They Called This Water Island,[113] Because It Supplied Them With Fresh Water.

[Footnote 113:

Water-land is in lat. 15 deg. S. and 146 deg. W. long. - E.]

Sailing from this island westwards, they came on the 18th to another island 20 leagues distant from the last, and extending a considerable way N.W. and S.E. Dispatching the boat in search of anchorage, a bottom was found near a point of land, in 25 and 40 fathoms, about a musket-shot from the shore, where also was a gentle stream of fresh water. This news induced them to send back the boat with some casks for water: But after using much pains to get on shore, and searching in the wood to find a spring, they were frightened away by seeing a savage. On getting back to their boat, five or six more of the savages came to the shore, but on seeing the Dutch put off they soon retired into the woods. Although they thus got rid of the savages, they encountered other adversaries of a formidable nature; for they were followed from the woods by innumerable myriads of black flies, so that they came on board absolutely covered with them from head to foot, and the plague of flies began to rage in the ship in a most intolerable manner. This persecution lasted three or four days, on which account they called this Fly Island,[114] and by the help of a good breeze of wind, they left it as fast as they could.

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