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.
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