A VOYAGE TO BATAVIA
March 1791 to September 1791
-Captain Hunter leaves Port Jackson in the
Waaksamheyd transport.--In danger amongst some islands.--Isle of
Pines described.--Stewart's islands discovered.--Fall in with
Bradley's shoals.--Discover a cluster of islands.--Name them Lord
Howe's Groupe.--The natives described.--Attempt to find anchorage
on the coast of New-Britain.--Are disappointed.--Anchor at the
Duke of York's island.--Attempt to procure water.--Are attacked
by the natives.--A few shots fired.--The natives dispersed.--A
reconciliation effected.--Natives
described.--Weapons.--Ornaments, etc.--Produce and
soil.--Leave the Duke of York's island.--Natives from the
Admiralty islands visit the ship.--Their canoes
described.--Phillip's islands discovered.--Anchor at Hummock
island.--Refreshments procured.--Visited by the Raja.--A quarrel
ensues.--Several of the natives killed.--Articles of barter in
request.--Canoes described.--Leave Hummock island.--Anchor at
Batavia.--Tables of latitude and longitude,
etc.-
On the 27th of March, 1791, every thing being embarked, we
left Sydney-cove, in the Waaksamheyd transport, and sailed down
the harbour; when we were accompanied by the governor, and most
of the civil and military officers in the settlement. When we
passed the lower point of the Cove, all the marines and the New
South Wales corps, who were off duty, came down and cheered our
people, by way of taking leave, and wishing us a good
passage.
Never, upon any service, did there a better, or a more
friendly, understanding subsist between different corps, than had
ever been the case between the seamen and soldiers employed upon
this. When we came near the lower part of the harbour, our
friends took leave, and soon after the wind setting in from the
sea, we were obliged to anchor until the next morning, when a
land wind carried us clear out. The master of the ship had orders
from Governor Phillip to call at Norfolk Island, in order to take
on board the dispatches of Lieutenant-Governor Ross; but this
order was meant only in case it could be done without any
material loss of time.
We were in all, on board that little vessel, one hundred and
twenty-three souls, victualled for sixteen weeks. We had a very
long voyage before us. It was my wish, if possible, to avoid
touching at Batavia, in order to prevent sickness among our
people, in the very crouded state they were in, which, at the
season we should probably be there, was much to be dreaded. I had
expressed a desire to pass through amongst the Molucca Islands,
and endeavour to call at Timor, for the purpose of watering, and
getting such other articles as could be had there; as by the time
we could arrive among those islands, the easterly wind would be
set in strong; and from thence, to have proceeded as far as I
could with the provisions I had, either to the Mauritius, or the
Cape of Good Hope.
We therefore could not afford to lose much time in an attempt
to call at Norfolk Island; three weeks, however, we persevered in
endeavouring to reach it, and had arrived within twenty-five
leagues of it, when the wind set in strong from the eastward. I
now called the officers and the master of the ship together, to
consider of our situation, with respect to water and provisions.
We had been fitted out in a very hasty and careless manner, with
water-casks built from old worm-eaten staves, which had been
laying exposed to the sun for more than a year; so that by the
time we had arrived within the above distance of the island, we
had lost by leakage full three weeks water, and had every reason
to fear the loss of much more from the same cause: it was not
therefore time, with a heavy sailing vessel, to attempt beating
to windward, in order to reach a place, which we knew we could
not gain without a change of wind; and the very great difficulty
and uncertainty of getting a supply of water there, determined
every one's opinion in favour of bearing away to the
northward.
Much time had already been lost in making the attempt, we
therefore steered to the northward, intending to pass between the
New Hebrides and Nova Caledonia; but in this intention we were
disappointed. Upon making the Isle of Pines, (on the 23d of
April,) which lies off the south end of New Caledonia, (the
island bore when we made it north,) the wind blew so strong from
the northward of east, that we could not weather and pass to the
eastward of it. We had not Cook's Second Voyage on board, so that
we had no account of this land, and as I had always understood
that the Isle of Pines was a small inconsiderable spot, with many
tall pine-trees upon it, we all concluded, that, what afterwards
proved really the island was the land which Captain Cook had
called the Prince of Wales's Foreland, and is the south-west part
of New Caledonia.
We had moreover farther reason to believe this to be the case,
from the circumstance, that from this land to the south-east
there lay a low island on which grew high pine-trees; from which
circumstance, we considered it to be the Isle of Pines; and being
unable, as I have already observed, to weather it, we bore away,
intending to run along the western coast of New Caledonia: this
mistake had nearly proved of fatal consequences to us, for after
we had coasted along for a few leagues, and had been employed in
taking angles for ascertaining the shape of the coast, as we
sailed along it, land was discovered a-head; upon which the
course was altered: soon afterwards, more land was seen still
a-head, and as we hauled up to avoid it, more land and broken
keys or low islands were discovered a-head, and as far to
windward as the eye could reach; we consequently hauled our wind,
and stood towards it, in order to discover our situation with
more certainty.
We soon found that we had sailed into a very deep bay, formed
between the Isle of Pines to the eastward, and a most dangerous
reef on the west, which extended from the high land or south-west
point of New Caledonia, not less than ten or eleven leagues, and
was nearly that distance in a south-west direction from the high
part of the Isle of Pines: in this situation there was no
alternative; for we must either beat to windward to go round the
reef, find a channel through it, or go on shore: the first,
therefore, we determined to attempt, so we made all the sail the
ship could bear, and stood towards the reef, and it being then
evening we wished to ascertain our exact situation before
dark.
We found the reef composed of a number of low islands or keys,
and many rocks above the water, and of considerable breadth; in
short, there was not the smallest hope of passing through it, the
sea broke very high on every part of it, which we could reach
with the eye from the mast-head. As soon as it was dark, and we
thought ourselves near enough to it, we tacked, and kept every
person upon deck during the night. We had, during the time we
were running to leeward and making observations on the coast,
passed by a number of low islands, covered with trees or shrubs,
and had observed they were all surrounded with a reef, which the
sea broke upon, and among these little islands were many reefs,
which appeared only by the breaking of the sea: we were then
thoroughly sensible of our mistake, and that the land which we
had taken from its extent to be a part of New Caledonia, was the
Isle of Pines; and that the height which we had steered down for,
and thought to be a part of the coast which Captain Cook had not
seen, was what he called the Prince of Wales's Foreland, and was
the farthest land he had seen to the westward.
We kept working to windward all night, between that extensive
reef to the westward, and those small keys and reefs which lay
between us and the land, and of which I have since observed,
Captain Cook, in his sketch, takes no notice; the outer reef he
marks, but leaves a large open space between it and the land,
which describes the reef to be a round cluster of rocks above and
under water: he probably had not an opportunity of observing this
dangerous place so near to the land as we had: there may be a
channel to the leeward between the inner end of this reef and the
shore, but it had very little the appearance of it; as we saw
many low shrubby islands between us and the shore, to which they
were probably connected by a reef under water, which, at the
distance we were from it, could not be ascertained.
At day-light in the morning of the 24th, we observed with no
small degree of pleasure, that we had gained ground to windward;
but this we knew was not owing to any weatherly qualities in the
ship, but to the wind having varied several points during the
night, and of which we had availed ourselves: by noon we were so
far to windward as to perceive the utmost extent of the reef to
the southward under our lee, and we had a prospect of weathering
it; we, of course, carried a press of sail, and did weather it
about two or three miles: when a-breast of it, the highest part
of the Isle of Pines was just to be seen above the horizon, which
was very clear, and it bore by compass north-east by north,
distant ten or eleven leagues; having passed without the reef, at
noon we observed our latitude to be 23° 7' south, so that the
south extremity of this dangerous reef lies in latitude 23°
00' south nearly: as soon as we were fairly clear of this
situation, we bore away to the westward.
The Isle of Pines, so far from being an inconsiderable spot,
as I had believed, is not less than 14 or 15 miles over in a
south-east and north-west direction; it is high and remarkable in
the middle, being quite a pointed hill, sloping towards the
extremities, which are very low; the low land had many tall
pine-trees upon it; these trees, in length, seemed exceedingly to
surpass those of Norfolk Island, but their branches did not
appear to extend so far from the body of the tree.
We continued to steer to the north-westward without seeing any
thing, and when we had reached the latitude of 19° 00' south,
which is supposed to be as far to the northward as any part of
New Caledonia extends, we hauled to the north-east, so as to pass
between Queen Charlotte's Islands and that large track of land
which had been seen by Monsieurs Bougainville and Surville
formerly, and lately by Lieutenant Shortland, in the Alexander
Transport, and more recently still by Lieutenant Ball, in his
Majesty's armed tender Supply. The part seen by Lieutenant Ball
is, I believe, more to the southward, than that seen by the
French, and is no doubt the same as that seen by Lieutenant
Shortland; but the one sailed along the east, the other along the
west side of it. It is highly probable that there is a
continuation of the same track, and it is farther probable, by
the breaks which have been observed in it, that it is a chain of
islands extending in a south-east and north-west direction, and
very nearly connected with the coast of New Guinea.
On the 5th of May we were near as far to the northward as the
southermost part of this land, but did not see it, being by our
longitude in 163° 33' east, which is more than a degree to
the eastward of the south part seen by the Supply; the weather
was now dark and gloomy, with heavy rain at times, and light,
variable winds. Queen Charlotte's Islands certainly lie farther
to the eastward than has generally been supposed, otherwise we
must have made them, for we crossed their latitude in 163°
30' east longitude, which is nearly what the west end of Egmont
Island is said to lie in.
On the 8th of May we had a number of very good observations of
the sun and moon's distance, by which our longitude was at noon
163° 32' east, and the latitude at the same time 9° 33'
south. On the 10th, in the morning, we saw land bearing
west-north-west, distant about seven leagues; we bore down to
make it plain, and it proved to be a cluster of small islands,
five in number; they were well covered with trees, amongst which
we thought we observed the cocoa-nut.
These islands, when we first discovered them, appeared as only
one, which induced me to think it might be Carteret's Island; and
had it not been that by going nearer we discovered that there
were five of them, and that they did not at all answer the
description of that given by Captain Carteret, I should have
concluded that it was so, although the longitude of his island
must have been very erroneous, had it been the case. Their
latitude is 8° 26' south, which is nearly the latitude of
Carteret's; and their longitude, deduced from the preceding day's
observations, is 163° 18' east. We steered from them directly
to the northward, in order to see if we could discover Gower's
Island, which Captain Carteret says lies about ten or eleven
leagues to the northward of Carteret's; but as we saw nothing, I
concluded they had never been seen before; I therefore called
them Stewart's Islands, as a mark of my respect for the
honourable Keith Stewart.
The two largest of the islands just mentioned I judged to be
about three miles in length; whether they were inhabited or not
we could not discover: we passed to windward of them, and not
being situated conveniently for making discoveries, or exploring
unknown lands, we made the best of our way to the northward: just
after we left these islands, we passed through a very strong
ripling of a tide or current, and saw the trunks of several large
trees in the water. On the 12th, at nine o'clock in the morning,
the man at the mast-head discovered breakers on the starboard
bow, and not more than six miles distant; soon after, breakers
were seen on the starboard quarter, and on the beam, extending in
the direction of east-south-east and west-north-west five leagues
distant: at eleven, breakers were seen on the larboard beam, in
different patches about two miles long, and lying parallel to
those on the starboard side.
On this we brought to, and sounded with 130 fathoms of line,
but had no ground. This had the appearance of a dangerous cluster
of shoals, for being situated in a climate where it seldom blows
so strong as to raise a large sea, a ship might in the night,
without a very good look-out, be in very great danger before they
could be perceived: they appeared to be sand shoals, and very
little below the surface: the passage we sailed through is in
latitude 6° 52' south, and longitude 161° 06' east: these
patches should not be crossed in the night: I called them
Bradley's Shoals. The variation was here 8° 01' east.
On the 14th, at day-light in the morning, we saw land, and at
sunrise we observed this land to be a number of islands; some
were of considerable extent, and many of a smaller size.
Thirty-two were distinctly counted from the mast-head, bearing
from north-west half north to north-east half east; many of them
were considerably distant, so far as to make it probable that we
did not see the whole of this extensive groupe. At ten o'clock we
perceived six or seven canoes coming off, with large triangular
sails; a little after noon, one of them, with nine men in it,
came up with us, although we did not shorten sail: we could not
persuade them to come along-side, or touch the ship, but we threw
a few beads and nails, and other trifles, into their boat, with
which they appeared much pleased; and in return, they threw some
pieces of cocoa-nut on board; at one o'clock a fresh breeze
sprung up, and they left us. The men in this boat were a stout,
clean, well made people, of a dark copper colour; their hair was
tied in a knot on the back of their head, and they seemed to have
some method of taking off their beards; for they appeared to us
as if clean shaved, but they had an ornament, consisting of a
number of fringes, like an artificial beard, which was fastened
on between the nose and mouth, and close under the nose; to that
beard hung a row of teeth, which gave them the appearance of
having a mouth lower than their natural one; they had holes run
through the sides of the nose into the passage, into which, as
well as through the septum, were thrust pieces of reed or bone;
their arms and thighs were marked in the manner described by
Captain Cook, of some of the natives of the islands he visited in
these seas, called tatowing; and some were painted with red and
white streaks; they wore a wrapper round their middle. Their
canoe was about 40 feet long; it was badly made, and had an
out-rigger.
The islands appeared very thickly covered with wood, among
which the cocoa-nut was very distinguishable; I think it highly
probable that there may be good anchorage amongst them, but my
situation would not admit of my examining into that matter. They
lie in an east and west direction along that side on which we
sailed (south side), and their latitude on that side is 5°
30' south, the longitude from 159° 14' east to 159° 37'
east*.
[* These islands I called Lord Howe's
Groupe.]
On the 18th, at eight o'clock in the morning, we saw three
small islands bearing west-north-west, and very high land bearing
south-west: at eleven o'clock two more islands were in sight from
the mast-head, and two smaller ones, which appeared no larger
than rocks: at noon five islands and two rocks were to be seen;
they seemed all to be connected by a reef which on the west side
extended some distance from them; great part of a sand bank
within the reef appeared dry, and some natives were seen upon it;
two canoes, with triangular sails, endeavoured to reach the ship,
but it blew very fresh, and we could not afford to lose time.
These I took to be a part of Captain Carteret's nine islands;
they seemed to lie in the direction of south-east and
north-west.
We sailed round the south end, from which, to the westward, a
reef extends about two miles. The southermost island lies in the
latitude of 4 53' south, and longitude 155° 20' east; the
south-westernmost island is in 4° 50' south, and longitude
155° 13' east. The land seen in the south-west was
exceedingly high, and bore at noon south-south-west half west: at
sun-set, the extremes of the high land bore from south by east to
west-south-west, and seemed to terminate to the northward in a
low woody point; about the middle part of this high land there is
a considerable breach or opening, which had much the appearance
of a streight or passage through; and as I judge this is the
land, along the west side of which Lieutenant Shortland, in the
Alexander transport, sailed, until he found an opening through
which he passed to the eastward, I think it highly probable that
this may be the streight; particularly as he says, "That soon
after he was clear, and stretching to the north-east, he fell in
with four islands, which he took to be part of Carteret's nine
islands*." This opening was intersected from two stations, and
the run of the ship, and was found to lie in the latitude of
5° 25' south, and longitude 154° 30' east.
[* See Shortland's Journal and Charts in Phillip's
Voyage, fourth Edition; and "Discoveries of the French," by M.
Fleurieu, late minister of the French Navy: a very ingenious and
able work on the discoveries of the French and Spaniards in the
South Seas.]
Whether these islands, which I have last mentioned are Captain
Carteret's nine islands, or those Lieutenant Shortland saw, I
will not be very positive; he says, they extended north-west by
west and south-east by east; the direction is nearly the same,
and the distance in that direction is fifteen leagues, and their
number nine. We did not see much more than half that distance, in
which seven only were to be seen.
Our latitude, considering that he passed round the north end,
and we the south, will agree very well; and with respect to
longitude, his was determined by the reckoning of the ship, mine
by lunar observations, and the difference is only about a
degree.
At day-light in the morning of the 19th, we saw Sir Charles
Hardy's Island, bearing north 2° 00' west, five leagues
distant; and Winchelsea, (or Lord Anson's Island, as marked in
Captain Carteret's chart) south 48° 00' east; this last was
certainly the point which terminated the high land
before-mentioned, for we had kept it in sight since the evening
before, and were a-breast of it at two in the morning, and were
not more than fourteen or fifteen miles from it. Its latitude
will be 5° 08' south, and the longitude 154° 31' east.
Sir Charles Hardy's Island is low, level, and covered with wood;
its latitude is 4° 41' south, and the longitude 154° 20'
east.
At noon on the 19th, we saw high land bearing from west to
west-north-west. It was very cloudy over it, so that we could not
see its extent to the northward; it was distant eight or nine
leagues: the west point of it was, no doubt, Cape Saint George,
New Ireland. At six in the afternoon of the 20th, Cape Saint
George bore north 80° 00' west, five leagues distant. We had
light winds during the night, and in the morning, the land was so
covered with clouds that we could not discover the extremity or
point of the Cape; we steered to the north-north-west, having
found, from the general bearings of the land, that we had been
set to the southward during the night: at noon it was clearer,
and the Cape bore north 14° 00' east ten or eleven miles
distant. We had very light and baffling airs during the night of
the 21st, which made me apprehensive, from what Captain Carteret
has said of strong westerly currents here, that as we had now
opened St. George's Channel, we might be set past both Gower and
Carteret's harbours, before we could get as much wind as would
command the ship; for she was as dull and heavy sailing a vessel
as I ever was embarked in, and in my opinion was wholly unfit for
the service she was now employed in. When any other vessel would
be going three knots with a light wind, we could scarcely give
her steerage-way.
In the evening, finding, as I apprehended, the ship setting
fast to the westward, we hauled up to the eastward, in order to
keep as near the Cape as possible, until day-light. That night
also we had little wind, and that was variable; we kept her head
as much as possible to the eastward, and at eight in the morning
the Cape bore north 16° 00' east, distant eleven or twelve
miles; which was much farther off than I wished; at the same
time, a projecting point on the coast of New-Britain bore west
north-west: we were becalmed most of this day, and were still
setting to the westward. In the afternoon of the 22d, a very
light breeze sprung up from the eastward, with which we
endeavoured to get within Wallis's island; we sounded frequently,
but had no ground with 130 fathoms of line: this situation was
truly distressing, for although we had every thing set, we could
not force the ship more than a knot and a half through the water,
and had the mortification to see that we were driving to the
westward: about two o'clock the breeze freshened up a little, and
although we were within three miles of anchorage in Gower's
harbour, we saw plainly we could not fetch it; however I had
hope, as Carteret's harbour is laid down in the chart four
leagues to leeward of it, that we might with ease get in there;
we had a boat in shore at this time sounding, and it was the
general opinion, that unless we bore away soon, we should not run
the distance before dark, we therefore made the signal for the
boat, and bore away.
The northermost point in sight from the ship was, according to
the sketch made in the Swallow, Point Carteret; we considered the
north-west entrance as near to that point, but intended of course
to avail ourselves of being to windward to go in at the
southermost passage. The distance, as I have already mentioned,
being marked four leagues from Wallis's Island to Carteret
harbour, unfortunately deceived us; and Cocoa-nut island being
low, when compared with the high land under which it lies,
appeared like a low point projecting from it: we were past the
south entrance of this harbour, before we thought ourselves
within six miles of it, and had now a strong south-east wind,
which two hours sooner, would have enabled us to have got into
English Cove, in Gower harbour: the distance from harbour to
harbour did not appear to me to be more than two leagues, if so
much. It was our misfortune, that the distances marked in the
sketch just mentioned, did not agree with our judgment of
them.
And there is another error which I must take the liberty to
correct, and which also tended to deceive us; Point Carteret, in
the Swallow's sketch, is the extremity of the land westward,
which can be seen from a ship off Gower harbour, and the land
from that point inclines immediately to the northward; but there
is a point which lies north-west from Point Carteret, not less
than four miles, and from that point the land trends to the
northward: this point comes suddenly down from very high land to
a round bluff point, which is steep to, and Point Carteret is low
and woody. We discovered our mistake when it was too late to
recover it in such a vessel.
We ran along the shore close in, and endeavoured to find
anchorage; we had also a boat a-head for the same purpose, but
although we went sometimes within a cable's length of the shore,
we could not find bottom. Our situation now became serious, for
our water was become short, and we had yet a long voyage before
us; it was now absolutely necessary to look for some supply of
that article, and as we were only victualled for sixteen weeks
when we left Port Jackson, and had already been eight at sea, we
could not on that account lose much time, lest we should meet
with calms as we came near the Line. Full allowance of water, in
so sultry a climate, and so crowded a ship, was a matter which I
was exceedingly anxious about, for without a sufficiency of that
article, sickness amongst the people was much to be dreaded.
Before we went any farther to the northward, I was determined
to try the coast of New-Britain; we therefore stood over for that
land, intending, if possible, to find an anchoring place. On the
morning of the 22d, we came within three or four leagues of the
shore; it then fell calm, and the boat was sent in shore with Mr.
Keltie, the master of the Sirius, who had directions to make a
certain signal if he found anchorage: in the afternoon, a light
breeze sprung up, which enabled us to stand in and meet the boat.
Mr. Keltie reported, that the part of the coast which he had been
in with, was streight, and had no appearance of any sort of bay,
or the smallest probability of anchorage; that he had frequently
tried to get bottom within three cables length of the shore, but
without success. On this coast we found a regular tide, its
general direction was south-east and north-west.
The hills mentioned by Captain Carteret, on the coast of
New-Britain, by the name of the Mother and Daughters, are very
remarkable; a little way within the south-eastermost Daughter,
there is a small flat-top'd hill, or volcano, which all the time
we were within sight of it, emitted vast columns of black smoke.
On this coast there appeared many extensive spots of cleared, and
apparently cultivated land.
The next step that was to be pursued, was to examine the Duke
of York's Island, and on the night of the 22d, we ran off the
east point of it, with a light air from the westward, and brought
to till day-light; having been near enough to the south-east part
of the island the whole of the preceding day, to discover that
there was little prospect of anchorage on that side. In the night
we heard breakers at no great distance from us; this we found at
day-light was a spit, which runs a small distance off the east
point of the island.
On the 23d in the morning, we had very little wind, and the
boat was sent in shore to sound; the ship was at this time about
a mile and a half off. Many canoes came off, with every
appearance of friendly disposition; we gave them a few trifles,
and they seemed to insist on making a return for every thing they
received; cocoa-nuts, yams, and bananas, were held out on the
point of a long spear, or pole, for they seemed afraid to touch
the ship; the boat which was sounding endeavoured to make them
understand that we wanted water, and showed a small keg,
intimating by signs that they wanted it filled; the people in one
of the canoes went to the boat, received the keg, went
immediately on shore, filled it, and brought it back to the boat:
the officer then gave them another small keg, which he meant as a
present, but it was immediately sent on shore by another canoe:
in the mean time a breeze sprung up, the boat steered along shore
and the ship followed: the people who had taken the last keg,
after having filled it, followed our boat with the utmost speed,
came up with her and delivered it; this I thought a striking
proof of the honesty of these people, and it will particularly
appear so, when it is considered, that the keg was hooped with
iron.
As we ran round the western side of the island, we observed a
small bay or cove, into which the boat went, followed by many
canoes, and an immense multitude of people on the shore. We
shortened sail to give the boat time to examine it; she very soon
returned, and Mr. Keltie informed us that there was anchorage in
the bay; we immediately made sail into it, and at noon of the
23d, anchored in twenty-one fathoms soft ground, with some loose
patches of coral; here we were within a cable and a half of the
beach.
In the afternoon, we sent the boats armed to look for fresh
water; a vast multitude of the natives were by this time
assembled on the shore, and the bay was filled with canoes; in
consequence of which we got the ship's guns loaded and ready;
(she mounted six three-pounders) but although they were
exceedingly clamorous, they were still apparently well disposed;
they showed the officer in the boat how to find water by digging
holes in the sandy beach, in the manner frequently practised in
the West-Indies; we followed their advice, and sunk a cask in the
sand; the water flowed into it, but was too much mixed with the
sea water to be used. Some of the natives, however, afterwards
pointed out another place, from which the fresh water issued in a
considerable stream, out of chasms in the rocky face of a high
bank: this discovery set our people upon farther searches, and
they found several such discharges from the side of the bank,
enough to answer our purpose, if the natives remained quiet and
friendly.
This business I was particularly desirous we might be able to
effect, without being under the necessity of convincing them of
our superiority in arms. The first day was spent in endeavouring
to show them, that we were desirous of a friendly intercourse
with them, and that we wanted nothing but water, which they could
well spare: however, on discovering that water was to be had, we
were of course determined to have as much as might be necessary
for our purpose, and by such means as might be found necessary
and effectual.
This first night there was a very strict look-out kept, as
well by the natives as by us; they had a regular watch-word,
which they sung out in a very pleasing and musical manner, and it
was answered by those on the next post, and so all round the
skirt of the wood. The next morning we loaded one boat with empty
casks, and had the other armed, to lie off the shore and cover
the people employed filling water; the ship's guns were loaded
with round and grape shot, and were within less than two cables
length of the watering-place; twelve men, with small arms,
attended on shore with the waterers.
The watering business was now begun, and might have satisfied
the natives what our business was there; however, their numbers
increased to such a degree, all armed, and they were so very
troublesome, that very little work could be done in the watering.
An old man, who was powdered all over with a white powder, and
who seemed to possess great authority and influence amongst his
countrymen, disposed them to be more and more troublesome;
presents were offered him, but he rejected every thing with a
very surly and determined air; in short, he seemed resolved that
we should not fill water, or remain upon their territory; he
carried every appearance of an intention to dispute the point by
force; every means were used to please this old fellow, but
without effect.
At last some stones were thrown from a sling, but this was not
done until the principal part of the natives had retired to some
distance from the place where our people were employed; the men
who were armed for the protection of the waterers, stood the
whole time with their arms ready to fire at a moment's notice,
and the natives, ignorant of what the musquets were, had
certainly taken them for clubs. Some of the stones, which they
threw, came with the force of a shot from a gun among the
sailors. The consequence of this unmerited attack was, that the
officer was obliged to fire, the covering boat fired, and a few
shot were fired from the ship: at this time, there were thirty or
forty canoes about the ship, full of people; their terror and
consternation at the noise, and probably the effect of the guns,
was such, that many leaped from their boats overboard, and swam
under water as far as they were able; such guns as were fired
from the side on which the canoes were, were pointed well over
them, being more intended to intimidate than destroy. This firing
occasioned a general dispersion of the natives, and the filling
of water was carried on with case and expedition.
We received on board that afternoon about seven tons. The next
morning, before the boats went on shore, we fired a few grape
shot into the woods, and the boats landed without seeing any of
the natives; at the same time we warped the ship within a cable's
length of the watering-place, and secured her head and stern for
covering the party on shore; the covering boat was directed to
fire whenever any of the natives were seen in the woods over the
watering party, which, in the course of the day, they had
frequent occasion to do.
Many canoes came into the bay this day, but kept at an awful
distance, holding up green boughs as a signal of peace and amity;
to some we made signs to go away; to others, who ventured a
little nearer, we showed signs of friendship, and made them
perfectly understand, that our firing was occasioned by their
slinging of stones among our people, who were watering: after
these hostilities, our watering went on without the smallest
interruption, except that the covering boat had occasion
sometimes to fire a few musquets into the woods over the watering
place.
In four days we compleated our water, and on the last evening,
as the sailors were coming from the shore, a number of the
natives from the woods right above the watering place, came down
to the beach with green boughs in their hands, bringing with them
cocoa-nuts, yams, plantains, etc. accompanied by a song of
friendship: they seemed earnestly to with for a reconciliation,
and took every means in their power to testify their concern for
what had happened; a boat was sent on shore to meet them, with a
green branch in the bow, and the boat's crew were desired to
spread open their arms when they came near the breach, to show
they were well disposed to peace.
When the boat landed, the natives retired back a little, but
not out of sight; having piled up upon the beach their
peace-offering, which consisted of yams, cocoa-nuts, plantains,
bananas, sugar-cane, and some other articles: on the top of this
pile was laid a small living male and female dog, with their
mouths and feet tied: (they appeared to be of the small terrier
kind) in the middle of the heap was stuck in the sand, a young
tree of the palm kind, upon a branch of which were hung a number
of braded lines, like what is called by seamen, _sennit_,
and much of the same colour, being made of the bark of a
particular tree: what this could mean we were wholly at a loss to
comprehend, unless, as the head of this young tree was designedly
bent down by the lines above-mentioned, it was meant as a token
of submission; be that as it might, they received the boat's
crew, etc. with every demonstration of a true concern for what
had happened; and I fear and believe they had much cause to be
sorry, for I think some must have lost their lives by the grape
shot from the ship.
It is much to be regretted, that after having seen us employed
in getting what we wanted, in doing which every person was
completely employed, and not the most distant appearance of
insult, or any sort of provocation had been offered them, they
could not have desisted from hostility until some kind of offence
had been offered, a circumstance which, during the whole time,
was most particularly guarded against in those employed on shore:
but from an ignorance of the effect of our arms, and from their
very superior numbers, they were inclined to be insolent and
troublesome; our sailors on shore were so very few, when compared
with their numbers, that it became absolutely necessary to resent
the first unprovoked offence which they gave, and thereby to
convince them, before it might be too late, that although their
numbers far exceeded ours, their real force was very
inferior.
After peace had been re-established on shore, the conk shell
was sounded, which is the signal whereby they assemble
considerable numbers; and in a very short time, they appeared
coming from all parts of the wood round the bay, and were met by
those who had been the means of bringing about a reconciliation,
with a song of friendship, in which the whole joined, and which
was really harmonious and very pleasing: the canoes crowded the
bay from different parts of the island, and were as familiar as
ever, except that they would not now venture on board, which many
had done before this quarrel: every boat brought a green bough,
that was conspicuously held up; they also brought many things to
barter, and were pleased with such trifles as we had to give them
in return.
They are, I believe, the only people in those seas, who do not
set a value upon iron work, in preference to any other thing;
beads or looking-glasses they were not much pleased with, but
rags of white linen, strips of scarlet cloth, or any thing of gay
colours, they were very anxious to have: nails they would not
accept at all.
The natives of the Duke of York's Island are a stout, robust,
well made people, of a light copper colour; I saw none who could
be called black; they go entirely naked; the hair is woolly, but
it is so managed by some sort of grease or ointment, and a white
or red powder with which they dress it, that it hangs on some
like so many candle wicks, or rather like the thrums of a new mop
reversed, or turned upside down; they are generally as fully
powdered as a beau dressed for an assembly; some have their hair
of a yellow, sun burnt colour, others quite red, as if powdered
wholly with the true marechall; none are seen with the hair of
its natural colour.
This yellow or red appearance, I believe, may be occasioned by
this universal method of powdering, for the powder seems to be
made from burnt shells, or coral, and is really a kind of lime;
they generally carry a small goard or box filled with it about
them, and when they are hostilely disposed, they frequently take
a quantity of this powder into the hollow of the hand, from
which, with a strong blast from the mouth, they blew it before
them; and at a small distance it has exactly the appearance of
firing gunpowder, and no doubt is meant as a token of defiance.
This practice is certainly used by the people of New Guinea, for
Captain Cook takes notice of it when his boat landed on that
coast near Cape Walsh, and says, that he supposes those people
have some method of producing fire in that sudden manner.
He also observes, that they had a bamboo or hollow cane from
which fire and smoke was observed to issue; but I am disposed to
think, that the conjecture of having seen fire could only have
been occasioned by the appearance of smoke, which we naturally
suppose to have proceeded from fire, for it is probable that fire
and smoke being projected suddenly from any confined engine,
would occasion some degree of explosion, although it is also
probable that the gentlemen in the Endeavour's boat might not
have been near enough to have heard it: however, after all, there
is much reason to believe, that what Captain Cook saw upon that
coast was the very practice used here, where we saw it in a much
nearer interview, as some of our people had it blown in their
eyes. Their chief, upon hostile occasions, powdered his body all
over, so that it was no difficult matter to discover him.
They also upon such occasions painted their faces red; some
had marks upon their arms and shoulders, occasioned by scarifying
those parts in long stripes, and letting the sore rise above the
surface of the skin; they frequently wore a bone or reed thrust
through the septum of the nose, and, like the natives of Lord
Howe's Groupe, had also holes cut through the wings of the nose,
into which were fixed short pieces of hollow reed, as ladies wear
wires to keep the ears open when newly bored; into these hollows
or rings they occasionally stuck long pieces of reed, which are
no doubt considered by them as ornamental. The men in general
were well looking people, but such of their women as I saw were
very ordinary.
The weapons used by the people of this island were lances of
different kinds, some were made of a kind of ebony, or hard wood,
about ten feet long, frequently ornamented with feathers of
different colours at the upper end; others were made of bamboo,
pointed with hard wood; the lance is thrown by hand, but they had
not the use of the throwing stick, like the natives of New South
Wales: they also, in their quarrels, used the sling for throwing
stones, which appears to be made of some tough dried leaf,
several times doubled; the strings were manufactured from some
soft, silky, and fibrous plant; they throw a round hard pebble,
of which they generally carried a small nett full about them; the
stones were about the size of a small fowl's egg, and flew with
much force, and great exactness from the sling: they had also a
long unhandy kind of club. They used, in fishing, a fishing
spear, small seine netts, and hooks and lines; their hooks were
of tortoise-shell, from which circumstance there can be no doubt
but they have either turtle in their neighbourhood, or the
tortoise upon the island.
They had a kind of musical instrument, with which they
sometimes, in their canoes alongside, endeavoured to amuse us; it
was composed of a number of hollow reeds of different lengths,
fastened together, but they did not seem to be very expert in
proportioning their lengths, or tuning them to harmony: sound,
not concord, seemed to be all they expected from it; they blew
into the mouth of the different reeds by drawing the instrument
across their lips, and in that manner they produced sounds: their
vocal music was far more harmonious, although there was not much
variety in it. Those who were considered as people of distinction
were always to be found in a better sort of boat than common; and
I observed, that when any canoe came near the ship with people of
distinction on board, the higher ranks were always to be known by
a man sitting in the middle of the boat, who held a wooden
instrument in his hand, resembling in shape a common paddle, but
handsomely carved and painted, with its handle finished something
like the hilt of a sword.
When those people were disposed to be kind and friendly, they
frequently sung out in one particular tone, in which, if there
were five hundred together, the nicest ear could not discover one
to differ in the tone or particular note; and immediately after
they all mimicked the barking of a dog: this was meant by them as
a _certain proof_ of their friendly disposition. Before we
had cause to quarrel with them many came on board and were
shaved, an operation with which they were much pleased.
This island, by its appearance from the sea, I judged to be
about ten miles long, in a south-south-west and north-north-east
direction; it is not high, nor can it be called low land, but
appears, when near it, of moderate height and flat: it is well
covered with wood, and along the sea shore were to be seen many
huts of the natives, which were small and neatly made; they were
chiefly built of bamboo, and generally situated under the shade
of a grove of cocoa-nut trees, with a fence or railing before
them, within which the ground was well cleared and trodden, which
gave their little habitations a very neat and cleanly appearance:
I examined whilst we lay there several neat and well fenced
inclosures, in which were the plantain, banana, yam, sugar cane,
and several other articles, which they seem to take some pains to
cultivate.
In short, from what we could discover in the little time we
remained there, I may venture to pronounce the island a perfect
garden, as far as it can with propriety be called so in the hands
of a people, who, no doubt, trust chiefly to nature, and who are
ignorant of the means of assisting her, in the improvement of
those advantages, which she has so bountifully bestowed upon
them.
Although our time here was so short, we had an opportunity of
knowing that this island produced cocoa-nuts, yams, plantains,
bananas, sugar-cane, beetle-nut, mangos, bread-fruit, and guavas.
There are also dogs, hogs, and the common fowls, and some spices,
(the nutmeg I saw). Most of the natives chew the beetle, and with
it used the chenam and a leaf, as practised in the East-Indies;
by which the mouth appeared very red, and their teeth, after a
time, became black.
Their canoes were neatly made, and of various sizes, with an
out-rigger to balance them. I sent the carpenter of the Sirius on
shore, to examine the different kinds of timber; he reported to
me, that he found one tree which was hard, and had something like
the appearance of ebony, but was not quite so black; all the
others he tried were soft and spongy, like the palm or cabbage
tree.
The soil I think for richness beyond any I ever saw; it
exceeded Norfolk Island in that respect: I had a man with me who
had been upon that island from its first settlement, and who had
cleared and cultivated land there; he assured me that this was
superior to any he had ever opened at that island.
On the 27th in the morning, we prepared for sailing; before we
got under way, two English pointers, male and female, which had
been given to the master of the ship at Port Jackson, were sent
on shore, and given to a party of the natives, who seemed highly
delighted with them; a cock and hen were also given to them.
At ten o'clock we sailed out of the bay. This bay was named
Port Hunter; its latitude is 4° 7' 30" south, and longitude
152° 42' east; although it is not large, it is convenient and
safe at this season; it lies on the north-west part of the
island, and you may anchor in any part of it, from twenty-five to
fifteen fathoms, but the shoal-water has the worst ground: in
twenty fathoms it is soft, with loose patches of coral; the
watering place is on the east side, but as the tide flows up to
the place from whence the fresh water issues, it is best to fill
from half ebb to half flood. The water is so exceedingly soft,
that there were some amongst us who were so prejudiced against it
that they believed it brackish; a quality I own which I never
could discover in it; I was therefore of opinion that this
prejudice could only have proceeded from knowing that the salt
water was so very near it at high water time; such opinions were
not however confirmed from experience, as we never felt any
inconvenience from it. The tide here seemed to rise five or six
feet, but the exact period of high water was not noticed, we had
so much business to do.
We steered north-west by west, and west-north-west, and at
eight o'clock in the morning, saw Sandwich Island, bearing
north-west; at noon, our latitude was 3° 13' south, and
longitude 150° 42' east; the south-west point of Sandwich
Island bearing north 45° west, distant from the nearest shore
six leagues. The latitude of the south-west point will be 2°
58' south, and its longitude 150° 27' east. This island is of
moderate height, and well covered with wood; we passed on the
south side; its general direction is about east-north-east and
west-south-west, and in that direction is about seven leagues in
length: it appeared to be of considerable breadth at its eastern
end, and narrow towards its western, where it terminates in a
narrow point, off which lies a small woody island, with a narrow
passage between that and the main island, to which it appears
connected by a reef. On the north side of Sandwich Island, we
observed the remarkable peaked hill mentioned by Captain
Carteret, and also the corresponding one on the coast of New
Ireland.
As soon as we were passed Sandwich Island, we observed that
the western current, which we had hitherto experienced in this
strait, now took a turn more northerly, having opened the strait,
or passage between New Ireland and New Hanover, which last land
we saw before night. We steered during the night west by north by
compass, intending to pass at a convenient distance from the
Portland Islands, but at day-light we were obliged to haul up
west by south, having been more to the northward than we
expected: we passed them at four miles distance; they are nine in
number, are low and covered with wood; the center of them is in
latitude 2° 38' south, and longitude 149° 08' east.
During the night of the 30th, we had heavy dull weather, with
light and variable winds, and the appearance of the wind
threatened much rain, which, however, fell only in light showers.
At seven the next morning, we saw an island bearing north-west by
west, and at eight, saw more land from the mast-head, bearing
west; those we supposed to be part of the Admiralty Islands: the
wind was now at south-west, and we could not weather the
southermost, on which we bore away and passed between them. The
smaller, which we left to leeward, was a pretty looking spot, of
moderate height, its latitude was 2° 19' south, and longitude
147° 52' east. As we had seen much land, and in different
directions, before dark, we determined to bring to for the night;
it then fell calm, so that we had by the morning only drifted a
little with a current to the north-west.
At day-light of the 31st, we saw much land to the northward
and westward. Five large canoes came off from the nearest island,
in each of which were eleven men; six paddled, and five stood up
in the center of the boat, who appeared to be of the better sort,
being painted and ornamented, and seemed as if intended for war;
but when they came near, they showed no hostile appearance: we
invited them by signs to come on board, but they would not
venture near the ship; they held up various articles, which they
seemed desirous of exchanging; such as lines, shells, ornaments
of different kinds, and bundles of darts or arrows: they were a
stout well-looking people, rather darker than the natives of the
Duke of York's Island; their hair appeared woolly, and and was
knotted or tied upon the top of their head; they wore a wrapper
round their waist. One of them made various motions for shaving,
by holding up something in his hand, with which he frequently
scraped his cheek and chin; this led me to conjecture, that some
European ship had been lately amongst them, and I thought it not
improbable, that it might have been Mons. de la Perouse, in his
way to the northward from Botany-Bay.
Their canoes appeared from forty to fifty feet long, were
neatly made, and turned a little up at the extremities; there was
a stage which lay across the midships of the boat, and projected
out some distance on one side; it was bent upwards a little at
the outer end, to prevent its dipping in the water, by the motion
of the boat; this stage seemed intended for the warriors to use
their weapons upon: on the opposite side, was fitted in a
different manner, an out-rigger to balance the boat; three of the
rowers sat before and three abaft the stage, so that those
intended for battle were not at all incommoded by them.
A heavy black squall coming on at this time, they all pushed
for the land, otherwise I believe we might have prevailed on them
to come alongside.
The north-west end of this island is in latitude 2° 21'
south; longitude 147° 28' east; and the southermost point in
sight was in latitude 2° 28' south, and longitude 147°
33' east. A fresh breeze now sprung up, and we wished if possible
to clear the islands before night: all sail was made, and as we
ran past this large island, we raised many others; in short, land
was seen in every direction; four islands were seen from the
mast-head, bearing east-north-east, and two low level islands
a-head, between which there appeared an open passage; we steered
for it, and at noon passed through it: its latitude is 2° 10'
south; longitude 147° 26' east.
At four in the afternoon, the western extremity of a very long
island bore west half south, and we steered west-north-west,
determined to run no farther during the night than we could see
before dark. The night was very dark, with heavy rain, and a very
light air of wind.
At day-light the extremity of a very large island, bore from
south-east to south-west by south; at noon the latitude observed
was 1° 44' south, and the extremes of this island, as far as
the eye could reach, bore from south 23° 00' east, to south
50° 00' west, distant from the nearest shore five leagues.
This island is so very extensive, that I believe it to be the
largest of the Admiralty Islands: I do not think that we saw its
western extremity, for as far as we could discern from aloft,
trees were to be seen just above the horizon: the westermost
point seen from the ship was in latitude 1° 59' south, and
the longitude of it was 146° 30' east.
This groupe of islands is very extensive, as well in a north
and south direction as east and west. Having now got to the
westward of the Admiralty Islands, I considered myself clear of
St. George's Channel; and I agree perfectly with Captain
Carteret, in thinking it a very safe, and (to ships bound
northward, which want water,) a very convenient navigation; his
chart was of much use to us in coming through, although, had time
permitted, considerable additions, and some improvements, might
have been made to it.
On the 3d of June, we saw land, about two points before the
starboard beam; this proved to be two islands: at eight o'clock
the next morning, we saw another island, bearing south 42°
00' west; and by intersections taken by the ship's run, this last
island was ten leagues distant; it was high land: at noon we
determined that island in the south-west to be in latitude 1°
36' south; longitude 145° 35' east; and those to the
northward, I judged to be in latitude 0° 55' south; longitude
146° 09' east. I think it probable that these islands may
have been seen before, as in a general chart of these seas which
I have seen, there are three islands laid down nearly in this
situation.
From those islands we steered to the north-west and
west-north-west, with light and variable winds, and sometimes
squally and very unsettled weather, with a disagreeable head-sea,
against which we made very slow progress. On the 8th, at noon, by
a considerable number of very good lunar distances, our longitude
was found to be 144° 13' east, which agreed so very near with
our account carried on from the last observations, that I think
the longitude of the different lands, as marked in this Journal,
will not be found very erroneous. In this part of our passage, we
saw many very large trees floating about the sea.
We now found the ship had set fourteen or fifteen miles a day
to the northward more than the log gave; and in the parallel of
4° 00' north, or nearly, we found, that for the space of
eight days, from the 19th, we had been set to the eastward at the
rate of thirty-nine miles in the twenty-four hours; and there was
much reason to fear, that from the next observations for the
longitude which we might have, we should have the mortification
to find, that this easterly current continued; for at that time,
(the 28th of June,) the wind seemed to be set in from
west-north-west to west-south-west.
On the 30th died William Phillips, seaman.
On the 5th of July, by observations of the sun and moon, we
were in longitude 140° 32' east, which was 10° 10'
eastward of our account, and the wind continued fixed from the
westward. On the 11th of July, necessity obliged us to reduce the
allowance of water; the whole allowance now to each man for all
purposes, cooking, drinking, etc. was two purser's quarts for
twenty-four hours, and the weather was exceedingly sultry, which
made it the more distressing.
On the 13th, I found it necessary, from the very unfavourable
prospect before us, to call together my own officers, and the
master of the ship, and to consult upon the most eligible plan to
be pursued, for enabling us to reach some port or settlement,
where it might be possible to obtain some supply of provisions
and water, sufficient for the relief of one hundred and
twenty-one men, the number now on board this small vessel. The
general opinion was, that it would be highly imprudent in the
present reduced state of our provisions and water, to persevere
any longer in an attempt to reach the strait of Macassar, in the
face of fresh westerly winds and a strong easterly current;
particularly, in a vessel so very ill constructed for working to
windward; and what rendered it still more necessary to give up
such an attempt in our situation was, that the master of the
ship, (who had been a number of years in the Dutch service among
the Molucca Islands) assured me, in the presence of some of the
officers, that he did not know of any one place in our route,
short of Batavia, where any supply for our numbers could be had.
The quantity of provisions now on board, at half allowance, was a
supply for about ten weeks, and the water at about two purser's
quarts a man per day, was a supply for the same time, provided we
had no leakage.
We were now driven by currents, notwithstanding our utmost
endeavours to get to the westward, eleven° of longitude,
or 220 leagues farther to the eastward than the account by the
ship's run; and that had happened within the last month, and
between the latitudes 3° 00' north, and 6° 30' north.
On the 13th of July we bore away to the northward, it being
determined either to attempt the strait through which the
Acapulco ships pass to the port of Manilla, or to go round the
north end of Luconia, and endeavour to fetch Macao, in China,
though we were a little doubtful about fetching the latter in so
leewardly a vessel. It appeared from the winds that we then had,
that the south-west monsoon at times blows very strong through
the opening between the islands of Mindanao and Celebes, and
reaches a considerable way to the eastward; I can with certainty
say as far as 142° 00' east longitude.
On the 14th in the morning, we saw land bearing north; this we
found to be two islands joined together, or nearly so, by a long
sandy spit, above water, which reached for about two-thirds of
the distance from the eastermost or largest island, to the
westmost, which is small. All round the largest is a sand-bank
above water, which extends from the foot of the higher land about
half a mile into the sea, and may have shoal water from it. We
saw on the beach a few natives running along shore, as the ship
sailed past. These islands are dangerous to people in the night,
on account of the sandy spits which project from them; they were
covered with shrubs, and had but few tall trees on them, and the
land is but low: the latitude of the large or eastmost island, is
8° 06' north, and longitude 140° 03' east. I did at first
suppose them to have been part of the New Carolines, but they
seem to lie quite alone, and are about five miles asunder. I
called them Phillip Islands, after Arthur Phillip, the governor
of New South Wales.
On the 17th of July in the morning, we saw land from the
mast-head, bearing west by south nine or ten leagues distant; at
noon we could see it from the deck, and it appeared to be three
islands; at four in the afternoon, they bore south by west
three-quarters west, and were by intersections taken from the
ship, distant eight leagues. A considerable number of fish being
at that time round the ship, the people, in looking over the side
at them, discovered rocks under the bottom; we immediately
sounded, and had fifteen fathoms: the rocks appeared very large,
with patches of white sand between them; in twenty minutes, the
water appeared to deepen, and we had no ground with forty fathoms
of line. This ridge of rocks appeared to be about half a mile in
breadth, and was seen from the mast-head to stretch to the
southward towards the islands, and considerably to the northward
of the ship; although it be of great extent in a north-north-east
and south-south-west direction, yet I do not think there is any
very shoal water upon it, for we saw no break, surf, or rippling,
which would indicate shoal water; and there was a sufficient
swell of the sea to have occasioned some appearance where any
ship would have struck the ground.
These islands lie in the latitude of 9° 33' north;
longitude 137° 30' east, and are probably a part of the New
Carolines; at least, from the situation of those islands in the
charts, they answer to the place of some of them; but as the New
Carolines are marked as very numerous, and very contiguous to one
another, I did expect to have seen many more; there were of
these, three only; the largest was very high, but not extensive.
From the time of our making these islands until the 23d, when we
were in latitude 11° 56' north; longitude 132° 20' east,
we had light and variable winds, but chiefly from the eastward;
in the above latitude and longitude it inclined to the northward,
and from that to the westward, and became very squally and
unsettled weather, with very heavy rains at times.
During these heavy showers, which were in our situation very
comfortable, whether in the day or night, every one was employed
in spreading his blanket or rug, for the purpose of saving as
much water as he could for his own use; for, as we had no means
of providing a quantity for the general good, every one did the
best he could for himself. The sun being almost vertical, and the
weather exceedingly sultry, the scarcity of water was very much
felt.
It continued this squally and unsettled weather until the
30th, during some part of which time it blew so strong as to
bring the ship under her reefed courses: after the 30th, the wind
shifted to west and west by south, with which we stood to the
south-ward; for with this wind we could not now fetch the Bashee
Islands, and upon the southern tack we could not reach in with
any part of the coast of the Philipine Islands; it was therefore,
in our situation, judged best to keep as near in with the
parallel of Cape Espiritu Sancto as possible, that being the
nearest land, which with a hope of a short spurt of wind from the
eastward, or a slant either from the northward or southward,
would serve to carry us in with the coast: we were then in
latitude 13° 25' north; longitude 128° 37' east; Cape
Espiritu Sancto bearing south 75° 00' west, 58 leagues
distant.
It was very clear to me, from the winds we had experienced
since we came to the northward of the Line, that at this time of
the year, and generally during the height of the south-west
monsoon, in the China seas, these winds do sometimes extend far
to the eastward of the Philipine Islands, and frequently blow in
very heavy gales. The easterly winds, which we had after crossing
the Line, had been constantly so very light, that the run for the
twenty-four hours, seldom exceeded from twenty to fifty
miles.
The wind now became very variable, but chiefly from the
south-west quarter. On the 2d of August, it shifted to
west-north-west, and we stood to the south-west. On the 4th, we
made the land, bearing west-south-west twelve leagues; the next
morning, it bore from west-south-west to west, and at noon we saw
it from south-west to west half south; this proved to be the
north end of the island of St. John, and is in latitude 9°
30' north; longitude 126° 32' east. From the 31st of July to
this time, we had been set to the southward one hundred miles.
The wind being again set in at south-west, we could only now
stand to the southward, and avail ourselves of the strong
southerly current which we every day experienced so much
assistance from, and which we had some reason to hope would lead
us to the southward of Mindanao.
If this current should fail us, we could not expect to get to
the southward, but must then have steered along the coast to the
northward, as far as Cape Espiritu Sancto, and enter the Strait
of Manilla, where probably we might have found some settlement,
short of that port, capable of assisting us with such relief as
might have enabled us to proceed on our voyage.
On the 6th, we saw the coast of Mindanao from south to
north-west by west; it is very high land in the interior parts of
the country, but moderately so on the sea-coast, which makes it
rather difficult to judge of your distance from it. The current
to the southward still continued from thirty to fifty miles in
twenty-four hours.
On the 8th, in standing to the southward, we saw an island
bearing south five or six leagues; this, from its situation, must
have been the island of Palmas; it seemed to lie east by south,
sixteen or seventeen leagues distant from the south-east point of
Mindanao; it is a high round hummock at the north-east end, and
runs out in a low point to the south-west, on which are a number
of round lumps or hillocks, that at five leagues distance appear
like rocks just above water. Its latitude is 5° 33' north,
and its longitude is 127° 00' east. Being now to the
southward of Cape Augustine, which we never saw distinctly, we
carried all the sail possible to get to the westward. On the 9th
in the afternoon, the south-east point of Mindanao bore north
20° 00' west, five or six leagues distant.
At day-light the next morning, the coast of Mindanao bore from
west by north to north by east, and a high island west by south,
off shore five leagues: at noon, the south point of Mindanao bore
north 76° 00' west: we intended to have passed to the south
ward of this island, but the wind inclining from that direction,
we could not weather it, we therefore bore away, intending to
pass between it and Mindanao.
We now observed that what we had taken for one island, was
three distinct islands; the westmost is very high, and is that
which Captain Carteret saw from his anchorage on the south coast
of Mindanao, and called Hummock Island; it appeared to be six
miles long from north to south; the next, to the eastward of it,
is about the same length, moderately high and level, and the
eastmost of the three, is a little round spot, covered with small
trees or shrubs; from the east side of this small island there is
a reef stretches to the eastward a considerable distance, and on
which the sea generally breaks: the other islands appear to be
quite encircled by a reef, at the distance of a cable and a half
from the shore. We passed between the small island and the next,
having previously sent a boat to try the channel; we found it a
clear safe passage, of one mile and a half wide; we kept about
one-third of the distance from the largest island, and had from
ten to twenty-five fathoms: in the shoalest water the ground was
hard, but in sixteen and eighteen fathoms it was soft: here the
tide or current set strong through to the westward; I rather
think it a regular tide, for we did not drift at the same rate
all day.
We continued to work between the south point of Mindanao and
these islands, during the remainder of the day; in the afternoon,
a boat was seen coming off from the high island, with twelve
persons on board, and a white flag flying; we stood towards them,
and answered their signal with a white flag at the ensign staff;
they came within a little distance of the ship, and asked a
variety of questions, whether we came from _Ternate_, (a
small island among the Moluccas, on which the Dutch have a
factory) and if we were going to Batavia; to which they were
answered in the affirmative; the conversation was carried on in
the Malay language, of which the master of the ship had some
knowledge, and as he had for a part of his crew twelve or
fourteen Javanese, who all spoke that language, and who also
spoke Dutch, we could be at no loss to be understood, or to
understand those with whom we conversed. Dutch colours were
hoisted to confirm the answer given: from this boat we learnt,
that they were upon intimate and friendly terms with the Dutch,
and that we might have as much water, wood, and various articles
of refreshment as we wanted. They desired to have a note from the
master of the ship to the Raja, by whom these islands were
governed, which was given them, with such information as might be
necessary.
A larger boat armed came off also the same evening, but as it
was dark they did not choose to come on board, but conversed with
us at a distance. The next morning (the 11th) we stood in for
Hummock Island, and sent a boat in shore to search for anchorage,
which she very soon made the signal for having found; and at noon
we came to in twenty-two fathoms water, over a bottom of coarse
sand and loose coral, about one mile from the shore. A short time
before we got into anchorage, the same canoe which had spoken us
the evening before, came off again with Dutch colours flying, and
brought a note from the Raja to the master, written in the Malay
characters, signifying, that we should have what we wanted.
In the afternoon we sent a boat to look for water, which was
found in great abundance under the high land near the north-east
point of the island; we went immediately to work to water the
ship, and very soon had a number of canoes from the shore, on
board, with a variety of refreshments, which we were very much in
want of; a brisk trade was carried on for poultry, goats, fruits
of various kinds, honey, sago, and tobacco; but what we wanted
principally was rice, to issue to the sailors at sea, being now
exceedingly short of every species of victualling. Those who were
employed on shore were kindly treated by the natives, and every
thing bore the most friendly and promising appearance. This day
the Raja, according to previous information, which he had given,
came on board in a large boat, and did us the honour of a visit;
this boat was covered with an awning of split bamboo; he was
attended by the person next in authority, and a considerable
number of people, and was, on his arrival, saluted with five
guns. Upon this occasion, it was thought necessary to have a
party of ten men armed, placed on the top of the round house
abaft, where they continued during the Raja's visit. The Raja and
his attendants were, on coming on board, led down to the cabin,
and he had every mark of civility and attention shown to him: on
his taking leave, he was presented by the master of the ship with
a very handsome piece of silk, and on embarking in his boat, was
saluted with a volley of musquetry. While he remained on board
much conversation passed between him and the master of the ship,
but it being carried on in the Malay language, I could only
collect, that the Raja was strongly pressed to assist us with a
quantity of rice, or paddy, (which is the rice in husk.) He
showed us, while in the cabin, that he was supported in his
authority over these islands by the Dutch East-India Company, by
producing his written appointment, which he had brought with him
for that purpose: this writing I looked at, but being in the
Dutch language, I did not understand it, but observed, that it
was subscribed by a number of officers in the Company's service;
I also perceived it was subscribed by a very respectable officer
in the naval service of the States, with whom I had the pleasure
of being a little acquainted, the last time I was at the Cape of
Good Hope: so that the interest of the Dutch Company seemed to be
well established in these islands.
When the Raja left us, he promised to be on board the next
day, and said, he would bring with him the articles that we were
in want of. All this time we were busily employed in getting
water on board, and refitting the rigging; intending, as soon as
the water was completed, to employ one day in cutting wood.
The next day, (the 14th) in the afternoon, the Raja again came
on board, but, to our very great disappointment, instead of the
expected supply, he produced four small baskets of sago powder,
and one bag of paddy, which would scarcely have maintained two
men for a week; this return for the civilities he received the
day before, was by no means a proper one, particularly as I was
told he had been given to understand, that we were much in want
of provisions, and he had been greatly pressed for a quantity of
paddy, sufficient to serve two hundred men, until we could reach
Batavia, to which place he was told we were going; and he was
also informed, that it should be paid for in bar iron and other
articles.
Our demand was more than perhaps might have been necessary,
but it was made large from an opinion that we might not get near
the quantity applied for. We had reason to believe, that the
island could well furnish the supply we had asked for, without
any inconvenience to the inhabitants; for eight hundred weight
had been purchased out of a common boat the day before, for a few
pieces of bar iron, and the natives appeared to make more use of
sago and fruits than of paddy: the master of the ship showed some
displeasure, and I own (if he had made our wants well understood
the day before, which I had my doubts of) not without cause: he
came to me at the gangway, and told me he intended to detain the
Raja until he sent some of his boats on shore for the paddy
wanted: I advised him against any violent measures, left our
wants had not been perfectly understood; and that I did not see,
that it could, in our present situation, answer any good end: at
this time we had a boat and several people on shore.
I recommended to him to endeavour to make the Raja understand,
that unless he sent for the supply we had asked, and he had
promised, that he, as commander of the Company's ship, would
represent his conduct to the governor and council at Batavia, who
would certainly take notice of it; I thought a threat of that
sort might answer our purpose better than the means he proposed:
for we were in no respect prepared for a quarrel with those
people, the meanest of whom wore a cress or dagger constantly by
his side, and the decks were at that time almost full of them;
many of our people were also upon deck, but wholly unarmed and
off their guard.
The master of the ship returned, and entered again into
conversation with the Raja, who was on the after part of the
quarter deck, but what was said I did not understand: however, I
joined them, and again recommended prudence and moderation to the
master of the ship, and desired he would recollect, that we were
not prepared for such violent measures as he seemed
inconsiderately disposed to; that as there were a few stand of
arms in the ship, and a few pairs of pistols among the officers,
they should have been upon deck, and people stationed with
ammunition for them; instead of which, we had not one armed man
upon deck, nor a single necessary for using the carriage guns;
all which rested with him, such articles being in his care and
custody as master, for his owners: notwithstanding this, the
violence and perverseness of his temper was such as to dispose
him (probably because he was advised against it) to create a
disagreement between those people who were all armed, and our
people who were defenceless.
Some of these islanders paid much attention to the nature and
extent of our force, and some of them shrewdly observed, that the
great guns were very good at a distance, but of no use when boats
got alongside of the ship; if they had any fear of us, it
proceeded from our numbers, which amounted now to one hundred and
twenty, and when all upon deck in this small vessel, they
appeared still more numerous.
During the conversation between the Raja and master of the
ship, our people were employed in hoisting the long boat in, at
which the Raja seemed very much agitated, and at this very
juncture, the master having ordered some cutlasses upon deck, of
which he had but very few in the ship, they were imprudently laid
down on the quarter deck, in the presence of the Raja and his
attendants; this conduct confirmed me in the opinion I already
entertained, that he had made use of some threats which made such
preparation necessary: be that as it might, the Raja was alarmed
for his liberty; his people took the alarm also, and called their
companions from their boats, who boarded us with drawn daggers:
an old man, about seventy years of age, who stood near the Raja
and held him by the sleeve, drew his dagger, and in great rage
endeavoured to reach and stab the master of the ship, but was
held back by the Raja; on this, the master snatched up a hanger
to defend himself, and with great vehemence called out for small
arms.
I was close to him at the time, and however much I disapproved
of his general conduct, (which was certainly, in our unguarded
situation, destitute of thought, common sense, or discretion, and
was the effect of one of the most perverse and diabolical tempers
I ever met with,) I judged it necessary to draw my sword and
defend him: he continued to call for small arms with much
agitation, which should have been previously prepared.
A number of my sailors being on the fore part of the deck,
trading with the natives, (a considerable number of whom were on
board, but who all drew their cresses upon the alarm given by
their countrymen) armed themselves with handspikes, billets of
wood, or whatever lay in their way, while the petty officers of
the Sirius got up the small arms, and kept up a smart fire on the
natives, who were in a short time driven overboard; some into
their boats, and others were obliged to take to the water; the
Raja, during the scuffle, tumbled himself from the gunwall into
his boat, accompanied by his faithful attendants, who certainly
did themselves much honour by their attention to his safety.
If I had been prepared with my loaded pistols, as I was upon
the Raja's first visit, I should certainly have shot the old man
before-mentioned, although I am sure, that upon a little serious
reflection, and consideration of the motives of his conduct, I
should have exceedingly regretted having done so: he certainly in
some respect occasioned the disturbance, (although it originated
with the master of the ship) but it was in consequence of an
indignity offered to the person of his sovereign in his presence:
we should, therefore, be disposed more to commend than condemn
his conduct; the insult was too much for a loyal and affectionate
subject to bear; he therefore preferred certain death in his
defence, to that of living to see him so degraded.
As soon as the Raja and his people were in their boat, they
cut the rope which held them, and pulled from the ship with the
utmost precipitation; many were killed in their boats, which (now
that this affair had arrived at such length) became really
necessary, to prevent their rallying and reboarding the ship; for
after they got into their boats, many lances were thrown into the
ship, which occasioned the fire of musquetry to be kept up
something longer than it would have been. I saw the Raja pulling
at an oar himself, and did every thing in my power to prevent his
being shot: for as every person knew him by his dress, it was
probable he might be particularly marked; I fear much he was
wounded, perhaps mortally, notwithstanding my endeavours to save
him, as he dropt his oar several times: during the short time,
which I had been in his company, I was much pleased with him;
there was a certain graceful ease and affability in his manner,
which was highly prepossessing, and a degree of dignity, which
bespoke him of superior rank: he appeared to be about forty-three
or four years of age.
In this unlucky rencontre, we were so fortunate as not to have
a man wounded, which was rather extraordinary, and I believe must
have been owing to the panic occasioned by so sudden and
unexpected an alarm.
Our boat returned from the shore just at the conclusion of
this unlucky scuffle; which common prudence, or a disposition to
benefit by the advice that had been offered, might have
prevented; for whatever may be the natural disposition of the
inhabitants of these islands, they had shown nothing either
unfriendly or suspicious to us; at the same time, to place
implicit confidence in the friendly disposition of such people, I
think, would be highly imprudent. A ship calling here for water
should be ever on her guard, a precaution which was not in any
one respect taken by the master of the ship, except upon my
proposing, on the Raja's first visit, to have ten of my men
placed with small arms upon the top of the round house abaft,
from which situation they could command the whole deck: this
proposal he agreed to, which was more than I expected; for it was
no uncommon thing with him to reject any plan, however necessary,
which his duty should have suggested, without the assistance of
other opinions.
These observations I cannot help making; for they naturally
arise from the distressing situation in which I found myself and
officers who were placed under the direction of this most
ignorant and disagreeable man. If he had felt himself qualified
to have navigated a ship in the seas we had to pass through, his
conduct would in all probability have been more unsufferable, if
possible, than it was; but our assistance was absolutely
necessary, otherwise I believe his vessel had never reached
Batavia.
At eight o'clock in the evening we weighed from the road and
put to sea; one unfortunate Javanese seaman was by accident left
on shore, but he spoke a language which most of these people
understand. I therefore hope it might be the means of saving his
life, but as their rage, when once roused, does not quickly
subside, I feared much for the safety of this innocent man: this
unlucky affair prevented our being able to complete our water, or
cut any wood; however, we had filled as much as would prevent our
being distressed for some time, and the sailors had received many
refreshments, of which they were much in need.
These islands, I have already mentioned, are three in number:
Hummock Island, on which the Raja resides, is exceedingly
fertile, and seemed to produce most of the tropical fruit; we
found here rice, sugar cane (exceedingly fine and large), pine
apple, mango, sour oranges, limes, jack, plantain, cocoa-nut,
sago, sweet potatoes, tobacco, Indian corn, and a small kind of
pea: dogs, goats, fowls (very fine), parrots, and many other more
useful articles; but I judge that their principal article of
trade with the Dutch is bees-wax, of which they appear to have a
considerable quantity, and of course much honey.
The islands lie about five leagues south, from the southern
point of Mindanao: the road where we anchored is on the
north-east side of Hummock Island, and is in latitude 5° 27'
north, longitude 125° 12' east: there appeared to be a
passage between this island and the next to it, lying in a north
and south direction, but there is a long rocky spit, which runs
from a low point on Hummock Island, and seems to throw the
channel through upon the other shore: we had not an opportunity
to examine it, but we found here a regular tide, which was high
at full and change of the moon at seven o'clock, and rose by the
shore six or seven feet. There were several inlets or openings on
the west shore of the other island, which may be probably
convenient and well sheltered coves.
The articles, which seemed of most value here in exchange for
stock, were light cloathing of white or printed linens, or
cottons, such as loose gowns or jackets, coloured handkerchiefs,
clasp knives, razors, and bar iron; metal buttons had for some
time a good run, which a stranger on board here would soon have
perceived, as there was scarcely a coat or jacket to-be seen upon
deck with a button on it. The natives on these islands are the
same sort of people, and speak the same language, as people on
Mindanao; they have a great deal of the Malay both in appearance
and disposition; they are nearly the same size, make, and colour,
and have many of their features; they wore in general jackets and
trousers, but the lower orders had seldom any thing but a wrapper
round the waist; they commonly wore a handkerchief, or other
piece of linen round the head, in the manner of a turban. In the
sash or wrapper, which all wear round the waist, they had their
cress or dagger stuck, the scabbard of which was a case of wood.
Many of these natives were troubled with a disease much
resembling the leprosy; their skins were covered with a dry
scurf, like the scales of a fish, which had a very disagreeable
appearance.
Their canoes were of various sizes; the bottom is hollowed out
of the trunk of a tree, and they were generally raised with an
upper work of split bamboo, which was set very close and light;
they had an outrigger on each side to balance them; they had also
a larger boat on which they mounted three small pieces of cannon,
of brass; these pieces, I was told, were of their own
manufactory, which I could readily believe, as they were of a
very different make to any I had ever seen; they were very long,
and of narrow bore, and were mounted with a swivel, upon posts,
placed one at each end, and one in the center of the boat; they
had a long wooden tail fixed to them, by which they turn about
and point them.
These boats will contain and conceal a great number of men;
they were commonly covered with an awning of split bamboo, raised
some distance above the gunwall, like the ridge of a house. Their
mast was composed of three bamboos, two of which stood as a pair
of sheers, and required no shrouds; the third stood forward, and
answered the purpose of a stay; and upon this mast they set a
square sail. On Hummock Island, as well as the south side of
Mindanao, were many pleasant looking spots, which appeared to be
cultivated land.
When we left these islands, the wind being from the westward,
we steered to the southward. At seven o'clock in the morning, we
saw a small island, bearing south-west; at ten, we saw two more,
and by four in the afternoon of the 15th, there were seven
islands in sight, bearing from south-west to west-north-west: at
six o'clock we saw a large island a-head, with a number of
smaller ones, and some single rocks of considerable height above
the water, lying off it: at noon, we were near enough to observe,
that several of the rocks and smaller islands had reefs lying
from them, on which the sea broke. Here we found a strong
south-west set of current; we sounded, and had seventy-two
fathoms, over a bottom of coarse sand and coral.
One of the small islands was distant little more than a mile.
This island, which is very high land, is that laid down in the
chart by the name of Poolo Sanguy: we observed the latitude of
its north end to be 3° 44' north, and its longitude 125°
11' east; there is a continued chain lying in a north and south
direction from the south coast of Mindanao thus far to the
southward; and, by such charts as I have seen, this chain seems
to be continued from Poolo Sanguy quite over to the north-east
point of Celebes. Poolo Sanguy is a large tract of land.
The wind now inclined from the southward, otherwise we should
have stood on, with a view of reaching some of the Dutch
settlements amongst the Molucca Islands, in order to endeavour to
procure some sort of supply of provisions, as we were now reduced
very low; but with this southerly wind we could only stand to the
westward and push for the Strait of Macassar: the wind continued
from the southward and sometimes from the south-east, but in very
light airs.
At day-light in the morning of the 25th, we made the island of
Celebes, bearing from south 11° 00' east, to south 54°
00' east, distant eight or nine leagues: at noon on the 26th, the
north-west point of Celebes bore south-south-east about ten
leagues. This part of the coast runs down in a low point into the
sea, and a little way back, rises in a round hill or hummock, but
considerably lower than the back land, which is very high; from
this point the land seems to take its direction about south-west
by west. The latitude of the north-west point is 1° 22'
north, and the longitude, by lunar observations, 121° 00'
east.
On the 27th at noon the land of Celebes was distant about
eight or nine leagues; between us and the southermost land in
sight there was a small island. Ever since we had made the coast
of Celebes we had very little wind, and that had generally been
from south-east to south-west; no current was perceptible; the
weather was exceedingly sultry; the freshest winds we had were
from south-west; on which account, we endeavoured to get over on
the Borneo shore. At four in the morning of the 29th, we had a
very heavy squall from west-north-west, which obliged us to clew
all up.
On the 30th, at five in the morning, we saw the island of
Borneo, bearing west-north-west; this part of the coast is high
land: we saw, at the same time, from the mast-head, a small
island, bearing west-north-west; this I took to be one of the
small islands which are laid down to the southward of the Taba
Islands, and near in upon the coast: at eight in the evening, we
tacked, and in the night, the wind came from the land, but
squally, with which we stood to the southward. This part of the
coast of Borneo seems to be a projecting point, and is in the
latitude of 1° 02' north; longitude 119° 00' east.
On the 31st, at day-light, the land of Celebes bore east by
north half north; we had a heavy squall of thunder, lightning,
and rain.
On the 1st of September, about eight o'clock at night, when it
was very dark, we suddenly discovered something on our weather
quarter, which had much the appearance of a large row-boat, and
there being but a very light air of wind, we prepared, with all
possible silence, for the reception of a pirate; but as it did
not approach us as we expected, we supposed it to have been a
large tree adrift.
In crossing from Celebes to Borneo and back, we passed nearly
over the place where seven islands are laid down in the charts,
about 00° 40' to the northward of the line; but, as we saw
nothing, I conclude, as Captain Carteret did, "that they exist
only upon paper;" or that they may have been some of those
islands which have been seen near the coast, and by an incorrect
account of their situation, in point of longitude, have been
placed here in mid-channel. In the morning, the Island of Celebes
bore from east half north to south-south-east, and a small island
covered with wood bore south-east half east, four or five miles
distant. This island is in latitude 00° 03' south, longitude
119° 54' east; it lies off the opening of a large bay. On the
5th, we were in the latitude of 00° 50' south, and longitude
119 06' east, and were about six or seven leagues from the coast
of Celebes; here the land near the sea is of a moderate height,
but the back land is remarkably high.
On the 7th, we saw two large proas, in the south-west; we were
standing towards them, and as they were at some distance from
each other, the one bore down and joined the other, and both
stood for the land; we however judged it necessary to be prepared
for them all the succeeding night: they might have been trading
vessels, but as they can conceal their numbers, and as we knew
that these seas are infested with piratical vessels of that
description, it was necessary for us to be on our guard.
At noon we were in latitude 1° 47' south; longitude
118° 50' east, and no part of the Celebes shore in sight. I
am convinced, from the many observations made for the longitude
here, by myself, as well as by Lieutenants Bradley and
Waterhouse, that the west coast of Celebes is laid down in all
the charts which I have seen, much farther to the westward than
it should be. On the 8th, in the evening, we were looking out for
the Little Pater Nosters, being near the latitude of their north
end, as determined by Captain Carteret; but although we stood to
the westward all night, we saw nothing of them; I therefore
suppose they lay nearer the Celebes shore than we were at this
time.
On the 9th in the morning, observing the water much
discoloured, we sounded, and had thirty-five fathoms over a sandy
bottom; soon after, we saw, from the mast-head, a small sandy
island, bearing south-west by west: at noon we were within five
miles of it, and observed several shoals breaking to the
northward and southward of it, with some dry patches of sand.
These shoals have been taken by some for the Little
Pater-Nosters, but are called by the Dutch, the Triangles; they
lie in latitude 2° 58' south; longitude 117° 53' east:
they are so very low, that a ship in the night would be ashore
before they could be perceived; there are good soundings at some
distance to the eastward of them.
The whole time we had been in this strait, the wind had been
variable from south-south-west to west-north-west; in the night
it sometimes inclined in very light airs from south-south-east to
south. On the 11th, in the afternoon, as we were standing to the
westward, the water appeared suddenly of a very light colour, and
on looking over the side, we perceived the ground under the ship:
before we had time to heave a cast of the lead, it appeared to be
deeper, and we had ten and twelve fathoms; but I am inclined to
think, from what I saw of the bottom, that there could not have
been more than five or six: the bottom was white sand, with some
dark patches upon it. From the mast-head, at the same time, was
seen a dry sand-bank, bearing north-north-east six miles distant;
a little way to the eastward of it, the water seemed to break.
This shoal is very dangerous, and does not appear in any chart
which I have seen: there is a shoal marked in the Dutch charts,
nearly in the same parallel, but it is so very much misplaced in
its longitude, or distance from the land, that I cannot suppose
it has been meant for the same shoal. The latitude of this shoal
is 3° 37' south, and the longitude 117° 54' east; it
extends from the two small islands which are called the Brothers,
and lie off the east part of Borneo, east half north, distant
fifty-one miles.
We made the Brothers at day-light in the morning, after
passing this shoal, and at ten o'clock we passed within three
miles of them, in from twenty-two to seventeen fathoms water,
over a sandy bottom. The latitude of the Brothers is 3° 41'
south, and the longitude 117° 00' east. We stood on to the
south-west, after passing the Brothers, expecting that course
would have carried us clear of every part of Borneo, but the
south part of Borneo, and the large island called Poolo La'oot,
form a considerable bight; into this bight we found a strong
in-draught, by which, and the wind being light, we were drawn,
and could not fetch round Borneo; we stood off and on there with
light and baffling winds, and a short chop of a sea, and gained
no ground: after passing two days and a night in this situation,
we got a breeze, which enabled us to weather the Brothers again,
and stand to the eastward, where we had more room. This situation
gave me some uneasy moments; for we dropt in so fast upon the
shore, that we found it necessary to prepare for anchoring; this
would have occasioned a loss of time, which, from a variety of
circumstances, we could not afford: the anchorage off here is
clear soft ground, and shoals regularly to the shore; we had
twelve fathoms four miles off. This bight ought to be carefully
avoided, for certainly during the prevalence of the easterly
monsoon here, there is a very strong set into it: it would be
much better for ships bound to the westward to get as far to the
southward as the south point of Borneo, before they stretched to
the westward of the Brothers, unless they may have a fresh gale
that they can depend on.
The southermost part of Borneo which we saw, lies in latitude
4° 00' south, and longitude 116° 35' east, but there is
land to the southward of that, which appeared to us like two
islands, on the northermost of which are two remarkable round
hills; whether these are really islands, or any part of Borneo,
we could not ascertain; but in all the charts the south part of
Borneo is laid down farther south than that land which we at
first supposed to be it, and agrees nearly with this which
appeared to us like two islands, the southermost of which is in
latitude 4° 15' south, and longitude 115° 16' east.
Having determined after we got out of this bight and to the
eastward of the Brothers, to endeavour to get nearer the Celebes
shore, and to work up on that side to the southward of 4° 00'
south latitude, before we should attempt to cross the meridian of
the Brothers, we stood to the eastward, and had the wind in the
fore part of the day from south-south-east and south-east, and
after sun-set it inclined to the south-west, but in very light
airs; however, with these slants we got southing; but if ever the
south-south-east breeze continued long enough to carry us in
sight of the south east part of Borneo, we were then sure to be
set to the northward: this having been the case, on the 15th, it
obliged us to stand to the eastward, although it were an
unfavourable tack.
At day-light in the morning, we tacked to the southward, and
again fell in with the dry sand-bank already mentioned; we passed
it at four miles distance, and had thirty-five fathoms water (to
the eastward). The dry part of this sand-bank is so very small,
that in bad weather the sea must break entirely over it: there is
regular soundings between it and the Brothers, from twenty-five
to seventeen fathoms. Being now determined not to stand farther
to the westward than we could by that means gain southing, we, by
the different changes of the wind, got, by the 19th, as far as
4° 42' south latitude: that morning, as we were steering to
the westward, ground was discovered under the ship which of
course drew every body on deck; we had ten fathoms, over a rocky
bottom, which we saw very distinctly. The latitude of this ridge
is 4° 35' south, and longitude, observed that morning is
117° 19' east: I judge that it must extend from some small
islands, which are laid down in most of the charts, and which we
supposed lay at that time directly to the southward of us, but we
saw nothing of them.
From this reef we steered west-south-west, and at six in the
afternoon, we saw an island bearing west half south; we hauled to
the southward to weather it, and at day-light in the morning of
the 20th, it bore north, distant seven leagues; its latitude is
4° 56' south, and the longitude observed that morning
115° 40' east; this we supposed to be Poolo Laut: we kept the
lead going all night, and had from twenty to twenty-eight
fathoms; the wind fresh from south-east by south.
We continued to steer west-south-west, and, for about fourteen
leagues, we crossed a flat of sixteen fathoms. At midnight on the
21st, we saw an island bearing west-north-west three or four
miles distant; this we supposed to be the island of Solombo; its
latitude is 5° 42' south, and the longitude 114° 24'
east. We continued to steer to the westward, and had from
twenty-five to thirty-five fathoms until day-light in the morning
of the 23d, when we made the islands called Cariman Java; the
middle or principal one is large, and of very considerable
height; it is encompassed by many smaller ones, some of which are
well covered with wood: the latitude of the south side of these
islands is 5° 21' south, and the longitude 110° 33'
east.
On the morning of the 24th, we saw a number of water spouts
and whirlwinds, some of which came so very near that we fired a
few guns, in hopes that the concussion of the air would have
dispersed them; but our guns were too small to give a sufficient
shock to the atmosphere; however, a good breeze of wind sprung up
and carried us clear of them. We steered from Cariman Java, west,
and in the evening of the 25th, we made the small islands called
the Boomkins, which lie about five leagues from the Coast of
Java; we passed about three miles within them, and saw the shore
of Java. During part of the night we steered west-north-west to
avoid some sunken rocks which are laid down to the westward. The
south side of the Boomkins lies in latitude 5° 56' south, and
longitude 108° 21' east.
In the morning, we saw Carawang Point on Java, bearing
south-south-west six or seven miles; and at five in the afternoon
of the 27th, we anchored in Batavia Road, after a passage from
Port Jackson of twenty-six weeks.
[A Table of the winds and weather, etc. on a passage from Port Jackson,
New South Wales, to Batavia in the Waaksamheid Transport.]
[The tables are included in the HTML version]