On the 31st, in the night, a current carried us away so far to westward, that it was evening, the next day, before we made land again. We were now pretty certain that we had got round Cape Valsch by the smoothness of the water, and thought the sand-bank would have broken off here, but it rather increased, for we had only four fathoms water, and, at the same time, could not see the land.

After beating about for three days in quest of land, being prevented getting in with it by the wind setting east, on the 3d, in the morning, we made the coast again, and approached to within three or four leagues of the shore: A party of our people went, in the pinnace, to examine the country while we stood off and on. They soon returned with an account that a great number of the natives threatened them on the beach, who had pieces of bamboo, or canes, in their hands, out of which they puffed some smoke, and then threw some darts at them about a fathom long, made of reeds, and pointed of Etoa wood, which were barbed, but very blunt. Our people fired upon them, but they did not appear to be inti-midated; our men, therefore, thought proper to embark. They observed that these people were not negroes, as has been reported, but are much like the natives of New Holland, having shock hair, and being entirely naked. They also saw a plenty of cocoa-nuts growing on the trees, as well as lying in heaps on the ground; and plantains, bread-fruit, and Peea. The country appeared very fertile, having a great number of different sorts of trees, which formed very thick woods. The soil is very rich, and produces much larger plants than grow on the islands. Latitude 6° 1°.

On the 5th, in the morning, which was moon-light, about one o'clock, we passed two low islands, which, we supposed, are the southermost of the Arow Isles that are set down about this parallel. There is a fine fresh trade-wind, which generally blows easterly in the day time, but comes about at night more southerly, and blows much stronger. We kept a W. S. W. course, being in latitude 7° 2° south, about twelve degrees from the island of Timor. Since the 3d instant we have had from twelve to twenty fathoms water till this day, and then our soundings were much deeper.

Voyaging Accounts