to fearch about if they could find convenient anchoring near a watering-place; by night they brought word that they had found a fine ftream 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; fo I went thither. The next morning, therefore, we anchored in twenty-five fathom water, foft oozy ground, about a mile from the river: we got on board three tun of water that night, and caught two or three pikefifh, in fhape much like a parracota, but with a longer fnout, fomething resembling a garr, yet not fo long. The next day I fent the boat again for water, and before night all my cafks were full.

Having filled here about fifteen tuns of water, feeing we could catch but little fifh, and had no other refreshments, I intended to fail next day, but finding that we wanted wood, I fent to cut fome, and going afhore to haften it, at fome distance from the place where our men were, I found a fmall cove, where I faw two barbecues, which appeared not to be above two months ftanding; the fpars were cut with fome sharp inftrument, fo 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-fide of the bay, and at one o'clock ftood out with the wind at north and north-north-weft. At four we paffed 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 weft end it reaches within three miles of it. At fome distance off at sea, the weft point appears like a cape-land; the north fide trends away north-north-west, and the caft fide east-south-east. This island lies in latitude 3° 4 fouth, and the meridian distance from Babao, five hundred and twelve miles east. After we were out to fea, 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 loft it again, and were driven as far aftern next morning, fo that we plied here several days.

The 14th, being paft a point of land that we had been three days getting about, we found little or no current, fo that having the wind at north-west-by-weft and weftnorth-weft, we stood to the northward, and had feveral foundings: at three o'clock thirty-eight fathom, the nearest part of New Guinea being about three leagues distance: at four, thirty-feven; at five, thirty-fix; at fix, thirty-fix; at eight, thirty-three fathom; then the Cape was about four leagues diftant, so that as we ran off, we found our water fhallower: we had then fome islands to the westward of us, at about four leagues dif

tance.

A little after noon we faw fmoaks on the islands to the weft of us, and having a fine gale of wind, I steered away for them: at feven o'clock in the evening we anchored in thirty-five fathom, about two leagues from an ifland, good foft oozy ground. We lay ftill all night, and faw fires afhore. In the morning we weighed again, and ran farther in, thinking to have fhallower water, but we ran within a mile of the fhore, and came to in thirty-eight fathom good foft holding ground: while we were under fail two canoes came off within call of us; they spoke to us, but we did not understand their language nor figns; we waved to them to come aboard, and I called to them in the Malayan language to do the fame, but they would not, yet they came fo nigh us, that we could fhew them fuch things as we had to truck with them, yet neither would this entice them to come on board, but they made figns for us to come afhore, and away they went; then I went after them in my pinnace, carrying with me knives, beads, glaffes, hatchets, &c.; when we came near the fhore, I called to them in the Malayan language, I faw but two men at firft, the reft lying in ambush behind the

bushes;

bufhes; but as foon as I threw afhore fome knives and other toys, they came out, flung down their weapons, and came into the water by the boat's fide, making figns of friendship by pouring water on their heads with one hand, which they dipped into the fea: the next day, in the afternoon, feveral other canoes came aboard, and brought many roots and fruits, which we purchased.

This island has no name in our draughts, but the natives call it Pulo Sabuda: it is about three leagues long, and two miles wide, more or lefs; it is of a good height, fo 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 plaintains, cocoa-nuts, pine-apples, oranges, papaes, potatoes, and other large roots. Here are also another fort of wild jacas, about the bignefs of a man's two fifts, full of ftones or kernels, which eat pleafant enough when roasted. The libby tree grows here in the fwampy valleys, of which they make fago cakes: I did not fee them make any, but was told by the inhabitants that it was made of the pith of the tree, in the fame manner I have described in my Voyage round the World; they fhewed me the tree whereof it was made, and I bought about forty of the cakes; I bought alfo three or four nutmegs in their fhell, which did not feem 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 feemed 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; fome goldens, and small milk-white crabcatchers: the land-fowls are pigeons, about the bignefs of mountain-pigeons in Jamaica, and crows about the bignefs of thofe in England, and much like them, but the inner part of their feathers are white, and the outfide black, fo that they appear all black, unless you extend the feathers: here are large sky-coloured birds, fuch 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 fhoulders black, their wings are four feet over from tip to tip; they smell like foxes: the fish are bass, rock-fish, and a fort of fish like mullets, oldwives, whip-rays, and fome other forts that I know not, but no great plenty of any, for it is deep water till within lefs than a mile of the fhore, then there is a bank of coral rocks within which you have fhoal-water, white clean fand; fo there is no good fishing with the fain.

This island lies in latitude 2° 43′ fouth, and meridian distance from port Babo, on the island Timor, four hundred and eighty-fix miles: befides this ifland, here are nine or ten other fmall iflands.

The inhabitants of this island are a fort of very tawny Indians, with long black hair, who in their manners differ but little from the Mindanayans, and others of these eastern iflands. These feem to be the chief; for befides them we faw alfo fhock curl-pated New-Guinea negroes, many of which are flaves to the others, but I think not all: they are very poor, wear no cloaths, but have a clout about their middle, made of the rinds. of the tops of palmeto trees; but the women had a fort of callico cloaths. Their chief ornaments are blue and yellow beads, worn about their wrists. The men arm themfelves with bows and arrows, lances, broad fwords, like thofe of Mindanao; their lances are pointed with bone: they strike fish very ingeniously with wooden fifs-gigs, and have a very ingenious way of making the fifh rife; 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 fink it; when they think it low enough, they haul the line into their boats very faft, and the fish rise up after this figure, and they ftand ready to ftrike 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 flaves, fine parrots, &c. which they carry to Goram and exchange for callicos. One boat came from thence a little before I arrived here, of whom I bought fome parrots, and would have bought a flave, but they would not barter for any thing but callicos, which I had not. Their houfes on this fide were very small, and feemed only to be for neceffity; but on the other fide of the ifland we faw good large houses: their proes are narrow, with outriggers on each fide, 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 fame cup with us without any fcruple. At this ifland we continued till the 20th inftant, having laid in store of such roots and fruits as the island afforded.

On the 20th, at half an hour after fix in the morning, I weighed, and standing out we faw a large boat full of men lying at the north point of the island. As we paffed by, they rowed towards their habitations, where we fuppofed they had withdrawn themselves for fear of us, though we gave them no caufe of terror, or for fome differences among themselves.

We stood to the northward till feven in the evening, then faw a rippling; and the water being difcoloured, we founded, and had but twenty-two fathom. I went about and stood to the weftward till two next morning, then tacked again, and had these feveral foundings: at eight in the evening, twenty-two; at ten, twenty-five; at eleven, twenty-feven; at twelve, twenty-eight fathom; at two in the morning twenty-fix; at four, twenty-four; at fix, twenty-three; at eight, twenty-eight; at twelve, twenty-two.

We paffed by many small islands, and among many dangerous fhoals, without any remarkable occurrence, till the 4th of February, when we got within three leagues of the north-weft cape of New Guinea, called by the Dutch Cape Mabo. Off this cape there lies a fmall woody ifland, and many iflands of different fizes to the north and north-eaft 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 fharp point, and on either fide there appears another fuch point at equal distances, which makes it refemble a diamond. This only appears when you are abreast of the middle point, and then you have no ground within three leagues of the fore.

In the afternoon we paffed by the cape, and itood over for the islands. Before it was dark, we were got within a league of the wefternmoft, but had no ground with fifty fathom of line: however, fearing to ftand nearer in the dark, we tacked and stood to the east, and plied all night. The next morning we were got five or fix leagues to the eastward of that ifland, and having the wind easterly, we ftood in to the northward among the islands, founded, and had no ground; then I fent in my boat to found, and they had ground with fifty fathom near a mile from the fhore. We tacked before the boat came aboard again, for fear of a fhoal that was about a mile to the east of that ifland the boat went to, from whence alfo a fhoal-point stretched out itself till it met the other: they brought with them fuch a cockle, as I have mentioned in my voyage round the world, found near Celebes, and they faw many more, fome bigger than that which they brought aboard, as they faid, and for this reafon I named it Cockle Ifland. I fent them to found again, ordering them to fire a musket

481

if they found good anchoring; we were then standing to the fouthward, with a fine breeze. As foon 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 fail I could to get out, being near fome rocky iflands and fhoals to leeward of us. and I thought we were out of danger, but having a fhoal just by us, and the wind falling The breeze increased, 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 weftward.

At one o'clock, being past the shoal, and finding the tide fetting to the westward, I anchored in thirty-five fathom coarse fand, with fmall coral and fhells. Being nearest to Cockle Island, I immediately fent both the boats thither, one to cut wood, and the other to fish. At four in the afternoon, having a finall breeze at fouth-fouth-west, I made a fign for my boats to come on board. They brought fome wood, and a few small cockles, none of them exceeding ten pounds weight, whereas the fhell 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 fome pigeons, of which we found plenty on all the islands where we touched in these feas: alfo in many places we faw many large bats, but killed none, except those I mentioned at Pulo Sabuda. As our boats came aboard, we weighed and made fail, fteering eaft-fouth-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 ftood to and fro till eleven; and finding that we loft ground, anchored in forty-two fathom coarse gravelly fand, with fome coral. This morning we thought we faw a fail.

In the afternoon I went afhore on a small woody island, about two leagues from us. Here I found the greatest number of pigeons that ever I faw either in the Eaft or West Indies, and fmall cockles in the fea 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 fome wood, and brought off cockles enough for all the fhip'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 lefs than three quarters of an hour they killed and brought off ten pigeons. Here is a tide: the flood fets west and the ebb eaft, but the latter is very faint, and but of fmall continuance; and so we found it ever fince we came from Timor: the winds we found easterly, between north-east and east-south-east, so that if these continue, it is impoffible to beat farther to the eastward on this coaft against wind and current. from the time we were in the latitude of about 2° fouth, and as we drew nigher the line These easterly winds increased they hung more easterly: and now being to the north of the continent of New Guinea, where the coaft lies eaft and weft, I find the trade-wind here at eaft, which yet in higher latitudes is ufually at north-north-weft and north-weft; and fo I did expect them here, it being to the south of the line.

The 7th, in the morning, I fent my boat afhore on Pigeon Ifland, and ftaid till noon. In the afternoon my men returned, brought twenty-two pigeons, and many cockles, fome very large, fome fmall: they alfo brought one empty fhell, that weighed two hundred and fifty-eight pounds.

At four o'clock we weighed, having a fmall wefterly wind and a tide with us; at feven in the evening we anchored in forty-two fathom, near King William's Ifland, where I went afhore 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 forts, most unknown to us, but all very green and flourishing; many of them had flowers, fome white, fome pur32

· VOL. XI.

ple,

ple, others yellow; all which fmelt very fragrantly: the trees are generally tall and ftraight bodied, and may be fit for any ufe. I faw one of a clean body, without knot or limb, fixty or feventy feet high by eftimation: it was three of my fathoms about, and kept its bignefs, without any fenfible decrease, even to the top. The mould of the island is black, but not deep, it being very rocky. On the fides and top of the island are many palmeto trees, whofe heads we could difcern over all the other trees, but

their bodies we could not fee.

About one in the afternoon we weighed and ftood to the eastward, between the main and King William's Ifland, leaving the island on our larboard fide, and founding till we were past the island, and then we had no ground. Here we found the flood fetting eaft-by-north, and the ebb weft-by-fouth; there were fhoals and fmall iflands between us and the main, which caufed the tide to fet very inconftantly, and make many whirlings in the water; yet we did not find the tide to fet ftrong any way, nor the water to rife much.

On the 9th, being to the eastward of King William's Ifland, we plied all day between the main and other iflands, having easterly winds and fair weather till feven the next morning; then we had very hard rain till eight, and faw many fhoals of fish: we lay becalmed off a pretty deep bay on New Guinea, about twelve or fourteen leagues wide, and feven or eight leagues deep, having low land near its bottom, but high land without. The easternmoft part of New Guinea feen, bore eaft-by-fouth, diftant twelve leagues; Cape Mabo weft-fouth-weft half-fouth, diftant feven leagues.

At one in the afternoon it began to rain, and continued till fix in the evening, fo that having but little wind and moft calms, we lay ftill off the fore-mentioned bay, having King William's Ifland ftill in fight, though diftant by judgment fifteen or fixteen leagues weft. We faw many fhoals of small fish, some sharks, and feven or eight dolphins, but catched none. In the afternoon, being about four leagues from the fhore, we faw an opening in the land, which feemed to afford good harbour. In the evening we faw a large fire there, and I intended to go in (if winds and weather would permit) to get fome acquaintance with the natives.

Since the 4th inftant that we paffed Cape Mabo, to the 12th, we had small easterly winds and calms, fo that we anchored feveral times, where I made my men cut wood, that we might have a good stock when a westerly wind fhould prefent, and fo we plied to the caftward, 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 fmall gale fprung up at north-eaft-by-north, with rain; at five it fhuffled about to northweft, from thence to the fouth-weft, and continued between thofe two points a pretty brifk gale, fo that we made fail and fteered away north-eaft, till the 13th, in the morning, to get about the Cape of Good Hope; when it was day we fteered north-east halfeast, then north-east-by-eaft, till feven o'clock, and being then seven or eight leagues off fhore, we steered away eaft, the shore trending eaft-by-fouth: we had very much rain all night, fo that we could not carry much fail, yet we had a very fteady gale. At eight this morning the weather cleared up, and the wind decreased to a fine top-gallant gale, and fettled at weft by fouth. We had more rain these three days paft, than all the voyage, in fo fhort a time. We were now about fix leagues from the land of New Guinea, which appeared very high; and we faw two head-lands about twenty leagues afunder, the one to the east, and the other to the west, which last is called the Cape Good Hope. We found variation east 4°.

of

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 fouth-west. At two it flew about at once to the