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.
