In This Situation We
Discovered An Island About Two Or Three Miles In Circumference,
Which Was, As Far As We Could Discern, Very High, Steep, And Barren.
We Were Very Desirous Of Coming Nearer It, But Were Hindered By
South-East And South-South-East Winds.
We called it the Isle of
Pylstaart, because of the great number of that sort of birds we saw
flying about it, and the next day we saw two other islands.
CHAPTER X: AND TWO ISLANDS, TO WHICH HE GIVES THE NAME OF AMSTERDAM
AND ROTTERDAM
On the 21st, being in the latitude of 21 degrees 20 minutes south,
and in the longitude of 205 degrees 29 minutes, we found our
variation 7 degrees to the north-east. We drew near to the coast of
the most northern island, which, though not very high, yet was the
larger of the two: we called one of these islands Amsterdam, and
the other Rotterdam. Upon that of Rotterdam we found great plenty
of hogs, fowls, and all sorts of fruits, and other refreshments.
These islanders did not seem to have the use of arms, inasmuch as we
saw nothing like them in any of their hands while we were upon the
island; the usage they gave us was fair and friendly, except that
they would steal a little. The current is not very considerable in
this place, where it ebbs north-east, and flows south-west. A
south-west moon causes a spring-tide, which rises seven or eight
feet at least.
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