_Journal of the voyage to Nova Guinea, 1636._
...In the early morning of Friday [June 6]...we arrived before the native
village of Taranga...
On Monday the 9th do. At daybreak the wind was S.E...we set sail from
Taranga...shaping our course to the S.S.W.
We could take no latitude at noon...
In the first watch we sailed S.S.W. the space of about 3 glasses; the
wind was S.E. with a fair breeze, and afterwards E.S.E.; we sailed to
southward for the time of 12 glasses; at the beginning of the day-watch
the wind was E.N.E. with a fresh breeze; we sailed S.E. for about eight
glasses...
On Tuesday the 10th do. In the morning about breakfast-time the wind blew
from the E.N.E. as before...
We estimated ourselves to have sailed 9Ω miles on a generally Southern
course from last night to the present night.
On Wednesday the 11th do. Course held S.S.E...We had sailed on a Southern
and S. by E. course about 11 miles by estimation during the last 24
hours...
On Thursday the 12th do. The wind E.S.E. as before...At noon we were in
Lat. 10° 2', so that I find we are farther to southward as would accord
with our estimation and our courses kept, on which account I believe the
current must have driven us a good deal to S.S.E.. In the afternoon the
sky was overcast, the wind E.S.E. and S.E. by E. with a light breeze; we
sailed to S. by W. with our mainsails set. Towards the evening the water
became all of a sudden very smooth and of a pale colour; after sunset we
cast the lead in 40 fathom good anchoring ground, fine sand, but could
see no land: we took in our foresail and sailed in the night with the
mainsail only to avoid press of sail. We estimated ourselves to have
sailed about 12 miles on a general S.W. by S. course during the last 24
hours. In the night the wind was E. by S., E.S.E. and S.E. by E. with
fine, lovely, clear weather and a top-gallant gale; throughout the night
our average course was S., we cast the lead now and then in 42, 39, 38,
36 and 25 fathom good anchoring-ground.
On Friday the 13th do., the wind was nearly S.E., with a top-gallant gale
and smooth water; course S.S.W. and S. by W.; the water was very pale in
colour, but we could see no land; the weather was lovely and clear; at
noon we found ourselves to be in 10° 50' S.L.
Shortly after noon we cast the lead in 32 fathom good anchoring-ground;
at four glasses in the afternoon we saw the land S.E. by S. of us, at
about 6 miles' distance from us it was a low-lying coast with small
hills; about 6 miles farther to westward we also saw land, not connected
with the first land, but upwards of three miles distant from the same.
Towards the evening it fell a calm; at sunset there was a faint breeze
from the S.S.E.; we made out the extremity of the land to be at about 3
miles' distance S.E. by S. of us; we were still in 32 fathom good
anchoring-ground; we accordingly went over to eastward, but when shortly
before the setting of the watch, the wind went down still more and began
to turn to the N.W., we dropped anchor in 29 fathom good
anchoring-ground.
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On Saturday the 14th do. the current began to set to the S.E. in the
morning, and the wind to blow hard from the E.S.E., so that we could not
carry mainsails then; we weighed anchor and set sail on a South and
South-by-east course. The water gradually shallowed, and seeing that we
could not make the easternmost land, we ran to the westernmost, where we
came to anchor at about a musket-shot's distance from the land in 10
fathom good anchoring-ground. Close along the shore the land is somewhat
rock and reefy here; this land extends here about 3 miles S.E. by S. and
N.W. by N., both slightly more to South and North. In the afternoon we
sent out our small boat to take soundings close inshore; on returning the
men reported that until they came to the reefs they had found no less
than 3Ω fathom good anchoring-ground. Off the point near which we lay at
anchor, a river ran landinward; we hoisted the white flag, and caused the
little boat to paddle close along the shore. We saw smoke, indeed, in
many parts of the inland, but no natives, houses or vessels. This land is
not high, chiefly level, thickly covered with trees, and with a sandy
beach at the seaside. We had taken no latitude at noon; the tide seems to
run from the N.W. here; in the night at the latter end of the first watch
we could take the latitude by the stars and found it to be 12° 8' South.
On Sunday the 15th do. at daybreak the wind blew hard from the E.S.E.; it
was mainsail weather; we convened the Plenary Council and resolved with
the same further to explore this land to the north-west and to use all
possible diligence to get knowledge touching the island of Timor, as will
be found more amply set forth in this day's Resolution.
As we were weighing our anchor, a lanyard and a pulley got broken; we
shaped our course to N.W. by N. and N.N.W. Having sailed the space of
about 2 miles, we came to a point, between which point and another point,
a distance of about 4 miles, the land extends W.N.W. and E.S.E. with
hardly any curve, and with rocks and reefs along the shore. Off this
point the surf and the breakers ran very strongly, as if there were a
shoal there, seeing that the wind and the current were opposed to each
other. We therefore sailed along the coast at less than a mile's distance
from the same in 12, 11 and 10 fathom good anchoring-ground. In many
places we saw great clouds of smoke landinward, but no fruit-trees,
houses, vessels or natives; the land seems to be quite wild. Towards the
evening we cast anchor in 9 fathom good anchoring-ground at about half a
cannonshot's distance from the land; the aforesaid point was E. by N. of
us at upwards of half a mile's distance; during the night we had violent
squalls from the E.S.E. with a thick, foggy sky; landinward we observed a
number of fires.
On Monday the 16th do. in the early morning the wind blew from the E.S.E.
as before with sudden violent squalls. As we were weighing our anchor,
the lanyard-pulley broke, and shortly after our anchor-cable snapped off
at about three fathom's distance from the anchor, so that we lost the
latter. As we were setting our foresail, a musket-shot was fired from the
Yacht Wesel, upon which we dropped our other anchor again; when towards
the evening the weather had somewhat improved, we sent our orangbay to
the Wesel, to learn the meaning of the musket-shot; when the men
returned, they informed us that the Wesel had also lost an anchor, but
that the buoyrope had remained entire, so that we remained here till the
following day in order to recover the same.
On Tuesday the 17th do. towards noon we were informed that the buoy-rope
of the Wesel had broken of its own accord close to the anchor, so that
they had also lost their anchor, upon which forthwith weighing the
anchors of both the Yachts, we found that the cables had also been
damaged through rubbing against hidden stones and rocks.
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As beforementioned, the coast here extends W.S.W. for the space of about
4 miles, with hardly any curve; at 3/8 of a mile's distance from the land
there is already 8 and 7 fathom, good clayey bottom; the wind still blew
from the S.E. and E.S.E. with a steady stiff gale; towards the evening we
came to anchor in 7 fathom good anchoring-ground, at about half a mile's
distance from the land, having the point E.S.E. of us at less than a
mile's distance.
Up to now we have seen no men, vessels or houses; we should certainly
have landed with the boats here and there, but that they were both of
them stove in, and had first to be thoroughly overhauled before they
could be used. During the night the weather was lovely and calm.
On Wednesday the 18th do., the wind blowing from the E.S.E., the weather
was calmer, fairer and steadier than before. We gave a coat of tar to
both our yachts, and remained at anchor the whole of this day, chiefly in
order to see if we could not get sight of natives here or there and come
to parley with the same, but we waited in vain for them. During the night
the weather was bright, fair and clear, the wind blowing from the S.S.E.,
S.E., and E.S.E.
On Thursday the 19th do. at daybreak, the wind being E.S.E. with fair
weather and a weak breeze, we weighed anchor and shaped our course to
W.S.W., slightly more to westward. (The land here extends with a great
curve and river as far as the Witte Hoeck [White point], known by the
white sand-hill near the strand when you come from the east).
At 4 glasses after breakfast we came near a stony, rocky reef, which we
kept outside or to seaward of in 8 and 9 fathom. The eastern extremity of
it is less than a mile to the S.W., slightly more southerly, of the Witte
Hoeck, and the western extremity upwards of mile to the S.W. by S.,
slightly more southerly, of the same; the reef extends S.E. by S. and
N.W. by N.; it is not very long or broad, and there were violent breakers
upon it.
When we had weathered the reef, we again ran W.S.W. at less than a mile's
distance from the land, in 8, 9, 7 and 5 fathom good anchoring-ground.
From the Witte Hoeck the land trends nearly to W.S.W. with a slight
curve, as far as one can see; close to the sea the beach is chiefly
sandy, with small, low sand-hills here and there.
The whole day we saw a good deal of smoke landinward; at noon we were in
exactly 11° S.L. From this Witte Hoeck the land trends to W.S.W.,
slightly westerly, with a slight curve for the space of upwards of 3
miles; from there to W.N.W. with a strong curve the space of upwards of
two miles, as far as a point, off which point, at less than half a mile's
distance to N.E. by E., there is a small island on all sides surrounded
by shoals and reefs; beyond this island the land falls off to the S.W.,
making a curve of 2 miles at least but afterwards it trends to the N.W.
again. This island bears from the land about N.W. and S.E.; the beach is
sandy with reefs here, and there.
At sunset it fell a calm, and we came to anchor in 8 fathom good
anchoring-ground at about a mile's distance from the land, having the
island S.S.E. of us at upwards of a mile's distance. Shortly after we saw
two fires on the beach beyond the island. We estimated ourselves to have
sailed about 8 miles this day; during the night the wind blew from the S.
and S.S.W. with lovely weather. We found little or no current running
here.
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On Friday the 20th do. we set sail at daybreak with a weak breeze from
the S.; we kept mainly at a mile's distance from the land in 7 and 7Ω
fathom good anchoring-ground. In the course of the day the wind went over
to N.E., after which we ran N.W.; at noon we got near the Roode Hoeck
[red point], situated N.W. of the island aforesaid at about 5 miles'
distance; upwards of half a mile's distance from here the land falls off
to W. by W.; from this point a large reef was seen running out to sea the
length of upwards of 1Ω mile, which reef being unable to weather because
we sailed so close to the wind, we came to anchor in 7Ω fathom good
anchoring-ground, at half a mile's distance from the land; the Roode
Hoeck was S.W. and S.W. by S. of us at upwards of half a mile's distance;
we saw smoke rising in various places.
On Saturday the 21st do. we set sail with a S.S.E. and S.E. by S. wind, a
weak breeze and lovely weather. Here, from the point, the land extended
to S. by W. and S.S.W. as far as one could see, with a slight curve only.
The reef above referred to runs out to sea in a northward direction from
the Roode Hoeck upwards of two miles, and from there very far to
westward, upwards of 1Ω mile from the land. It consists of sandy shoals,
having a small hill or rock above water; alongside it the depth was 7, 6,
5 and 4 fathom, uneven bottom. And since the wind blew from the S.E. by
S. as before, so that we could not make the land again, we resolved to
run N.E. We accordingly shaped our course to the N.N.E. for the purpose
of touching at Timor with the help of Almighty God, and take surveyings
of the same.
In or near this land, which in our chart [*] we have named Van
Diemensland, we have seen no men, houses, fruit-trees or prows, although
we ventured to inspect it paddling with our orangbay close along the
shore; the boats of both the yachts being unfit for use, stove in, and
under repair. About 2 glasses after noon, the wind was N.E., N.N.E., and
N.E. by N. with calm and steady weather. At sunset we estimated ourselves
to have the Roode Hoeck S.S.E. of us at 6 miles' distance; during the
night there was a weak breeze from the E.S.E., N.E. by E. and also N.E.;
course held N.N.W., N. by W. and also N., with bright, lovely and clear
weather.
[* This chart is wanting.]
On Sunday the 22nd do. in the morning the wind was E.S.E. with a lovely
breeze and top-gallant weather; course held N.E. At noon we took the
latitude and found it to be 10° 10' South...[*]
[* The further progress of the voyage has no interest connected with our
present subject.]
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