That in our landings between 13° and 11° we have but two times seen black
men or savages, who received us much more hostilely than those more to
southward; they are also acquainted with muskets, of which they would
seem to have experienced the fatal effect when in 1606 the men of the
Duyffken made a landing here.
* * *
In the morning of the 16th, the wind was E.S.E. with good weather, the
Eastern monsoon having set in; course held N.N.W., at noon we were in 10°
27', having sailed 30 miles in 24 hours.
{Page 44}
In the morning of the 17th the weather was good with a strong wind;
course held as before; at noon we were in 8° 43'; towards the evening, in
18 and 19 fathom, we saw from the main-topmast land N.E. of us, when we
were in 8° 19'; towards daybreak we passed a shallow Of 4 and 4Ω fathom,
on which we changed our course to S.W., having sailed 30 miles in 24
hours.
In the morning of the 18th, sailing in 5Ω fathom, we saw land, being the
western extremity of Nova Guinea; course held W., with a strong wind; at
noon latitude as before; during the night we sailed with small sail along
the land on the course aforesaid, having run 27 miles in 24 hours.
On the 19th, the wind as before, course held N.; at noon we were in 7°
57' Lat.; we ran on the same course for the rest of the day and night.
In the morning of the 20th there was a strong wind; we were in 18 fathom
and by estimation in 7° Lat., we therefore ran on a W. course towards the
islands which are said to lie in this latitude; sailed 24 miles in 24
hours.
On the 21st the wind was as before, and since we saw no land or signs of
land, which by the ships' reckoning and by estimation we ought to have
seen, if there had been any here, we changed our course to northward, in
order to run to the latitude of 5°, in which Aru is situated.
In the morning of the 22nd we were in 5° 38' Lat., with the wind as
before, and since we estimated ourselves to be in the latitude of Aru, we
turned our course westward; about noon we saw the island of Aru ahead of
us...without seeing any signs of the yacht Aernem, which on the 17th of
April last, in 17°, near the coast of Nova Guinea, had with malice
prepense sailed away from the Pera, while the Aruese, who came forthwith
alongside with their prows, also declared not to have seen the said
yacht...