being dangerous lying there, and the land +extraordinarily low, very unlikely to have 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 that afternoon, deepening +the water, and before night anchored in eight fathom, clean white +sand, about the middle of the bay. The next day we got up our +anchor, and that afternoon came to an anchor once more near two +islands and a shoal of coral rocks that face the bay. Here I +scrubbed my ship; and finding it very improbable I should get any +further here, 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 out to sea to the east of the two islands that +face the bay, nor between them, I returned to the west entrance, +going out by the same way I came in at, only on the east instead of +the west side of the small shoal: in which channel we had ten, +twelve, and thirteen fathom water, still deepening upon us till we +were out at sea. The day before we came out I sent a boat ashore to +the most northerly of the two islands, which is the least of them, +catching many small fish in the meanwhile, with hook and line. The +boat's crew returning told me that the isle produces nothing but a +sort of green, short, hard, prickly grass, affording neither wood +nor fresh water, and that a sea broke between the two islands--a +sign that the water was shallow. They saw a large turtle, and many +skates and thornbacks, but caught none. + +It was August the 14th when I sailed out of this bay or sound, the +mouth of which lies, as I said, in 25 degrees 5 minutes, designing +to coast along to the north-east till I might commodiously put in at +some other port of New Holland. In passing out we saw three water- +serpents swimming about in the sea, of a yellow colour spotted with +dark brown spots. They were 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 sorts of them. We had the winds +at our first coming out at north, and the land lying north-easterly. +We plied off and on, getting forward but little till the next day, +when the wind coming at south-south-west and south, we began to +coast it along the shore on the northward, keeping at six or seven +leagues off shore, and sounding often, we had between forty and +forty-six fathom water, brown sand with some white shells. This +15th of August we were in latitude 24 degrees 41 minutes. On the +16th day, at noon, we were in 23 degrees 22 minutes. The wind +coming at east by north, we could not keep the shore aboard, but +were forced to go farther off, and lost sight of the land; then +sounding, we had no ground with eighty-fathom line. However, the +wind shortly after came about again to the southward, and then we +jogged on again to the northward, and saw many small dolphins and +whales, and abundance of cuttle-shells swimming on the sea, and some +water-snakes every day. The 17th we saw the land again and took a +sight of it. + +The 18th, in the afternoon, being three or four leagues off shore, I +saw a shoal-point stretching from the land into the sea a league or +more; the sea broke high on it, by which I saw plainly there was a +shoal there. I stood farther off and coasted along shore to about +seven or eight leagues distance, and at twelve o'clock at night we +sounded, and had but twenty fathom, hard sand. By this I found I +was upon another shoal, and so presently steered off west half an +hour, and had then forty fathom. At one in the morning of the 18th +day we had eighty-five fathom; by two we could find no ground, and +then I ventured to steer along shore again due north, which is two +points wide of the coast (that lies north-north-east), for fear of +another shoal. I would not be too far off from the land, being +desirous to search into it wherever I should find an opening or any +convenience of searching about for water, etc. When we were off the +shoal-point I mentioned, where we had but twenty fathom water, we +had in the night abundance of whales about the ship, some ahead, +others astern, and some on each side, blowing and making a very +dismal 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 with their 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. The shoal these whales were upon had depth of +water sufficient, no less than twenty 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 sea since the Abrohlo shoal, +when we first fell on the New Holland coast in the latitude of 28 +degrees, till yesterday in the afternoon and this night. This +morning also, when we expected by the draught we had with us to have +been eleven leagues off shore, we were but four, so that either our +draughts were faulty, which yet hitherto and afterwards we found +true enough as to the lying of the coast, or else here was a tide +unknown to us that deceived us, though we had found very little of +any tide on this coast hitherto; as to our winds in the coasting +thus far, as we had been within the verge of the general trade +(though interrupted by the storm I mentioned), from the latitude of +28 degrees, when we first fell in with the coast, and by that time +we were in the latitude of 25 degrees, we had usually the regular +trade wind (which is here south-south-east) when we were 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 +particular north-west wind or storm that set us in thither. On this +18th of August we 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, were next 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 also shrinking from the south-south-east to the +east-south-east (that is, from the true trade wind to the sea +breeze, as the land now lay), we could not get in with the land +again yet awhile so as to see it, though we trimmed sharp and kept +close on a wind. We were this 19th day in latitude 21 degrees 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 not +yet see it. We had very fair weather, and though we were so far +from the land as to be out of sight of it, yet we had the sea and +land breezes. In the night we had the land breeze at south-south- +east, a small gentle gale, which in the morning about sun-rising +would shift about gradually (and withal increasing in strength) till +about noon we should have it at east-south-east, which is the true +sea breeze here. Then it would blow a brisk gale so that we could +scarce carry our top-sails double-reefed; and it would continue thus +till three in the afternoon, when it would decrease again. The +weather was fair all the while, not a cloud to be seen, but very +hazy, especially nigh the horizon. We sounded several times this +20th day, and at first had no ground, but had afterwards from fifty- +two to forty-five fathom, coarse brown sand, mixed with small brown +and white stones, with dints besides in the tallow. + +The 21st day also we had small land breezes in the night, and sea +breezes in the day, and as we saw some sea-snakes every day, so this +day we saw a great many, of two different sorts or shapes. One sort +was yellow, and about the bigness of a man's wrist, about four feet +long, having a flat tail about four fingers broad. The other sort +was much smaller and shorter, round, and spotted black and yellow. +This day we sounded several times, and had forty-five fathom, sand. +We did not make the land till 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 or head of land. The sea +breeze this day was not so strong as the day before, and it veered +out more, so that we had a fair wind to run in with to the shore, +and at sunset anchored in twenty fathom, clean sand, about five +leagues from the Bluff point, which was not a cape (as it appeared +at a great distance), but the easternmost end of an island about +five or six leagues in length, and one in breadth. There were three +or four rocky islands about a league from us, between us and the +Bluff point, and we saw many other islands both to the east and west +of it, as far as we could see either way from our topmast-head, and +all within them to the south there was nothing but islands of a +pretty height, that may be seen eight or nine leagues off; by what +we saw of them they must have been a range 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 those of Shark's +Bay, and to a considerable breadth also, for we could see nine or +ten leagues in among them, towards the continent or mainland of New +Holland, if there be any such thing hereabouts; and by the great +tides I met with awhile afterwards, more to the north-east, I had a +strong suspicion that here might be a kind of archipelago of +islands, and a passage possibly to the south of New Holland and New +Guinea into the great South Sea eastward, which I had thoughts also +of attempting in my return from New Guinea, had circumstances +permitted, and told my officers so; but I would not attempt it at +this time, because we wanted water, and could not depend upon +finding it there. This place is in the latitude of 20 degrees 21 +minutes, but in the draught that I had of this coast, which was +Tasman's, it was laid down in 19 degrees 50 minutes, and the shore +is laid down as all along joining in one body or continent, with +some openings 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, only with some openings like the mouths of rivers, I +found the soundings also different from what the pricked line of his +course shows them, and generally shallower than he makes them, which +inclines me to think that he came not so near the shore as his line +shows, and so had deeper soundings, and could not so well +distinguish the islands. His meridian or difference of longitude +from Shark's Bay agrees well enough with my account, which is two +hundred and thirty-two leagues, though we differ in latitude; and to +confirm my conjecture that the line of his course is made too near +the shore, at least not far to the east of this place, the water 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 the +morning I weighed anchor, designing to run in among the islands, for +they had large channels between them of a league wide at least, and +some two or three leagues wide. I sent in my boat before to sound, +and if they found shoal water to return again, but if they found +water enough to go ashore on one of the islands and stay till the +ship came in, where they might in the meantime search for water. So +we followed after with the ship, sounding as we went in, and had +twenty fathom till within two leagues of the Bluff head, and then we +had shoal water and very uncertain soundings; yet we ran in still +with an easy sail, sounding and looking out well, for this was +dangerous work. When we came abreast of the Bluff head, and about +two miles from it, we had but seven fathom, then we edged away from +it, but had no more water, and running in a little farther we had +but four fathoms, so we anchored immediately; and yet when we had +veered out a third of a cable, we had seven fathom water again, so +uncertain was the water. My boat came immediately on board, and +told me that the island was very rocky and dry, and they had little +hopes of finding water there. I sent them to sound, and bade them, +if they found a channel of eight or ten fathom water, to keep on, +and we would follow with the ship. We were now about four leagues +within the outer small rocky islands, but still could see nothing +but islands within us, some five or six leagues long, others not +above a mile round. The large islands were pretty high, but all +appeared dry, and mostly rocky and barren. The rocks looked of a +rusty yellow colour, and therefore I despaired of getting water on +any of them, but was in some hopes of finding a channel to run in +beyond all these islands, could I have spent time here, and either +got to the main of New Holland or find out some other islands that +might afford us water and other refreshments; besides that 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 not +sailed above a league farther before our water grew shoaler again, +and then we anchored in six fathom, hard sand. + +We were now on the inner side of the island, on whose outside is the +Bluff point. We rode a league from the island, and I presently went +ashore and carried shovels to dig for water, but found none. There +grow here two or three sorts of shrubs, one just like rosemary, and +therefore I called this Rosemary Island; it grew in great plenty +here, but had no smell. Some of the other shrubs had blue and +yellow flowers; and we found two sorts of grain like beans; the one +grew on bushes, the other on a sort of creeping vine that runs along +on the ground, having very thick broad leaves, and the blossom like +a bean blossom, but much larger and of a deep red colour, looking +very beautiful. We saw here some cormorants, gulls, crab-catchers, +etc., a few small land birds, and a sort of white parrots, which +flew a great many together. We found some shell-fish, viz., +limpets, periwinkles, and abundance of small oysters growing on the +rocks, which were very sweet. In the sea we saw some green turtle, +many sharks, and abundance of water-snakes of several sorts and +sizes. The stones were all of rusty colour, and ponderous. + +We saw a smoke on an island three or four leagues off, and here also +the bushes had been burned, but we found no other sign of +inhabitants. It was probable that on the island where the smoke was +there were inhabitants, and fresh water for them. In the evening I +went aboard, and consulted with my officers whether it was best to +send thither, or to search among any other of these islands with my +boat, or else go from hence and coast along shore with the ship, +till we could find some better place than this was to ride in, where +we had shoal water and lay exposed to winds and tides. They all +agreed to go from hence, so I gave orders to weigh in the morning as +soon as it should be light, and to get out with the land breeze. + +Accordingly, August 23rd, at five in the morning, we ran out, having +a pretty fresh land breeze at south-south-east. By eight o'clock we +were got out, and very seasonably, for before nine the sea breeze +came on us very strong, and increasing, we took in our top-sails and +stood off under two courses and a mizen, this being as much sail as +we could carry. The sky was clear, there being not one cloud to be +seen, but the horizon appeared very hazy, and the sun at setting the +night before, and this morning at rising, appeared very red. The +wind continued very strong till twelve, then it began to abate; I +have seldom met with a stronger breeze. These strong sea breezes +lasted thus in their turns three or four days. They sprang up with +the sunrise; by nine o'clock they were very strong, and so continued +till noon, when they began to abate; and by sunset 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 +the night while calm, we fished with hook and line, and caught good +store of fish viz., snappers, breams, old-wives, and dog-fish. When +these last came we seldom caught any others; for it they did not +drive away the other fish, yet they would be sure to keep them from +taking our hooks, for they would first have them themselves, biting +very greedily. We caught also a monk-fish, of which I brought home +the picture. + +On the 25th of August we still coasted along shore, that we might +the better see any opening; kept sounding, and had about twenty +fathom, clean sand. The 26th day, being about four leagues off +shore, the water began gradually to sholden from twenty to fourteen +fathom. I was edging in a little towards the land, thinking to have +anchored; but presently after the water decreased almost at once, +till we had but five fathom. I durst, therefore, adventure no +farther, but steered out the same way that we came in, and in a +short time had ten fathom (being then about four leagues and a half +from the shore), and even soundings. I steered away east-north- +east, coasting along as the land lies. This day the sea breezes +began to be very moderate again, and we made the best of our way +along 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 a great while still. + +The 27th day we had twenty fathom water all night, yet we could not +see land till one in the afternoon from our topmast-head. By three +we could just discern land from our quarter-deck; we had then +sixteen fathom. The wind was at north, and we steered east-by- +north, which is but one point in on the land; yet we decreased our +water very fast, for at four we had but nine fathom, the next cast +but seven, which frightened us; and we then tacked instantly and +steed off, but in a short time the wind coming at north-west and +west-north-west, we tacked again and steered north-north-east, and +then deepened our water again, and had all night from fifteen to +twenty fathom. + +The 28th day we had between twenty and forty fathom. We saw no land +this day, but saw a great many snakes and some whales. We saw also +some boobies and noddy-birds, and in the night caught one of these +last. It was of another shape and colour than any I had seen +before. It had a small long bill, as all of them have, flat feet +like ducks' feet, its tail forked like a swallow, but longer and +broader, and the fork deeper than that of the swallow, with very +long wings; the top or crown of the head of this noddy was coal- +black, having also small black streaks round about and close to the +eyes; and round these streaks on each side, a pretty broad white +circle. The breast, belly, and under part of the wings of this +noddy were white, and the back and upper part of its wings of a +faint black or smoke colour. Noddies are seen in most places +between the tropics, as well in the East Indies and on the coast of +Brazil, as in the West Indies. They rest ashore at night, and +therefore we never see them far at sea, not above twenty or thirty +leagues, unless driven off in a storm. When they come about a ship +they commonly perch in the night, and will sit still till they are +taken by the seamen. They build on cliffs against the sea, or +rocks. + +The 30th day, being in latitude 18 degrees 21 minutes, we made the +land again, and saw many great smokes near the shore; and having +fair weather and moderate breezes, I steered in towards it. At four +in the afternoon I anchored in eight fathom water, clear sand, about +three leagues and a half from the shore. I presently sent my boat +to sound nearer in, and they found ten fathom about a mile farther +in, and from thence still farther in the water decreased gradually +to nine, eight, seven, and at two miles distance to six fathom. +This evening we saw an eclipse of the moon, but it was abating +before the moon appeared to us; for the horizon was very hazy, so +that we could not see the moon till she had been half an hour above +the horizon; and at two hours twenty-two minutes after sunset, 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 40 +minutes high. + +The 31st of August, betimes in the morning, I went ashore with ten +or eleven men to search for water. We went armed with muskets and +cutlasses for our defence, expecting to see people there, and +carried also shovels and pickaxes to dig wells. When we came near +the shore we saw three tall, 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 her to 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 on the top of a small hill +about a quarter of a mile from us, with eight or nine men more in +their company. They, seeing us coming, ran away. When we came on +the top of the hill where they first stood, we saw a plain savannah, +about half a mile from us, farther in from the sea. There were +several things like hay-cocks standing in the savannah, which at a +distance we thought were houses, looking just like the Hottentots' +houses at the Cape of Good Hope: but we found them to be so many +rocks. We searched about these for water, but could find none, nor +any houses, nor people, for they were all gone. Then we turned +again to the place where we landed, and there we dug for water. + +While we were at work there came nine or ten of the natives to a +small hill 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 the rest followed at a distance. I went out to meet +him, and came within fifty yards of him, making to him all the signs +of peace and friendship I could, but then he ran away, neither would +they any of them stay for us to come nigh them, for we tried two or +three times. At last I took two men with me, and went in the +afternoon along by the sea-side, purposely to catch one of them, if +I could, of whom I might learn where they got their fresh water. +There were ten or twelve of the natives a little way off, who, +seeing us three going away from the rest of our men, followed us at +a distance. I thought they would follow us, but there being for +awhile 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. +They knew 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 what rencounter 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 them near, ran towards them; and they for some time +ran away before him, but he soon overtaking them, they faced about +and fought him. He had a cutlass and they had wooden lances, with +which, being many of them, they were too hard for him. When he +first ran towards them I chased two more that were by the shore; but +fearing how it might be with my young man, I turned back quickly and +went to the top of a sand-hill, whence I saw him near me, closely +engaged with them. Upon their seeing me, one of them threw a lance +at me, that narrowly missed me. I discharged my gun to scare them, +but avoided shooting any of them, till finding the young man in +great danger from them, and myself in some; and that though the gun +had a little frightened them at first, yet they had soon learnt to +despise it, tossing up their hands and crying, "pooh, pooh, pooh," +and coming on afresh with a great noise, I thought it high time to +charge again, 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 disengage himself and come off to me; my other man also was with +me, who had done nothing all this while, having come out unarmed, +and I returned back with my men, designing to attempt the natives no +farther, being very sorry for what had happened already. They took +up their wounded companion; and my young 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. His wound was very +painful to him, being made with a blunt weapon; but he soon +recovered of it. + +Among the New Hollanders, whom we were thus engaged with, there was +one who by his appearance and carriage, as well in the morning as +this afternoon, seemed to be the chief of them, and a kind of prince +or captain among them. He was a young brisk man, not very tall, nor +so personable as some of the rest, though more active and +courageous: he was painted (which none of the rest were at all) +with a circle of white paste or pigment (a sort of lime, as we +thought) about his eyes, and a white streak down his nose, from his +forehead to the tip of it: and his breast and some part of his arms +were also made white with the same paint; not for beauty or +ornament, one would think, but as some wild Indian warriors are said +to do, he seemed thereby to design the looking more terrible; this +his painting adding very much to his natural deformity; for they all +of them have the most unpleasant looks and the worst features of any +people 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 met with on this coast in my voyage round the world, for the place +I then touched at was not above forty or fifty leagues to the north- +east of this, and these were much the same blinking creatures (here +being also abundance of the same kind of flesh-flies teazing them,) +and with the same 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 +there were commonly three or four boughs stuck up to windward of +them; for the wind, (which is the sea-breeze), in the day-time blows +always one way with them, and the land-breeze is but small. By +their fire-places we should always find great heaps of fish-shells +of several sorts; and it is probable that these poor creatures here +lived chiefly on the shell-fish, as those I before described did on +small fish, which they caught in wires or holes in the sand at low +water. These gathered their shell-fish on the rocks at low water +but had no wires (that we saw), whereby to get any other sorts of +fish; as among the former I saw not any heaps of shells as here, +though I know they also gathered some shell-fish. The lances also +of those were such as these had; however, they being upon an island, +with their women and children, and all in our power, they did not +there use them against us, as here on the continent, where we saw +none but some of the men under head, who come out purposely to +observe us. We saw no houses at either place, and I believe they +have none, since the former people on the island had none, though +they had all their families with them. + +Upon returning to my men I saw that though they had dug eight or +nine feet deep, yet found no water. So I returned aboard that +evening, and the next day, being September 1st, I sent my boatswain +ashore to dig deeper, and sent the seine within him to catch fish. +While I stayed aboard I observed the flowing of the tide, which runs +very swift here, so that our nun-buoy would not bear above the water +to be seen. It flows here (as on that part of New Holland I +described formerly) about five fathom; and here the flood runs +south-east by south till the last quarter; 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 already done in +several places on this coast; on which in this voyage hitherto we +had found but little tides; but by the height, and strength, and +course of them hereabouts, it should seem that if there be such a +passage or strait going through eastward to the great South Sea, as +I said one might suspect, one would expect to find the mouth of it +somewhere between this place and Rosemary Island, which was the part +of New Holland I came last from. + +Next morning my men came aboard and brought a runlet of brackish +water which they had got out of another well that they dug in a +place a mile off, and about half as far from the shore; but this +water was not fit to drink. However, we all concluded that it would +serve to boil our oatmeal, for burgoo, whereby we might save the +remains of our other water for drinking, till we should get more: +and accordingly the next day we brought aboard four hogsheads of it: +but while we were at work about the well we were sadly pestered with +the flies, which were more troublesome to us than the sun, though it +shone clear and strong upon us all the while very hot. All this +while we saw no more of the natives, but saw some 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 +formerly described; 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 within land. At high water the tides rising so high as they +do, the coast shows very low: but when it is low water it seems to +be of an indifferent height. At low water-mark the shore is all +rocky, so that then there is no landing with a boat; but at high +water a boat may come in over those rocks to the sandy bay, which +runs all along on this coast. The land by the sea for about five or +six hundred yards is a dry sandy soil, bearing only shrubs and +bushes of divers sorts. Some of these had them at this time 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, in +each of which there were just ten small peas; I opened many of them, +and found no more nor less. There are also here some of that sort +of bean which 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 not their names, but have seen them used often in the +East Indies for weighing gold; and they make the same use of them at +Guinea, as I have heard, where the women also make bracelets with +them to wear about their arms. These grow on bushes; but here are +also a fruit like beans growing on a creeping sort of shrub-like +vine. There was great plenty of all these sorts of cod-fruit +growing on the sand-hills by the sea side, some of them green, some +ripe, and some fallen on the ground: but I could not perceive that +any of them had been gathered by the natives; and might not probably +be wholesome food. + +The land farther in, that is, lower than what borders on the sea, +was so much as we saw of it, very plain and even; partly savannahs +and partly woodland. The savannahs bear a sort of thin coarse +grass. The mould is also a coarser sand than that by the sea-side, +and in some places it is clay. 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, very remarkable; some red and some +white. The woodland lies farther in still, where there were divers +sorts of small trees, scarce any three feet in circumference, their +bodies twelve or fourteen feet high, with a head of small knibs or +boughs. By the sides of the creeks, especially nigh the sea, there +grow a few small black mangrove-trees. + +There are but few land animals. I saw some lizards; and my men saw +two or three beasts like hungry wolves, lean like so many skeletons, +being nothing but skin and bones; it is probable that it was the +foot of one of those beasts that I mentioned as seen by us in New +Holland. We saw a raccoon 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 small turtle doves, that are plump, fat, and very good +meat. Here are two or three sorts of smaller birds, some as big as +larks, some less; but not many 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 also a great many green turtle, but caught none, here being no +place to set a turtle net in; there being no channel for them, and +the tides running so strong. We saw some sharks and parracoots; and +with hooks and lines we caught some rock-fish and old-wives. Of +shell-fish, here were oysters both of the common kind for eating, +and of the pearl kind; and also whelks, conchs, muscles, limpits, +periwinkles, &c., and I gathered a few strange shells, chiefly a +sort not large, and thickset all about with rays or spikes growing +in rows. + +And thus having ranged about a considerable time upon this coast, +without finding 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 had little 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 +the island Timor to the eastward, towards New Guinea. It was the +20th before we got as far as Laphao, which is but forty leagues. We +saw black clouds in the north-west, and expected the wind from that +quarter above a month sooner. + +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 morning it fell calm, and continued so till noon, in which time +we drove with the current back again south-west six or seven +leagues. + +On the 22nd, steering to the eastward to get through between Omba +and Fetter, we met a very strong tide against us, so that although +we had a very fresh gale, we yet made way very slowly; but before +night got through. By a good observation we found that the south- +east point of Omba lies in latitude 8 degrees 25 minutes. In my +drafts it is laid down in 8 degrees 10 minutes. My true course from +Babao, is east 25 degrees north, distance one hundred eighty-three +miles. We sounded several times when near Omba, but had no ground. +On the north-east point of Omba we saw four or five men, and a +little further three pretty houses on a low point, 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 the +morning we caught a large shark, which gave all the ship's company a +plentiful meal. + +The 27th we saw the Burning Island; it lies in latitude 6 degrees 36 +minutes south; it is high, and but small; it runs from the sea a +little sloping towards the top, which is divided in the middle into +two peaks, between which issued out much smoke: I have not seen +more from any volcano. I saw no trees; but the north side appeared +green, and the rest looked 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, and distant about fifty leagues from the Burning Isle. I +fearing the wind might 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 myself twenty leagues short of the Turtle Isles. + +The next morning, being in the latitude of the Turtle Islands, we +looked out sharp for them, but saw no appearance of any island till +eleven o'clock, when we saw an island at a great distance. At first +we supposed it 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 the Lucca-Parros, which last I took to be a great help to +guide me, they being laid down very well from the Burning Isle, and +that likewise in true latitude and distance from Omba, so that I +could not tell what to think of the island now in sight, we having +had fair weather, so that we could not pass by the Turtle Isles +without seeing them, and this in sight was much too far off for +them. We found variation 1 degrees 2 minutes east. In the +afternoon I steered north-east by east for the islands that we saw. +At two o'clock I went and looked over the fore-yard, and saw two +islands at much greater distance than the Turtle Islands are laid +down in my drafts, one of them was a very high peaked mountain, +cleft at top, and much 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 that these were not the Turtle Islands, and that +they could be no other than the Bande Isles, yet we steered in to +make them plainer. At three o'clock we discovered another small +flat island to the north-west of the others, and saw a great deal of +smoke rise from the top of the high island. At four we saw other +small islands, by which I was now assured that these were the Bande +Isles there. At five I altered my course and steered east, and at +eight east-south-east, because I would not be seen by the +inhabitants of those islands in the morning. We had little wind all +night, and in the morning, as soon as it was light we saw another +high peaked island; at eight it bore south-south-east half-east, +distance eight leagues: and this I knew to be Bird Isle. It is +laid down in our drafts in latitude 5 degrees 9 minutes south, which +is too far southerly by twenty-seven miles, according to our +observation, and the like error in laying down the Turtle Islands +might be the occasion of our missing them. + +At night I shortened sail, for fear of coming too nigh some islands, +that stretch away bending like a half moon from Ceram towards Timor, +and which in my course I must of necessity pass through. The next +morning betimes I saw them, and found them to be at a farther +distance from Bird Island than I expected. In the afternoon it fell +quite calm, and when we had a little wind, it was so unconstant, +flying from one point to another, that I could not without +difficulty get through the islands where I designed; besides, I +found a current setting to the southward, so that it was betwixt +five and six in the evening before I passed through the islands, and +then just weathered little Watela, whereas I thought to have been +two or three leagues more northerly. We saw the day before, betwixt +two and three, a spout but a small distance from us, it fell down +out of a black cloud, that yielded great store of rain, thunder and +lightning; this cloud hovered to the southward of us for the space +of three hours, and then drew to the westward a great pace, at which +time it was that we saw the spout, which hung fast to the cloud till +it broke, and then the cloud whirled about to the south-east, then +to east-north-east, where meeting with an island, it spent itself +and so dispersed, and immediately we had a little of the tail of it, +having had none before. Afterwards we saw a smoke on the island +Kosiway, which continued till night. + +On New Year's Day we first descried the land of New Guinea, which +appeared to be high land, and the next day we saw several high +islands on the coast of New Guinea, and ran in with the main land. +The shore here lies 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 four mountainous islands, and in the night +had a small tornado, which brought with 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, commonly clear weather, +though, if in sight of land, we usually saw many black clouds +hovering about it. + +On the 5th and 6th of January we plied to get in with the land, +designing to 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 setting against 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 land seen bore east-by- +south half-south, distance three leagues, and the westernmost west- +south-west half-south, distance two leagues. So soon as we +anchored, we sent the pinnace to look for water and try if they +could catch any fish. Afterwards we sent the yawl another way to +see for water. Before night the pinnace brought on board several +sorts of fruits that they found in the woods, such as I never saw +before. One of my men killed a stately land-fowl, as big as the +largest dunghill cock; it was of a sky-colour, only in the middle of +the wings was a white spot, about which were some reddish spots; on +the crown it had a large bunch of long feathers, which appeared very +pretty; his bill was like pigeon's; he had strong 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 large hen's egg, for +our men climbed the tree where it nested, and brought off one 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 yawl +came aboard and brought a wooden fish-spear, very ingeniously made, +the matter of it was a small cane; they found it by a small +barbecue, where they also saw a shattered canoe. + +The next morning I sent the boatswain ashore fishing, and at one +haul he caught three hundred and fifty-two mackerel, and about +twenty other fishes, which I caused to be equally divided among all +my company. I sent also the gunner and chief mate to search about +if they could find convenient anchoring near a watering-place; by +night they brought word that they had found a fine stream of good +water, where the boat could come close to, and it was very easy to +be filled, and that the ship might anchor 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 that night, 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 +my casks were full. + +Having filled here about fifteen tuns of water, seeing we could +catch but little 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 to hasten it, at some distance from the place where +our men were, I found a small cove, where I saw two barbecues, which +appeared not to be above two months' 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, a little after twelve +o'clock, we weighed and stood over to the north side of 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 named +from its many white cliffs, having no name in our drafts. It is +about a league long, pretty high, and very woody; it is about five +miles from the main, only at the west end it reaches within three +miles of it. At some distance off at sea the west point appears +like a cape-land, the north side trends away north-north-west, and +the east side east-south-east. This island lies in latitude 3 +degrees 4 minutes south, and the meridian distance from Babao five +hundred and twelve miles east. After we were out to sea, we plied +to get to the northward, but met with such a strong current against +us, that we got but little, for if the wind favoured us in the +night, that we got three or four leagues, we lost it again, and were +driven as far astern next morning, so that we plied here several +days. + +The 14th, being past a point of land that we had been three days +getting about, 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 had several soundings: at three o'clock thirty-eight +fathom, the nearest part of 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 we found our water +shallower; we had then some islands to the westward of us, at about +four leagues' distance. + +A little after noon we saw smoke on the islands to the west of us, +and having a fine gale of wind, I steered away for them. At seven +o'clock in the evening we anchored in thirty-five fathom, about two +leagues from an island, good soft oozy ground. We lay still all +night, and saw fires ashore. In the morning we weighed again, and +ran farther in, thinking to have shallower water; but we ran within +a mile of the shore, and came to in thirty-eight fathom good soft +holding ground. While we were under sail two canoes came off within +call of us. They spoke to us, but we did not understand their +language nor signs. We waved to them to come aboard, and I called +to them in the Malayan language to do the same, but they would not. +Yet they came so nigh us that we could show them such things as we +had to truck with them; yet neither would this entice them to come +on board, but they made signs for us to come ashore, and away they +went. Then I went after them in my pinnace, carrying with me +knives, beads, glasses, hatchets, &c. When we came near the shore, +I called to them in the Malayan language. I saw but two men at +first, the rest lying in ambush behind the bushes; but as soon as I +threw ashore some knives and other toys, they came out, flung down +their weapons, and came into the water by the boat's side, making +signs of friendship by pouring water on their heads with one hand, +which they dipped into the sea. 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 is of a good height, so as to be seen eleven or twelve +leagues; it is very rocky, yet above the rocks there is good yellow +and black mould, not deep, yet producing plenty of good tall trees, +and bearing any fruits or roots which the inhabitants plant. I do +not know all its produce, but what we saw were plantains, cocoa- +nuts, pine-apples, oranges, papaes, potatoes, and other large roots. +Here are also another sort of wild jacas, 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 the swampy +valleys, of which they make sago cakes. I did not see them make +any, but was told by the inhabitants that it was made of the pith of +the tree, 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 of the cakes. I bought also three or four +nutmegs in their shell, which did not seem to have been long +gathered; but whether they be the growth of this island or not, the +natives would not tell whence they had them, and seem 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-white crab-catchers; the +land-fowl are pigeons, about the bigness of mountain-pigeons in +Jamaica, and crows about the bigness of those in England, and much +like them, but the inner part of their feathers are white, and the +outside black, so that they appear all black, unless you extend the +feathers. Here are large sky-coloured birds, such as we lately +killed on New Guinea, and many other small birds, unknown to us. +Here are likewise abundance of bats, as big as young coneys, their +necks, head, ears, and noses like foxes, their hair rough, that +about their necks is of a whitish yellow, that on their heads and +shoulders black, their wings are four feet over from tip to tip; +they smell like foxes. The fish are bass, 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 it is deep water till +within less than a mile of the shore, then there is a bank 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 +meridian distance from port Babo, on the island Timor, four hundred +and eighty-six miles: besides this island, here are nine or ten +other small islands. + +The inhabitants of this island are a sort of very tawny Indians, +with long black hair, who in their manners differ but little from +the Mindanayans, and others of these eastern islands. These seem to +be the chief; 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 are very poor, wear no clothes but have a clout about +their middle, made of the rinds of the tops of palmetto trees; but +the women had a sort of calico cloth. Their chief ornaments are +blue and yellow beads, worn about 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 a very ingenious way +of making the fish rise; for they have a piece of wood curiously +carved, and painted much like a dolphin (and perhaps other figures); +these they let down into the water by a line with a small weight to +sink it; when they think it low enough, they haul the line into +their boats very fast, and the fish rise up after this figure, and +they stand ready to strike them when they are near the surface of +the water. But their chief livelihood is from their plantations; +yet they have large boats, and go over to New Guinea, where they get +slaves, fine parrots, &c, which they carry to Goram and exchange for +calicoes. One boat came from thence a little before I arrived here, +of whom I bought some parrots, and would have bought a slave but +they would not barter for anything but calicoes, which I had not. +Their houses on this side were very small, and seemed only to be for +necessity; but on the other side of the island we saw good large +houses. Their prows are narrow, with outriggers on each side, like +other Malayans. I cannot tell of what religion these are; but I +think they are not Mahometans, by their drinking brandy out of the +same cup with us without any scruple. At this island we continued +till the 20th instant, having laid in store of such roots and fruits +as the island afforded. + +On the 20th, at half an hour after six in the morning, I weighed, +and standing out we saw a large boat full of men lying at the north +point of the island. As we passed by, they rowed towards their +habitations, where we supposed they had withdrawn themselves for +fear of us, though we gave them 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-two fathom. I went about and stood to the westward till two +next morning then tacked again, and had these several soundings: at +eight in the evening, twenty-two; at ten, twenty-five; at eleven, +twenty-seven; at twelve, 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 +without any remarkable occurrence till the 4th of February, when we +got within three leagues of the north-west cape of New Guinea, +called by the Dutch Cape Mabo. Off this cape there lies a small +woody island, and many islands of different sizes to the north and +north-east of it. This part of New Guinea is high land, adorned +with tall trees, that appeared very green and flourishing. The cape +itself is not very high, but ends in a low sharp point, and on +either side there appears another such point at equal distances, +which makes it resemble a diamond. This only appears when you are +abreast of the middle point, and then you have no ground within +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, but had no ground with fifty fathom of line: however, +fearing to stand nearer in the dark, we tacked and stood to the east +and plied all night. The next morning we were got five or six +leagues to the eastward of that island, and, having the wind +easterly, we stood in to the northward among the 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. We tacked +before the boat came aboard again, for fear of a shoal that was +about a mile to the east of that island the boat went to, from +whence also a shoal-point stretched out itself till it met the +other: they brought with them such a cockle as I have mentioned in +my "Voyage Round the World" found near Celebes, and they saw many +more, some bigger than that which they brought aboard, as they said, +and for this reason I named it Cockle Island. I sent them to sound +again, ordering them to fire a musket if they found good anchoring; +we were then standing to the southward, with a fine breeze. As soon +as they fired, I tacked and stood in; 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 islands and shoals to +leeward of us. The breeze increased, and I thought we were out 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. +We had a strong tide setting to the westward. + +At one o'clock, being past the shoal, and finding the tide setting +to the westward, I anchored in thirty-five fathom coarse sand, with +small coral and shells. Being nearest to Cockle Island, I +immediately sent both the boats thither, one to cut wood, and the +other to fish. At four in the afternoon, having a small breeze at +south-south-west, I made a sign for my boats to come on board. They +brought some wood, and a few small cockles, none of them exceeding +ten pounds' weight, whereas the shell of the great one weighed +seventy-eight pounds; but it was now high water, and therefore they +could get no bigger. They also brought on board some pigeons, of +which we found plenty on all the islands where we touched in these +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, +we weighed 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 of the place where we weighed. We stood to and fro till +eleven; and finding that 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 +leagues from us. Here I found the greatest number of pigeons that +ever I saw either in the East or West Indies, and small cockles in +the sea round the island in such quantities that we might have laden +the boat in an hour's time. These were not above ten or twelve +pounds' weight. We cut some wood, and brought off cockles enough +for all the ship's company; but having no small shot, we could kill +no pigeons. I returned about four o'clock, and then my gunner and +both mates went thither, and in less than three-quarters of an hour +they killed and brought off ten pigeons. Here is a tide: the flood +sets west and the ebb east, but the latter is very faint and but of +small continuance, and so we found it ever since we came from Timer: +the winds we found easterly, between north-east and east-south-east, +so that if these continue, it is impossible to beat farther to the +eastward on this coast against wind and current. These easterly +winds increased from the time we were in the latitude of about 2 +degrees 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 the coast lies east and west, I find the trade-wind +here at east, which yet in higher latitudes is usually at north- +north-west and north-west; and so I 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, and +stayed till noon. In the afternoon my men returned, brought twenty- +two pigeons, and many cockles, some very large, some small: they +also brought one empty shell, that weighed two hundred and fifty- +eight pounds. + +At four o'clock we weighed, having a small westerly wind and a tide +with us; at seven in the evening we anchored in forty-two fathom, +near King William's Island, where I went ashore the next morning, +drank His Majesty's health, and honoured it with his name. It is +about two leagues and a half in length, very high and +extraordinarily well clothed with woods; the trees are of divers +sorts, most unknown to us, but all very green and flourishing; many +of them had flowers, some white, some purple, others yellow: all +which smelt very fragrantly: the trees are generally tall and +straight bodied, and may be fit for any use. I saw one of a clean +body, without knot or limb, sixty or seventy feet high by +estimation; it was three of my fathoms about, and kept its bigness, +without any sensible decrease, even to the top. The mould of the +island is black, but not deep, it being very rocky. On the sides +and top of the island are many palmetto trees, whose heads we could +discern over all the other trees, but their bodies we could not see. + +About one in the afternoon we weighed and stood to the eastward, +between the main and King William's Island, leaving the island on +our larboard side, and sounding till we were past the island, and +then we had no ground. 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 whirlings in the water; yet we did not +find the tide to set strong any way, nor the water to rise much. + +On the 9th, being to the eastward of King William's Island, we plied +all day between the main and other islands, having easterly winds +and fair weather till seven the next morning; then we had very hard +rain till eight, and saw many shoals of fish. We lay becalmed off a +pretty deep bay on New Guinea, about twelve or fourteen leagues +wide, and seven or eight leagues deep, having low land near its +bottom, but high land without. The easternmost part of New Guinea +seen bore east-by-south, distant twelve leagues; Cape Mabo west- +south-west half-south, distant seven leagues. + +At one in the afternoon it began to rain, and continued till six in +the evening, so that, having but little wind and most calms, we lay +still off the forementioned bay, having King William's Island still +in sight, though distant by judgment fifteen or sixteen leagues +west. We saw many shoals of small fish, some sharks, and seven or +eight dolphins, but caught none. In the afternoon, being about four +leagues from the shore, we saw an opening in the land, which seemed +to afford good harbour. In the evening we saw a large fire there, +and I intended to go in (if winds and weather would permit) to get +some acquaintance with the natives. + +Since the 4th instant that we passed Cape Mabo, to the 12th, we had +small easterly winds and calms, so that we anchored several times, +where I made my men cut wood, that we might have a good stock when a +westerly wind should present, and so we plied to the eastward, as +winds and currents would permit, having not got in all above thirty +leagues to the eastward of Cape Mabo; but on the 12th, at four in +the afternoon, a small gale sprang up at north-east-by-north, with +rain; at five it shuffled about to north-west, from thence to the +south-west, and continued between those two points a pretty brisk +gale, so that we made sail and steered away north-east, till the +13th, in the morning, to get about the Cape of Good Hope. 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 off +shore, we steered away east, the shore trending east-by-south. We +had very much rain all night, so that we could not carry much sail, +yet we had 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, in so short a time. We were now about six +leagues from the land of New Guinea, which appeared very high; and +we saw two headlands about twenty leagues asunder, the one to the +east and the other to the west, which last 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 +very brisk gale at north-west, and looked very black in the south- +west. At two 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, we steered east-half-north for fear of coming +near the land. Presently after, 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 presently sounded, and had but ten fathom, +soft ground. The master, being somewhat scared, came running in +haste with this news, and said it was best to anchor. I told him +no, but sound again; then we had twelve fathom; the next cast, +thirteen and a half; the fourth, seventeen fathom; and then no +ground with fifty fathom line. However, we kept off the island, and +did not go so fast but that we could see any other danger before we +came nigh it; for here might have been more islands not laid down in +my drafts besides this, for I searched all the drafts I had, if +perchance I might find any island in the one which was not in the +others, but I could find none near us. When it was day we were +about five leagues off the land we saw; but, I believe, not above +five miles, or at most two leagues, off it when we first saw it in +the night. + +This is a small island, but pretty high; I named it Providence. +About five leagues to the southward of this there is another island, +which is called William Scouten's Island, and laid down in our +drafts: it is a high island, and about twenty leagues big. + +It was by mere providence that we missed the small island; for, had +not the 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, if we could not have seen it. This morning we saw +many great trees and logs swim by us, which, it is probable, came +out of some great rivers on the main. + +On the 16th we crossed the line, and found variation 6 degrees 26 +minutes east. The 18th, by my observation at noon, we found that we +had had a current setting to the southward, and probably that drew +us in so nigh Scouten's Island. For this twenty-four hours we +steered east-by-north with 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 +the true trade monsoon, it being now near the full moon. I did +expect it here, as in all other places. We had variation 8 degrees +45 minutes east. The 22nd we found but little current, if any; it +set to the southward. + +On the 23rd, in the afternoon, we saw two snakes, and the next +morning another passing by us, which was furiously assaulted by two +fishes, that had kept us company five or six days; they were shaped +like mackerel, and were about that bigness and length, and of a +yellow-greenish colour. The snake swam away from them very fast, +keeping his head above water; the fish snapped at his tail, but when +he turned himself, that fish would withdraw, and another would snap, +so that by turns they kept him employed, yet he still defended +himself, and swam away a great pace, till they were out of sight. + +The 25th, betimes in the morning, we saw an island to the southward +of us, 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 +under Matthias Isle; but the next morning, seeing another island +about seven or eight leagues to the eastward of it, we steered away +for it. At noon we came up fair with its south-west end, intending +to run along by it and anchor on the south-east side, but the +tornadoes came in so thick and hard 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 be large and tall, as thick +as they could stand one by another. It is about two or three +leagues long, and at the south-west point there is another small, +low, woody island, about a mile round, and about a mile from the +other. Between them there runs a reef of rocks which joins them. +(The biggest I named Squally Island.) + +Seeing we could not anchor here, I stood away to the southward, to +make the main; but having many hard squalls and tornadoes, we were +often forced to hand all our sails and steer more easterly to go +before it. On the 26th at four o'clock it cleared up to a hard sky +and a brisk settled gale; then we made as much sail as we could. At +five it cleared up over the land, and we saw, as we thought, Cape +Solomaswer bearing south-south-east, distance ten leagues. We had +many great logs and trees swimming by us all this afternoon, and +much grass; we steered in south-south-east till six, then the wind +slackened, and we stood off till seven, having little wind; then we +lay by till ten, at which time we made sail, and steered 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 the land +lay, being fair in sight of it, and not above seven leagues' +distance. We passed by many small low woody islands which lay +between us and the main, not laid down in our drafts. We found +variation 9 degrees 50 minutes east. + +The 28th we had many violent tornadoes, wind, rain, and some spouts, +and in the tornadoes the wind shifted. In the night we had fair +weather, but more lightning than we had seen at any time this +voyage. This morning we left a large high island on our larboard +side, called in the Dutch drafts Wishart's Isle, about six leagues +from the main; and, seeing many smokes upon 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 and patches of clear land, which, together with the +smoke we saw, were certain signs of its being well inhabited; and I +was desirous to have some commerce with the inhabitants. Being nigh +shore, we saw first one proa; a little after, two or three more, and +at last a great many boats came from all the adjacent bays. When +they were forty-six in number they approached so near us that we +could see each other's signs and hear each other speak, though we +could not understand them, nor they us. They made signs for us to +go in towards the shore, pointing that way. It was squally weather, +which at first made me cautious of going too near; but the weather +beginning to look pretty well, I endeavoured to get into a bay ahead +of us, which we could have got into well enough at first; but while +we lay by, we were driven so far to leeward that now it was more +difficult to get in. The natives lay in their proas round us; to +whom I showed beads, knives, glasses, to allure them to come nearer. +But they would not come so nigh as to receive anything from us; +therefore I threw out some things to them, viz., a knife fastened to +a piece of board, and a glass bottle corked up with some beads in +it, which they took up, and seemed well pleased. They often struck +their left breast with their right 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; but when 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 mouth of the bay, and +sounded several times, but had no ground, though within a mile 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 anchorage +there, so I thought it not prudent to run in at this time, it being +near night, and seeing a black tornado rising in the west, which I +most feared. Besides, we had near two hundred men in proas close by +us; and the 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. What weapons they had, we knew not, nor yet their design; +therefore I had, at their first coming near us, got up all our small +arms, and made several put on cartouch boxes, to prevent treachery. +At last I resolved to go out again; which, when the natives in their +proas perceived, they began to fling stones at us as fast as they +could, being provided with engines for that purpose, wherefore I +named this place Slinger's Bay; but at the firing of one gun they +were all amazed, drew off, and flung no more stones. They got +together, as if consulting what to do; for they did not make in +towards the shore, but lay still, though some of them were killed or +wounded; and many more of them had paid for their boldness, but that +I was unwilling to cut off any of them, which, if I had done, I +could not hope afterwards to bring them to treat with me. + +The next day we sailed close by an island, where we saw many smokes, +and men in the bays, out of which came two or three canoes, taking +much pains to overtake us, but they could not, though we went with +an easy sail, and I could not now stay for them. As I passed by the +south-east point I sounded 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 a large, deep bay, secured from west- +north-west and south-west winds. There were two other islands that +lay to the north-east of it, which secured the bay from north-east +winds; one was but small, yet woody; the other was a league long, +inhabited, and full of cocoa-nut trees. I endeavoured to get into +this bay, but there came such flaws off from the high land over it +that I could not. Besides, we had many hard squalls, which deterred +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 get +anchorage on the east side of it. When we came there we found the +island so narrow, that there could be no shelter; therefore I tacked +and stood towards the greater island again; and being more than +midway between both, I lay by, designing to endeavour for anchorage +next morning. Between seven and eight at night we spied a canoe +close by us, and seeing no more, suffered her to come aboard. She +had three men in her, who brought off five cocoa-nuts, for which I +gave each of them a knife and a string of beads, to encourage them +to come off again in the morning: but before these went away we saw +two more canoes coming; therefore we stood away to the northward +from them, and then lay by again till day. We saw no more boats +this night, neither designed to suffer any to come aboard in the +dark. + +By nine o'clock the next morning we were got within a league of the +great island, but were kept off by violent gusts of wind. These +squalls gave us 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 expect them speedily. + +On the 3rd of March, being about five leagues to leeward of the +great island, we saw the mainland ahead, and another great high +island to leeward of us, distant about seven leagues, which we bore +away for. It is called in the Dutch drafts Garret Dennis Isle. It +is about fourteen or fifteen leagues round, high and mountainous, +and very woody. Some trees appeared very large and tall, and the +bays by the seaside are well stared with cocoa-nut trees, where we +also saw some small houses. The sides of the mountains are thick- +set with plantations, and the mould in the new-cleared land seemed +to be of a brown-reddish colour. This island is of no regular +figure, but is full of points shooting forth into the sea, between +which are many sandy bays, full of cocoa-nut trees. The middle of +the isle lies in 3 degrees 10 minutes south latitude. It is very +populous. The natives are very black, strong, and well-limbed +people, having great round heads, their hair naturally curled and +short, which they shave into several forms, and dye it also of +divers colours--viz., red, white, and yellow. They have broad round +faces, with great bottle-noses, yet agreeable enough till they +disfigure them by painting, and by wearing great things through +their noses as big as a man's thumb, and about four inches long. +These are run clear through both nostrils, one end coming out by one +cheek-bone, and the other end against the other; and their noses so +stretched that only a small slip of them appears about the ornament. +They have also great holes in their ears, wherein they wear such +stuff as in their noses. They are very dexterous, active fellows in +their proas, which are very ingeniously built. They are narrow and +long, with outriggers on one side, the head and stern higher than +the rest, and carved into many devices--viz., some fowl, fish, or a +man's head painted or carved; and though it is but rudely done, yet +the resemblance appears plainly, and shows an ingenious fancy. But +with what instruments they make their proas or carved work I know +not, for they seem to be utterly ignorant of iron. They have very +neat paddles, with which they manage their proas dexterously, and +make great way through the water. Their weapons are chiefly lances, +swords and slings, and some bows and arrows. They have also wooden +fish-spears for striking fish. Those that came to assault us in +Slinger's Bay on the main are in all respects like these, and I +believe these are alike treacherous. Their speech is clear and +distinct. The words they used most when near us were vacousee +allamais, and then they pointed to the shore. Their signs of +friendship are either a great truncheon, or bough of a tree full of +leaves, put on their heads, often striking their heads with 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 +plantations upon the sides of the hills; and in the bays, by the +waterside, are abundance of cocoa-nut trees. It lies in the +latitude of 3 degrees 25 minutes south, and meridian distance from +Cape Mabo 1,316 miles. On the south-east part of it are three or +four other small woody islands, one high and peaked, the others low +and flat, all bedecked with cocoa-nut trees and other wood. On the +north there is another island of an indifferent height and of a +somewhat larger circumference than the great high island last +mentioned. We passed between this and the high island. The high +island is called in the Dutch drafts Anthony Cave's Island. As for +the flat, low island, and the other small one, it is probable they +were never seen by the Dutch, nor the islands to the north of Garret +Dennis's Island. As soon as we came near Cave's Island some canoes +came about us, and made signs for us to come ashore, as all the rest +had done before, probably thinking we could run the ship aground +anywhere, as they did 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 well shaped. We endeavoured to +anchor, but found no ground within a mile of the shore. We kept +close along the north side, still sounding till we came to the +north-east end, but found no ground, the canoes still accompanying +us, and the bays were covered with men going along as we sailed. +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 +the north-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 the natives came on board. I gave each of them a knife, a +looking-glass, and a string of beads. I showed them pumpkins and +cocoa-nut shells, and made signs to them to bring some aboard, and +had presently three cocoa-nuts out of one of the canoes. I showed +them nutmegs, and by their signs I guessed they had some on the +island. I also showed them some gold dust, which they seemed to +know, and called out "Manneel, Manneel," and pointed towards the +land. A while after these men were gone, two or three canoes came +from the flat island, and by signs invited us to their island, at +which 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 off to 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 in their noses, and paint as the +others, but not much. They make the same signs of friendship, and +their language seems to be one; but the others had proas, and these +canoes. On the sides of some of these we saw the figures of several +fish neatly cut, and these last were not so shy as the others. + +Steering away from Cave's Island south-south-east, we found a strong +current against us, which set only in some places in streams, and in +them we saw many trees and logs of wood, which drove by us. We had +but little wood aboard; wherefore I hoisted out the pinnace, and +sent her to take up some of this drift-wood. In a little time she +came aboard with a great tree in tow, which we could hardly hoist in +with all our tackles. We cut up the tree and split it for firewood. +It was much worm-eaten, and had in it some live worms above an inch +long, and about the bigness of a goose-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 the sides of the hills, and abundance of cocoa-nut +trees about them, as also thick groves on the bays by the seaside. +As we came near it three canoes came off to us, but would not come +aboard. They were such as we had seen about the other islands. +They spoke the same language, and made the same signs 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-east point, and then, seeing no more islands to the eastward +of us, nor any likelihood of anchoring under this, I steered away +for the main of New Guinea, we being now, as I supposed, to the east +of it, on this north side. My design of seeing these islands as I +passed along was to get wood and water, but could find no anchor +ground, and therefore could not do as I purposed; besides, these +islands are all so populous, that I dared not send my boat ashore, +unless I could have anchored pretty nigh; wherefore I rather chose +to prosecute my design on the main, the season of the year being now +at hand, for I judged the westerly winds were nigh spent. + +On the 8th of March we saw some smoke on the main, being distant +from it four or five leagues. It is very high, woody land, with +some spots of savannah. 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, with short curled hair, having the same +ornaments in their noses, and their heads so shaved and painted, and +speaking the same words as the inhabitants of Cave's Island before +mentioned. + +There was a headland to the southward of us, beyond which, seeing no +land, I supposed that from thence the land trends away more +westerly. This headland lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 2 minutes +south, and meridian distance from Cape Mabo 1,290 miles. In the +night we lay by, for fear of overshooting this headland, between +which and Cape St. Manes the land is high, mountainous and woody, +having many points of land shooting out into the sea, which make so +many fine bays; the coast lies north-north-east and south-south- +west. + +The 9th, in the morning a huge black man came off to us in a canoe, +but would not come aboard. He made the same signs of friendship to +us as the rest we had met with; yet seemed to differ in his +language, not using any of those words which the others did. We saw +neither smoke nor plantations near this headland. We found here +variation 1 degree east. + +In the afternoon, as we plied near the shore, three canoes came off +to us; one had four men in her, the others two apiece. That with +the four men 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 pointed to the place where they would have us go, +and so went away. We saw a small round pretty high island about a +league to the north of this headland, within which there was a large +deep bay, whither the canoes went; and we strove to get thither +before night, but could not; wherefore we 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, still more land +bearing south-west-by-south, distance twelve or fourteen leagues, +but being clouded, it disappeared, and we thought we had been +deceived. Before night we opened the headland fair, and I named it +Cape St. George. The land from hence trends away west-north-west +about ten leagues, which is as far as we could see it; and the land +that we saw to the westward of it in the evening, which bore west- +by-south-half-south, was another point about ten leagues from Cape +St. George; between which there runs in a deep bay for twenty +leagues or more. We saw some high land in spots like islands, down +in that bay at a great distance; but whether they are islands, or +the main closing there we know not. The next morning we saw other +land to the south-east of the westernmost point, which till then was +clouded; it was very high land, and the same that 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 meridian distance +from Cape Mabo 1,290 miles. The island off this cape I called St. +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 ten +leagues.] On the 10th, in the evening, we got within a league of +the westernmost land seen, which is pretty high and very woody, but +no appearance of anchoring. I stood off again, designing, if +possible, to ply 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 we discerned a small fire right against us. The +next morning we saw a burning 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 took up a log of driftwood, and +split it for firing; in which we found some small fish. + +The day after we passed by the south-west cape of this bay, leaving +it to the north of us. When we were abreast of it I called my +officers together, and named it Cape Orford, in honour of my noble +patron, drinking his Lordship's health. This cape bears from Cape +St. George south-west about eighteen leagues. Between them there is +a bay about twenty-five leagues deep, having pretty high land all +round it, especially near the capes, though they themselves are not +high. Cape Orford lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 24 minutes +south, by my observation; and meridian distance from Cape St. +George, forty-four miles west. 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 9 degrees west, allowing the +variation, which is here 9 degrees east. The land on each side of +the cape is more savannah than woodland, and is highest on the +north-west side. The cape itself is a bluff-point, of an +indifferent height, with a flat tableland at top. When we were to +the south-west of the cape, it appeared to be a low point shooting +out, which you cannot see when abreast of it. This morning we +struck a log of driftwood with our turtle-irons, hoisted it in, and +split it for firewood. Afterwards we struck another, but could not +get it in. There were many fish about it. + +We steered along south-west as the land lies, keeping about six +leagues off the shore; and, being desirous to cut wood and fill +water, if I saw any conveniency, I lay by in the night, because I +would not miss any place proper for those ends, for fear of wanting +such necessaries as we could not live without. This coast is high +and mountainous, and not so thick with trees as that on the other +side of Cape Orford. + +On the 14th, seeing a pretty deep bay ahead, and some islands where +I thought we might ride secure, we ran in towards the shore and saw +some smoke. At ten o'clock we saw a point which shot out pretty +well into the sea, with a bay within it, which promised fair for +water; and we stood in with a moderate gale. Being got into the bay +within the point, we saw many cocoa-nut-trees, plantations, and +houses. When I came within four or five miles of the shore, six +small boats came off to view us, with about 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 shot over +their heads out of my fowling-piece, and then they pulled away for +the shore as hard as they could. These were no sooner ashore, than +we saw three boats coming from the islands to leeward of us, and +they soon came within call, for we lay becalmed. One of the boats +had about forty men in her, and was a large, well-built boat; the +other two were but small. Not long after, I saw another boat coming +out of the bay where I intended to go; she likewise was a large +boat, with a high head and stern painted, and full of men. This I +thought came off to fight us, as it is probable they all did; +therefore I fired another small shot over the great boat that was +nigh us, which made them leave their babbling and take to their +paddles. We still lay becalmed; and therefore they, rowing wide of +us, directed their course towards the other great boat that was +coming off. When they were pretty near each other I caused the +gunner to fire a gun between them, which he did very dexterously; it +was loaded with round and partridge shot; the last dropped in the +water somewhat short of them, but the round shot went between both +boats, and grazed about one hundred yards beyond them. This so +affrighted them that they both rowed away for the shore as fast as +they could, without coming near each 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 bay after them. When +we came by the point, I saw a great number of men peeping from under +the rocks: I ordered a shot to be fired close by, to scare them. +The shot grazed between us and the point, and, mounting again, flew +over the point, and grazed a second time just by them. We were +obliged to sail along close by the bays; and, seeing multitudes +sitting under the trees, I ordered a third gun to be fired among the +cocoa-nut-trees to scare them; for my business being to wood and +water, I thought it necessary to strike some terror into the +inhabitants, who were very 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, and came to anchor about a quarter of +a mile from the shore, in twenty-six fathom water, fine black sand +and ooze. We rode right against the mouth of a small river, where I +hoped to find fresh water. Some of the natives standing on a small +point at the river's mouth, I sent a small shot over their heads to +frighten them, which it did effectually. In the afternoon I sent my +boat ashore to the natives who stood upon the point by the river's +mouth with a present of cocoa-nuts; when the boat was come near the +shore, they came running into the water, and put their nuts into the +boat. Then I made a signal for the boat to come aboard, and sent +both it and the yawl into the river to look for fresh water, +ordering the pinnace to lie near the river's mouth, while the yawl +went up to search. In an hour'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 I sent them again with casks, +ordering one of them to fill water, and the other to watch the +motions of the natives, lest they should make any opposition. But +they did not, and so the boats returned a little before sunset with +a tun and a half of water; and the next day by noon brought aboard +about six tuns of water. + +I sent ashore commodities to purchase hogs, &c. being informed that +the natives have plenty of them, as also of yams and other good +roots; but my men returned without getting anything that I sent them +for, the natives being unwilling to trade with us. Yet they admired +our hatchets and axes, but would part with nothing but cocoa-nuts, +which they used to climb the trees for; and so soon as they gave +them our men, they beckoned to them to be gone, for they were much +afraid of us. + +The 18th I sent both boats again for water, and before noon they had +filled all my casks. In the afternoon I sent them both to cut wood; +but seeing about forty natives standing on the bay at a small +distance from our 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 passing that way, but were afraid to come nigh them. +At four o'clock I sent both the boats again for more wood, and they +returned in the evening. Then I called my officers to consult +whether it were convenient to stay here longer, and endeavour a +better acquaintance with these people, or go to sea. My design of +tarrying here longer was, if possible, to get some hogs, goats, +yams, or other roots, as also to get some knowledge of the country +and its product. My officers unanimously gave their opinions for +staying longer here. So the next day I sent both boats ashore +again, to fish and to cut more wood. While they were ashore about +thirty or forty men and women passed by them; they were a little +afraid of our people at first, but upon their making signs of +friendship, they passed by quietly, the men finely bedecked with +feathers of divers colours about their heads, and lances in their +hands; the women had no ornament about them, nor anything to cover +their nakedness but a bunch of small green boughs before and behind, +stuck under a string which came round their waists. They carried +large baskets on their heads, full of yams. And this I have +observed amongst all the wild natives I have known, that they make +their women carry the burdens while the men walk before, without any +other load than their arms and ornaments. At noon our men came +aboard with the wood they had cut, and had caught but six fishes at +four or five hauls of the seine, though we saw abundance of fish +leaping in the bay all the day long. + +In the afternoon I sent the boats ashore for more wood; and some of +our men went to the natives' houses, and found they were now more +shy than they used to be, had taken down all the cocoa-nuts from the +trees, and driven away their hogs. Our people made signs to them to +know what was become of their hogs, &e. The natives pointing to +some houses in the bottom of the bay, and imitating the noise of +those creatures, seemed to intimate that there were both hogs and +goats of several sizes, which they expressed by holding their hands +abroad at several distances from the ground. + +At night our boats came aboard with wood, and the next morning I +went myself with both boats up the river to the watering-place, +carrying with me all such trifles and iron-work as I thought most +proper to induce them to a commerce with us; but I found them very +shy and roguish. I saw but two men and a boy. One of the men, by +some signs, was persuaded to come to the boat's side, where I was; +to him I gave a knife, a string of beads, and a glass bottle. The +fellow called out, "Cocos, cocos," pointing to a village hard by, +and signified to us that he would go for some; but he never returned +to us: and thus they had frequently of late served our men. I took +eight or nine men with me, and marched to their houses, which I +found very mean, and their doors made fast with withies. + +I visited three of their villages, and, finding all the houses thus +abandoned by the inhabitants, who carried with them all their hogs, +&c., I brought out of their houses some small fishing-nets in +recompense for those things they had received of us. As we were +coming away we saw two of the natives; I showed them the things that +we carried with us, and called to them, "Cocos, cocos," to let them +know that I took these things because they had not made good what +they had promised by their signs, and by their calling out "Cocos." +While I was thus employed the men in the yawl filled two hogsheads +of water, and all the barrecoes. About one in the afternoon I came +aboard, and found all my officers and men very importunate to go to +that bay where the hogs were said to be. I was loth to yield to it, +fearing they would deal too roughly with the natives. By two +o'clock in the afternoon many black clouds gathered over the land, +which I thought would deter them from their enterprise; but they +solicited me the more to let them go. At last I consented, sending +those commodities I had ashore with me in the morning, and giving +them a strict charge to deal by fair means, and to act cautiously +for their own security. The bay I sent them to was about two miles +from the ship. As soon 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, the natives 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 up to them such commodities +as I had sent, and made signs of friendship, but to no purpose, for +the natives waved them off. Seeing, therefore, they could not be +prevailed upon to a friendly commerce, my men, being resolved to +have some provision among them, fired some muskets to scare them +away, which had the desired effect upon all but two or three, who +stood still in a menacing posture, till the boldest dropped his +target and ran away. They supposed he was shot in the arm; he and +some others felt the smart of our bullets, but none were killed, our +design being rather to frighten than to kill them. Our men landed, +and found abundance of tame hogs running among the houses. They +shot down nine, which they brought away, besides many that ran away +wounded. They had but little time, for in less than an hour after +they went from the ship it began to rain; wherefore they got what +they could into the boats, for I had charged them to come away if it +rained. By the time the boat was aboard and the hogs taken in it +cleared up, and my men desired to make another trip thither before +night; this was about five in the evening, and I consented, giving +them orders to repair on board before night. In the 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 and +salted. These that came last we only dressed and corned till +morning, and then sent both boats ashore for more refreshments +either of hogs or roots; but in the night the natives had conveyed +away their provisions of all sorts. Many of them were now about the +houses, and none offered to resist our boats landing, but, on the +contrary, were so amicable, that one man brought ten or twelve +cocoa-nuts, left them on the shore after he had shown them to our +men, and went out of sight. Our people, finding nothing but nets +and images, brought some of them away, which two of my men brought +aboard in a small canoe, and presently after my boats came off. I +ordered the boatswain to take care of the nets till we came at some +place where they might be disposed of for some refreshment for the +use 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 +been brought, and in her two axes, two hatchets (one of them +helved), six knives, six looking-glasses, a large bunch of beads, +and four glass bottles. Our men drew the canoe ashore, placed the +things to the best advantage 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, I resolved to sail the next morning. +All the time of our stay here we had very fair weather, only +sometimes in the afternoon we had a shower of rain, which lasted not +above an hour at most; also some thunder and lightning, with very +little wind; we had sea and land breezes, the former between 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 in the latitude of 6 degrees 10 minutes south, and meridian +distance from Cape St. George 151 miles west. The country +hereabouts is mountainous and woody, full of rich valleys and +pleasant fresh-water brooks. The mould in the valleys is deep and +yellowish, that on the sides of the hill of a very brown colour, and +not very deep, but rocky underneath, yet excellent planting land. +The trees in general are neither very straight, thick, nor tall, yet +appear green and pleasant enough; some of them bore 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, as more remote among the plantations; the nuts are of an +indifferent size, the milk and kernel very thick and pleasant. Here +is ginger, yams, and other very good roots for the pot, that our men +saw and tasted; what other fruits or roots the country affords I +know not. Here are hogs and dogs; other land animals we saw none. +The fowls we saw and knew were pigeons, parrots, cockatoos, and +crows like those in England; a sort of birds about the bigness of a +blackbird, and smaller birds many. The sea and rivers have plenty +of fish; we saw abundance, though we caught 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 the +evening, we saw some high land bearing north-west half-west, to the +west of which we could see no land, though there appeared something +like land bearing 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 to coast along the shore at a distance. At ten +o'clock I saw a great fire bearing north-west-by-west, blazing up in +a pillar, sometimes very high for three or four minutes, then +falling quite down for an equal space of time, sometimes hardly +visible, till it blazed up again. I had laid me down, 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 look +well out, having bright moonlight. In the morning I found that the +fire we had seen the night before was a burning island, and steered +for it. We saw many other islands, one large high island, and +another smaller but pretty high. I stood near the volcano, and many +small low islands, with some shoals. + +March the 25th, 1700, in the evening we came within three leagues of +this burning hill, being at the same time two leagues from the main; +I found a good channel to pass between them, and kept nearer the +main than the island. At seven in the evening I sounded, and had +fifty-two fathom fine sand and ooze. I stood to the northward to +get clear of this strait, having but little wind and fair weather. +The island all night vomited fire and smoke very amazingly, and at +every belch we heard a dreadful noise like thunder, and saw a flame +of fire after it the most terrifying that ever I saw; the intervals +between its belches were about half a minute, some more, others +less; neither were these pulses or eruptions alike, for some were +but faint convulsions, in comparison of the more vigorous; yet even +the weakest vented a great deal of fire; but the largest made a +roaring noise, and sent up a large flame, twenty or thirty yards +high; and then might be seen a great stream of fire running down to +the foot of the island, even to the shore. From the furrows made by +this descending fire, we could, in the day time, see great smoke +arise, which probably were made by the sulphurous matter thrown out +of the funnel at the 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 and kept its heat, so long the smoke +ascended from it; which we perceived to increase or decrease, +according to the quantity of matter discharged from the funnel: but +the next night, being shot to the westward of the burning island, +and the funnel of it lying on the south side, we could not discern +the fire there, as we did the smoke in the day when we were to the +southward of it. This volcano lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 33 +minutes south, and meridian distance from Cape St. George, three +hundred and thirty-two miles west. + +The easternmost part of New Guinea lies forty miles to the westward +of this tract of land; and by hydrographers they are made joining +together; but here I found an opening and passage between, with many +islands, the largest of which lie on the north side of this passage +or strait. The channel 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, in honour of his present Majesty. We +saw some smoke on it, and leaving it on our larboard side, steered +away near the east land, which ends with two remarkable capes or +heads, distant from each other about six or seven leagues: within +each head were two very remarkable mountains, ascending very +gradually from the sea-side, which afforded a very pleasant and +agreeable prospect. The mountains and the lower land were +pleasantly mixed with woodland and savannahs; the trees appeared +very green and flourishing, and the savannahs seemed to be very +smooth and even; no meadow in England appears more green in the +spring than these. We saw smoke, but did not strive to anchor here, +but rather chose to get under one 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 not venture ashore anywhere with +her. As we stood over to the islands, we looked out very well to +the north, but could see no land that way; by which I was well +assured that we were got through, and that this east land does not +join to New Guinea; therefore I named it Nova Britannia. The north- +west cape I called Cape Gloucester, and the south-west-point Cape +Anne; and the north-west mountain, which is very remarkable, I +called Mount Gloucester. + +This island which I called Nova Britannia, has about 4 degrees of +latitude: the body of it lying in 4 degrees, and the northernmost +part in 2 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 is generally high mountainous land, mixed with +large valleys, which, as well as 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 inhabited with strong well- +limbed negroes, whom we found very daring and bold at several +places. As to the product of it, I know no more than what I have +said in my account of Port Montague; but it is very probable this +island may afford as many rich commodities as any in the world: and +the natives may be easily brought to commerce, though I could not +pretend to it under my present circumstances. + +Being near the island to the northward of the volcano, I sent my +boat to sound, 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 a mile 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 some cocoa-nut trees, but could not send ashore +for want of my pinnace, which was out of order. In the evening I +stood off to sea, to be at such a distance that I might not be +driven by any current upon the shoals of this island, if it should +prove calm. We had but little wind, especially the beginning of the +night; but in the morning I found myself so far to the west of the +island, that the wind being at east-south-east, I could not fetch +it, wherefore I kept on to the southward, and stemmed with the body +of a high island about eleven or twelve leagues long, lying to the +southward of that which I before designed for. I named this island +Sir George Rook's Island. + +We also saw some other islands to the westward, which may be better +seen in my draft of these lands than here described; but seeing a +very small island 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 anchoring there; 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 and brought me word that there was good +anchoring in thirty or forty fathom water, a mile from the isle, and +within a reef of the rocks which lay in a half-moon, reaching from +the north part of the island to the south-east; so at noon we got in +and anchored in thirty-six fathom, a mile from the isle. + +In the afternoon I sent my boat ashore to the island, to see what +convenience 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 the island, but could not land by reason of the rocks +and a great surge running in upon the shore. We found variation +here, 8 degrees 25 minutes west. + +I designed to have stayed among these islands till I got my pinnace +refitted; 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 reason why I could not prosecute my discoveries further); and +the easterly winds being 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 +about four leagues asunder, with intention to pass between them. +The southernmost is a long island, with a high hill at each end; +this I named Long Island. The northernmost is a round high island +towering up with several heads or tops, something resembling a +crown; this I named Crown Isle from its form. Both these islands +appeared very pleasant, having spots of green savannahs mixed among +the wood-land: the trees appeared very green and flourishing, and +some of them looked white and full of blossoms. We passed close by +Crown Isle, saw many cocoa-nut trees on the bays 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, neither did we see +any plantations, and it is probable they are not very well peopled. +We saw many shoals near Crown Island, and reefs of rocks running off +from the points a mile or more into the sea: my boat was once +overboard, with design to have sent her ashore, but having little +wind, and seeing some shoals, I hoisted her in again, and stood off +out of danger. + +In the afternoon, seeing an island bearing north-west-by-west, we +steered away north-west-by-north, to be to the northward of it. The +next morning, being about midway from the islands we left yesterday, +and having this to the westward of us, the land of the main of New +Guinea within us to the southward, appeared very high. When we came +within four or five leagues of this island to the west of us, four +boats came off to view us, one came within call, but returned with +the other three without speaking to us; so we kept on for the +island, which I named Sir R. Rich's Island. It was pretty high, +woody, and mixed with savannahs like those formerly mentioned. +Being to the north of it, we saw an opening between it and another +island two leagues to the west of it, which before appeared all in +one. The main seemed to be high land, trending to the westward. + +On Tuesday, the 2nd of April, about eight in the morning, we +discovered a high-peaked island to the westward, which seemed to +smoke at its top: the next day we passed by the north side of the +Burning Island, and saw smoke again at its top, but the vent lying +on the south side of the peak, we could not observe it distinctly, +nor see the fire. We afterwards opened three more islands, and some +land to the southward, which we could not well tell whether it were +islands or part of the main. These islands are all high, full of +fair trees and spots of great savannahs, as well the Burning Isle as +the rest; but the Burning Isle was more round and peaked at top, +very fine land near the sea, and for two-thirds up it: we also saw +another isle sending forth a great smoke at once, but it soon +vanished, and we saw it no more; we saw also among these islands +three small vessels with sails, which the people of Nova Britannia +seem wholly ignorant of. + +The 11th, at noon, having a very good observation, I found myself to +the northward of my reckoning, and thence concluded that we had a +current setting north-west, or rather more westerly, as the land +lies. From that time to the next morning we had fair clear weather, +and a fine moderate gale from south-east to east-by-north: but at +daybreak the clouds began to 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 the horizon, and there were many black +clouds both to the south and north of it. About a quarter of an +hour after the sun was up, there was a squall to the windward of us; +when on sudden one of our men on the forecastle called out that he +saw something astern, but could not tell what: I looked out for it, +and immediately saw a spout beginning to work within a quarter of a +mile of us, exactly in the wind: we presently put right before it. +It came very swiftly, whirling the water up in a pillar about six 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, +and passed away to leeward, and then I saw a long pale stream coming +down to the whirling water. This stream was about the bigness of a +rainbow: the upper end seemed vastly high, not descending from any +dark cloud, and therefore the more strange to me, I never having +seen the like before. It passed about a mile to leeward of us, and +then broke. This was but a small spout, not strong nor lasting; yet +I perceived much wind in it as it passed by us. The current still +continued at north-west a little westerly, which I allowed to run a +mile per hour. + +By an observation the 13th, at noon, I found myself 25 minutes to +the northward of my reckoning; whether occasioned by bad steerage, a +bad account, or a current, I could not determine; but was apt to +judge it might be a complication of all; for I could not think it +was wholly the current, the land here lying east-by-south, and west- +by-north, or a little 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 sometimes much nearer; and it is not probable that any +current should set directly off from a land. A tide indeed may; but +then the flood has the same force to strike in upon the shore, as +the ebb to strike off from it: but a current must have set nearly +along shore, either easterly or westerly; and if anything northerly +or southerly, it could be but very little in comparison 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 a current, it is very +probable that the land is here disjoined, and that there is a +passage through to the southward, and that the land from King +William's Cape to this place is an island, separated from New Guinea +by some strait, as Nova Britannia is by that which we came through. +But this being at best but a probable conjecture, I shall insist no +farther upon it. + +The 14th we passed by Scouten's Island, and Providence Island, and +found still a very strong current setting to the north-west. On the +17th we saw a high mountain on the main, that sent forth great +quantities of smoke from its top: this volcano we did not see in +our voyage out. In the afternoon we discovered King William's +Island, and crowded all the sail we could to get near it before +night, thinking to lie to the eastward of it till day, for fear of +some shoals that lie at the west end of it. Before night we got +within two leagues of it, and having a fine gale 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; but when we came +within two miles of it, it fell calm: yet afterwards by the help of +the current, a small gale, and our boat, we got through before day. +In the night we had a very fragrant smell from the island. By +morning light we were got two leagues to the westward of it; and +then were becalmed all the morning; and met such whirling tides, +that when we came into them, the ship turned quite round: and +though sometimes we had a small gale of wind, yet she could not feel +the helm when she came into these whirlpools: neither could we get +from amongst them, till a brisk gale sprang up: yet we drove not +much any way, but whirled round like a top. And those whirlpools +were not constant to one place but drove about strangely: 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 it lies in the latitude of 50 minutes south, and meridian +distance from Cape St. George one thousand two hundred and forty- +three miles. St. John's Isle lies forty-eight miles to the east of +Cape St. George; which being added to the distance between Cape St. +George and Cape Mabo, makes one thousand two hundred and ninety-one +meridional parts; which was the furthest that I was to the east. In +my outward-bound voyage I made meridian distance between Cape Mabo +and Cape St. George, one thousand two hundred and ninety miles; and +now in my return, but one thousand two hundred and forty-three; +which is forty-seven short of my distance going out. This +difference may probably be occasioned by the strong western current +which we found in our return, which I allowed for after I perceived +it; and though we did not discern any current when we went to the +eastward, except when near the islands, yet it is probable we had +one against us, though we did not take notice of it because of the +strong easterly winds. King William's Island lies in the latitude +of 21 minutes south, 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 trends +south-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 to the west, which blows right into the +opening. I stood to the north shore, intending, when I came pretty +nigh, to send my boat into the opening and sound, before I would +venture in. We found several deep bays, but no soundings within two +miles of the shore; therefore I stood off again, then seeing a +rippling under our lee, I sent my boat to sound on it; which +returned in half an hour, and brought me word that the rippling we +saw was only a tide, and that they had no ground there. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Early Australian Voyages, by John Pinkerton + |