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.
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