They Found Themselves On The 13th In The
Latitude Of 25 Degrees 40 Minutes; By Which They Discovered That The
Current Set To The North.
They were at this time over against an
opening; the coast lying to the north-east, they continued a
North
course, but found the coast one continued rock of red colour all of
a height, against which the waves broke with such force that it was
impossible for them to land.
The wind blew very fresh in the morning on the 14th, but towards
noon it fell calm; they were then in the height of 24 degrees, with
a small gale at east, but the tide still carried them further north
than they desired, because their design was to make a descent as
soon as possible; and with this view they sailed slowly along the
coast, till, perceiving a great deal of smoke at a distance, they
rowed towards it as fast as they were able, in hopes of finding men,
and water, of course. When they came near the shore, they found it
so steep, so full of rocks, and the sea beating over them with such
fury, that it was impossible to land. Six of the men, however,
trusting to their skill in swimming, threw themselves into the sea
and resolved to get on shore at any rate, which with great
difficulty and danger they at last effected, the boat remaining at
anchor in twenty-five fathoms water. The men on shore spent the
whole day in looking for water; and while they were thus employed,
they saw four men, who came up very near; but one of the Dutch
sailors advancing towards them, they immediately ran away as fast as
they were able, so that they were distinctly seen by those in the
boat. These people were black savages, quite naked, not having so
much as any covering about their middle. The sailors, finding no
hopes of water on all the coast, swam on board again, much hurt and
wounded by their being beat by the waves upon the rocks; and as soon
as they were on board, they weighed anchor, and continued their
course along the shore, in hopes of finding some better landing-
place.
On the 25th, in the morning, they discovered a cape, from the point
of which there ran a ridge of rocks a mile into the sea, and behind
it another ridge of rocks. They ventured between them, as the sea
was pretty calm; but finding there was no passage, they soon
returned. About noon they saw another opening, and the sea being
still very smooth, they entered it, though the passage was very
dangerous, inasmuch as they had but two feet water, and the bottom
full of stones, the coast appearing a flat sand for about a mile.
As soon as they got on shore they fell to digging in the sand, but
the water that came into their wells was so brackish that they could
not drink it, though they were on the very point of choking for
thirst. At last, in the hollows of the rocks, they met with
considerable quantities of rain-water, which was a great relief to
them, since they had been for some days at no better allowance than
a pint a-piece. They soon furnished themselves in the night with
about eighty gallons, perceiving, in the place where they landed,
that the savages had been there lately, by a large heap of ashes and
the remains of some cray-fish.
On the 16th, in the morning, they returned on shore, in hopes of
getting more water, but were disappointed; and having now time to
observe the country, it gave them no great hopes of better success,
even if they had travelled farther within land, which appeared a
thirsty, barren plain, covered with ant-hills, so high that they
looked afar off like the huts of negroes; and at the same time they
were plagued with flies, and those in such multitudes that they were
scarce able to defend themselves. They saw at a distance eight
savages, with each a staff in his hand, who advanced towards them
within musket-shot; but as soon as they perceived the Dutch sailors
moving towards them, they fled as fast as they were able. It was by
this time about noon, and, perceiving no appearance either of
getting water, or entering into any correspondence with the natives,
they resolved to go on board and continue their course towards the
north, in hopes, as they were already in the latitude of 22 degrees
17 minutes, they might be able to find the river of Jacob
Remmescens; but the wind veering about to the north-east, they were
not able to continue longer upon that coast, and therefore
reflecting that they were now above one hundred miles from the place
where they were shipwrecked, and had scarce as much water as would
serve them in their passage back, they came to a settled resolution
of making the best of their way to Batavia, in order to acquaint the
Governor-General with their misfortunes, and to obtain such
assistance as was necessary to get their people off the coast.
On the 17th they continued their course to the north-east, with a
good wind and fair weather; the 18th and 19th it blew hard, and they
had much rain; on the 20th they found themselves in 19 degrees 22
minutes; on the 22nd they had another observation, and found
themselves in the height of 16 degrees 10 minutes, which surprised
them very much, and was a plain proof that the current carried them
northwards at a great rate; on the 27th it rained very hard, so that
they were not able to take an observation; but towards noon they
saw, to their great satisfaction, the coasts of Java, in the
latitude of 8 degrees, at the distance of about four or five miles.
They altered their course to west-north-west, and towards evening
entered the gulf of an island very full of trees, where they
anchored in eight fathoms water, and there passed the night; on the
28th, in the morning, they weighed, and rowed with all their force,
in order to make the land, that they might search for water, being
now again at the point of perishing for thirst.
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