The Next Morning I Sent The Boatswain Ashore Fishing, And At One
Haul He Caught Three Hundred And Fifty-Two Mackerel, And About
Twenty Other Fishes, Which I Caused To Be Equally Divided Among All
My Company.
I sent also the gunner and chief mate to search about
if they could find convenient anchoring near a
Watering-place; by
night they brought word that they had found a fine stream 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, so I went thither. The next morning, therefore, we
anchored in twenty-five fathom water, soft oozy ground, about a mile
from the river; we got on board three tuns of water that night, and
caught two or three pike-fish, in shape much like a parracota, but
with a longer snout, something resembling a garr, yet not so long.
The next day I sent the boat again for water, and before night all
my casks were full.
Having filled here about fifteen tuns of water, seeing we could
catch but little fish, and had no other refreshments, I intended to
sail next day, but finding that we wanted wood, I sent to cut some,
and going ashore to hasten it, at some distance from the place where
our men were, I found a small cove, where I saw two barbecues, which
appeared not to be above two months' standing; the spars were cut
with some sharp instrument, so 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 side of the bay, and
at one o'clock stood out with the wind at north and north-north-
west. At four we passed 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 west end it reaches within three
miles of it. At some distance off at sea the west point appears
like a cape-land, the north side trends away north-north-west, and
the east side east-south-east. This island lies in latitude 3
degrees 4 minutes south, and the meridian distance from Babao five
hundred and twelve miles east. After we were out to sea, 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 lost it again, and were
driven as far astern next morning, so that we plied here several
days.
The 14th, being past a point of land that we had been three days
getting about, we found little or no current, so that, having the
wind at north-west-by-west and west-north-west, we stood to the
northward, and had several soundings: at three o'clock thirty-eight
fathom, the nearest part of New Guinea being about three leagues'
distance; at four, thirty-seven; at five, thirty-six; at six,
thirty-six; at eight, thirty-three fathom; then the Cape was about
four leagues' distant, so that as we ran off we found our water
shallower; we had then some islands to the westward of us, at about
four leagues' distance.
A little after noon we saw smoke on the islands to the west of us,
and having a fine gale of wind, I steered away for them. At seven
o'clock in the evening we anchored in thirty-five fathom, about two
leagues from an island, good soft oozy ground. We lay still all
night, and saw fires ashore. In the morning we weighed again, and
ran farther in, thinking to have shallower water; but we ran within
a mile of the shore, and came to in thirty-eight fathom good soft
holding ground. While we were under sail two canoes came off within
call of us. They spoke to us, but we did not understand their
language nor signs. We waved to them to come aboard, and I called
to them in the Malayan language to do the same, but they would not.
Yet they came so nigh us that we could show them such things as we
had to truck with them; yet neither would this entice them to come
on board, but they made signs for us to come ashore, and away they
went. Then I went after them in my pinnace, carrying with me
knives, beads, glasses, hatchets, &c. When we came near the shore,
I called to them in the Malayan language. I saw but two men at
first, the rest lying in ambush behind the bushes; but as soon as I
threw ashore some knives and other toys, they came out, flung down
their weapons, and came into the water by the boat's side, making
signs of friendship by pouring water on their heads with one hand,
which they dipped into the sea. The next day, in the afternoon,
several other canoes came aboard, and brought many roots and fruits,
which we purchased.
The island has no name in our drafts, but the natives call it Pub
Sabuda; it is about three leagues long, and two miles wide, more or
less; it is of a good height, so 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 plantains, cocoa-
nuts, pine-apples, oranges, papaes, potatoes, and other large roots.
Here are also another sort of wild jacas, about the bigness of a
man's two fists, full of stones or kernels, which eat pleasant
enough when roasted.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 36 of 50
Words from 36404 to 37417
of 50938
