(The skipper of the Arnem and nine persons along with him, slain by the
savages, in consequence of their want of caution.)
This same day the skipper of the yacht Aernem, Direk Melisz(oon) without
knowledge of myself, of the subcargo or steersman of the said yacht,
unadvisedly went ashore to the open beach in the pinnace, taking with him
15 persons, both officers and along common sailors, and no more than four
muskets, for the purpose of fishing with a seine-net; there was great
disorder in landing, the men running off in different directions, until
at last a number of black savages came running forth from the wood, who
first seized and tore to pieces an assistant, named Jan Willemsz Van den
Briel who happened to be unarmed, after which they slew with arrows,
callaways (spears) and with the oars which they had snatched from the
pinnace, no less than nine of our men, who were unable to defend
themselves, at the same time wounding the remaining seven (among them the
skipper, who was the first to take to his heels); these last seven men at
last returned on board in very sorry plight with the pinnace and one oar,
the skipper loudly lamenting his great want of prudence, and entreating
pardon for the fault he had committed.
* * *
In the evening the wind West with a very stiff breeze, so that we did not
sail in the night, considering our ignorance of these waters and our fear
of cliffs and shallows that might lie off the coast, which in every case
we had to keep near to, if we wanted to get further north.
On Sunday morning the 12th we set sail again with a stiff breeze from the
west; we held our course E. by S. along the land, and sailed 14 miles
that day; in the evening we altered our course to E.S.E., with a N.W.
wind; in the night we had variable wind and weather, so that we kept
drifting; in the day-watch the skipper of the Aernem, Direk Melisz., died
of the wounds received the day before, having suffered grievous pains
shortly before his death.
In the morning of the thirteenth the wind was N.E. with fair weather and
little wind, so that we ran near the land again; at noon we were in Lat.
4° 25'; the wind West with a very stiff breeze, course held East by
South, and by computation sailed 10 miles until the evening; in the night
the wind was variable; towards daybreak it came on to rain; at 2Ω miles'
distance from the low-lying land we were in 28 fathom, black sandy
bottom, the land bearing East and West.
In the morning of the 14th the wind was East with a faint breeze, which
continued for the rest of the day; we kept tacking; in the evening the
wind was N.E. by N. with a very strong current setting westward.
{Page 25}
On the 15th before daybreak the wind was N. by W. with a stiff breeze,
course held East by South; in the morning we took the sun's altitude at
sunrise, which we found to be 7 degrees; at night ditto 21° 30'; the
difference being divided by two comes to 7° 15'; somewhat later in the
day, the wind being N.E. by N., we were five miles or upwards from the
land in 33 fathom, drifting rapidly to westward; at noon we were in Lat.
4° 51', the wind W. by N.; course held N.E. by E. towards the land;
shortly after the wind became due North; from the morning to the evening
we had sailed 6 miles, and in 36 hours had been driven back, i.e.
westward, at least 11 miles.
This same day the plenary council having been convened, it has been
deemed advisable to appoint another skipper in the Aernem in the room of
the deceased, to which place has been appointed a young man, named Willem
Joosten van Colster [*] second mate in the Pera, as being very fit for
the post, while at the same time the second mate Jan Jansz has been named
first mate in the said yacht.
[* Or Van Coolsteerdt, as the Summary (see _infra_) has at this date.]
(Mountains covered with snow.)
In the morning of the 16th we took the sun's altitude at sunrise, which
we found to be 5° 6'; the preceding evening ditto 20° 30'; the difference
being divided by two Comes to 7° 42'. increasing North-easterly
variation; the wind N. by E.; we were at about 1Ω mile's distance from
the low-lying land in 5 or 6 fathom, clayey bottom; at a distance of
about 10 miles by estimation into the interior, we saw a very high
mountain-range in many places white with snow, which we thought a very
singular sight, being so near the line equinoctial. Towards the evening
we held our course E. by S. along half-submerged land in 5, 4, 3 and 2
fathom, at which last point we dropped anchor; we lay there for five
hours, during which time we found the water to have risen 4 or 5 feet; in
the first watch, the wind being N.E., we ran into deeper water, and came
to anchor in 10 fathom, where we remained for the night.
In the morning of the 17th the wind was N.E. with a faint breeze with
which we set sail, course held S.E.; at noon we were in Lat. 5° 24', and
by estimation 5 miles more to eastward than on the 15th last, seeing that
a very strong current had driven us fully 11 miles to westward; in the
evening we found ourselves at 3 miles' distance from the land, and
dropped anchor in 15 fathom, having in the course of the day sailed three
miles E. by S. and E.S.E.
In the morning of the 18th the wind was N.E. with a strong breeze and a
strong current setting to the west; in the afternoon the wind went round
to the S.W., so that we meant to set sail with it, but as it fell a dead
calm we had to remain at anchor.
In the morning of the 19th the wind was N.E. by N., so that we made sail,
keeping an E.S.E. course along the coast, with a strong current setting
westward; at noon we were in Lat. 5° 27'; it then fell calm and we had
continual counter-currents, so that we cast anchor in 14 fathom, having
sailed 2Ω miles; the land bearing from us E.S.E., slightly South; towards
the evening the wind went round to S.S.W., so that we set sail again and
ran on S.E. 1 mile; when it became dark we cast anchor in 6 fathom.
At noon on the 20th the wind was S. and shortly after S.W., with which we
set sail, keeping our course E. by S. and S.O. along the land in 6
fathom; in the evening we cast anchor at about 3 miles' distance from the
land, having sailed 5 miles this day.
{Page 26}
On the 21st the wind was N.E. by N. with a weak breeze and the current
running south straight from the land, which is no doubt owing to the
outflow of the rivers which take their source in the high mountains of
the interior. The eastern part of the high land, which we could see, bore
from us N.E. and N.E. by N; in the morning we set sail with a N.W. wind
and fair weather course held S.E. by E. and S.E. for three miles, and
then S.S.E. for five miles; in the evening we dropped anchor in 7 fathom
about 3 miles from the land, the wind blowing hard from the west with
violent rains.
In the morning of the 22nd the wind was N., a strong gale with rain and a
strong current setting westward, so that we were compelled to remain at
anchor; towards the evening the wind went round to W.S.W., with dirty
weather, so that we got adrift by our anchor getting loose, upon which we
dropped our large anchor to avoid stranding; in the afternoon the storm
subsided and we had variable winds.
In the morning of the 23rd we set sail, course held S.E. with a S.W. wind
and violent rains; when we had run a mile, the heavy swells forced us to
drop anchor; in the afternoon we lifted anchor with great difficulty and
peril owing to the violent rolling of the yacht, and set sail, but
shortly after, the yacht Aernem making a sign with her flag that she
could not manage to heave her anchor, we cast anchor again.
In the morning of the 24th the weather was unruly, with a W. wind and a
very hollow sea; in the afternoon the weather getting slightly better,
both the yachts set sail again with the wind as before, holding a S. by
E. course; in the evening we dropped anchor in 14 fathom, having sailed 4
miles S.S.E., and found the land to extend E.S.E. ever since the 20th
instant.
In the morning of the 25th we set sail with a N.N.W. wind, sailing 4
miles on an E.S.E. course, and then 5 miles on a S. by E. and S.S.E.
course, after which the foretop-mast of the Aernem broke, so that we were
both compelled to drop anchor in 10 fathom about 4 miles from the land.
In the morning of the 26th we set sail to get near the Aernem and speak
to her crew, who were engaged in repairing the rigging and replacing the
foremast; we both drifted with the current in the teeth of the wind, and
thus ran 3 miles, when the Aernem cast anchor 1Ω mile from us on the
weather-side; in the evening there was a strong current from the W.S.W.
with rain, which lasted the whole night.
* * *