A Tide Indeed May; But
Then The Flood Has The Same Force To Strike In Upon The Shore, As
The Ebb To Strike Off From It:
But a current must have set nearly
along shore, either easterly or westerly; and if anything northerly
or southerly, it could be but very little in comparison of its east
or west course, on a coast lying as this doth; which yet we did not
perceive.
If therefore we were deceived by a current, it is very
probable that the land is here disjoined, and that there is a
passage through to the southward, and that the land from King
William's Cape to this place is an island, separated from New Guinea
by some strait, as Nova Britannia is by that which we came through.
But this being at best but a probable conjecture, I shall insist no
farther upon it.
The 14th we passed by Scouten's Island, and Providence Island, and
found still a very strong current setting to the north-west. On the
17th we saw a high mountain on the main, that sent forth great
quantities of smoke from its top: this volcano we did not see in
our voyage out. In the afternoon we discovered King William's
Island, and crowded all the sail we could to get near it before
night, thinking to lie to the eastward of it till day, for fear of
some shoals that lie at the west end of it. Before night we got
within two leagues of it, and having a fine gale of wind and a light
moon, I resolved to pass through in the night, which I hoped to do
before twelve o'clock, if the gale continued; but when we came
within two miles of it, it fell calm: yet afterwards by the help of
the current, a small gale, and our boat, we got through before day.
In the night we had a very fragrant smell from the island. By
morning light we were got two leagues to the westward of it; and
then were becalmed all the morning; and met such whirling tides,
that when we came into them, the ship turned quite round: and
though sometimes we had a small gale of wind, yet she could not feel
the helm when she came into these whirlpools: neither could we get
from amongst them, till a brisk gale sprang up: yet we drove not
much any way, but whirled round like a top. And those whirlpools
were not constant to one place but drove about strangely: and
sometimes we saw among them large ripplings of the water, like great
over-falls making a fearful noise. I sent my boat to sound, but
found no ground.
The 18th Cape Mabo bore south, distance nine leagues; by which
account it lies in the latitude of 50 minutes south, and meridian
distance from Cape St. George one thousand two hundred and forty-
three miles. St. John's Isle lies forty-eight miles to the east of
Cape St. George; which being added to the distance between Cape St.
George and Cape Mabo, makes one thousand two hundred and ninety-one
meridional parts; which was the furthest that I was to the east.
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