That the land which we have touched at as above mentioned, is low-lying
and half-submerged to northward, so that a large part of it is under
water at high tide; to the south it is somewhat higher and inhabited by
certain natives who have built huts there; so far as we could ascertain
the land is barren, covered with tall wild trees; the natives quite black
and naked without any covering to hide their privy parts; their hair
curly in the manner of the Papues: they wear certain fish-bones through
the nose, and through their ears pieces of tree-bark, a span in length,
so that they look more like monsters than like human beings: their
weapons are arrows and bows which they use with great skill.
* * *
On the 13th the wind was N., the weather fair, and the current stronger
to west than to northward; we set sail in the forenoon, holding our course
W.N.W. in order to get into deeper water; when we had run some distance,
we got into eight feet of water; upon which we turned back and towards
evening came to anchor in 2 fathom.
On the 14th the weather was fair, the wind N. by W., the current running
strongly to S.W., as before; at noon we sent out the two pinnaces to take
soundings; they rowed as far as 2 miles W.N.W. of the yachts, and nowhere
found more than 1Ω and 2 fathom of water; the same day, seeing that the
weather is now getting more constant every day, it was resolved to put up
again the main-topmast in the yacht Aernem, which had been taken down
before on account of bad weather.
On the 15th the wind was N.N.E. with good weather and the current as
strong as before; we set sail at noon with the tide running from the
N.W., hoping to get into deeper water, but having been tacking about till
the evening, we were by counter-currents forced to come to anchor in
three fathom.
On the 16th the weather was good, the wind being N.E. by N.; we set sail
in the forenoon; in the course of the day we had a calm; towards the
evening the wind went round to W.S.W., course held N.N.W. along the
shallows in 2Ω and 2 fathom; in the evening we came to anchor in 3
fathom; we find that in these parts the currents set very strongly to
south-west, as before mentioned, and that the water rises and falls fully
1Ω and 2 fathom at each tide.
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On the 17th the wind was East; we set sail, holding a W.N.W. and W. by N.
course, and thus got into deeper water upwards of 5 fathom; at noon we
were in Lat. 8° 4'; in the evening we cast anchor in 6 fathom, having
sailed 4 miles W.S.W.
In the morning of the 18th the weather was good with a W. wind; in the
afternoon we set sail with the rising tide running from the west; course
held S.W. by S. in 6 fathom. when we got into deeper water than 7 and 8
fathom, we altered our course to S.E. by E. and E.S.E. in 10, 12, 14, 18,
20, 26 and 28 fathom; towards evening we went on an Eastward course,
having sailed 5Ω miles on the aforesaid course from the morning to the
evening, and 9 miles to eastward from the evening till the morning.
On the 19th the wind was W., course held E., with the Valsch Caep N.N.E.
of us at 5 miles' distance, the land extending N. by W.; the water being
24 fathom here, we went over to E.N.E. and sailed 4 miles, when we got
into 6 fathom, where we cast anchor about 4 miles from the land.
On the 20th the wind was N.N.E., with good weather; we set sail, holding
our course as before in 6 fathom. at night we dropped anchor in 5Ω
fathom, having sailed 7Ω miles this day.
On the 21st we set sail again in the morning with a N.N.W. wind, keeping
a N.E. course for 4 miles in 4 fathom; in the afternoon we went over to
eastward sailing 8 miles; in the evening we came to anchor in 7 fathom,
near an island situated a mile or upwards South and North of the
mainland; a quarter of a mile N. by E. and S. by W. of the island there
is a rock with two dry trees on it.
On the 22nd, the council having been convened, it has finally been
resolved to land with two pinnaces properly manned and armed, seeing that
the coast is covered with cocoa-inut trees here, and the land seems to be
higher, better and more fertile than any we have seen before; and since
we could not get ashore on account of the shallowness of the water, the
muddy bottom and other inconveniencies, we rowed to the small island
aforementioned; while we were making inspection of it, the yacht Aernem
got adrift owing to the violent current and the strong gale, and ran foul
of the bows of the Pera, causing grievous damage to both the ships; this
accident detained our yachts for some days, and without God's special
providence they would both them have run aground.
On the 23rd, the weather being good, and the council having once more
been convened, I proposed to try every possible means to get the Aernem
into sailing trim again, in the first place by constructing another
rudder. This we found impossible since there were no new square rudders
in either of the yachts; we were accordingly compelled to try some
makeshift, and in order to be able to continue our voyage and avoid
abandoning the yacht, it was finally resolved that with the available
materials there should be constructed a rudder after the manner of the
Chinese and Javanese; for this purpose the Pera will have to give up her
main-top mast, the rest of the required wood to be cut on the land, and
we shall tarry here until the rudder has been replaced.
On the 24th while our men were engaged on the rudder, the subcargo rowed
to the small island aforesaid with the two pinnaces, in order to get
fresh water for the Aernem, which was very poorly supplied with the same,
and in the evening he returned on board again with four casks of water,
which he had got filled with extreme difficulty.
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On the 25th, the yacht Aernem being in sailing trim again, for which God
be thanked, we set sail again with good weather and a favourable wind,
holding our course along the land in 5Ω, 6, and 6Ω fathom; in the evening
we cast anchor in 2Ω fathom about 2 miles from the land, having sailed 10
miles this day.
* * *