early australian voyages-第20部分

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he　wind　might　veer　to　the　eastward　of　the　north；　steered　twenty　leagues　north…east；　then　north…east　by　east。　　On　the　28th　we　saw　two　small　low　islands；　called　Lucca…Parros；　to　the　north　of　us。　At　noon　I　accounted　myself　twenty　leagues　short　of　the　Turtle　Isles。

The　next　morning；　being　in　the　latitude　of　the　Turtle　Islands；　we　looked　out　sharp　for　them；　but　saw　no　appearance　of　any　island　till　eleven　o'clock；　when　we　saw　an　island　at　a　great　distance。　　At　first　we　supposed　it　might　be　one　of　the　Turtle　Isles；　but　it　was　not　laid　down　true；　neither　in　latitude　nor　longitude　from　the　Burning　Isle；　nor　from　the　Lucca…Parros；　which　last　I　took　to　be　a　great　help　to　guide　me；　they　being　laid　down　very　well　from　the　Burning　Isle；　and　that　likewise　in　true　latitude　and　distance　from　Omba；　so　that　I　could　not　tell　what　to　think　of　the　island　now　in　sight；　we　having　had　fair　weather；　so　that　we　could　not　pass　by　the　Turtle　Isles　without　seeing　them；　and　this　in　sight　was　much　too　far　off　for　them。　　We　found　variation　1　degrees　2　minutes　east。　　In　the　afternoon　I　steered　north…east　by　east　for　the　islands　that　we　saw。　At　two　o'clock　I　went　and　looked　over　the　fore…yard；　and　saw　two　islands　at　much　greater　distance　than　the　Turtle　Islands　are　laid　down　in　my　drafts；　one　of　them　was　a　very　high　peaked　mountain；　cleft　at　top；　and　much　like　the　Burning　Island　that　we　passed　by；　but　bigger　and　higher；　the　other　was　a　pretty　long　high　flat　island。　Now　I　was　certain　that　these　were　not　the　Turtle　Islands；　and　that　they　could　be　no　other　than　the　Bande　Isles；　yet　we　steered　in　to　make　them　plainer。　　At　three　o'clock　we　discovered　another　small　flat　island　to　the　north…west　of　the　others；　and　saw　a　great　deal　of　smoke　rise　from　the　top　of　the　high　island。　　At　four　we　saw　other　small　islands；　by　which　I　was　now　assured　that　these　were　the　Bande　Isles　there。　　At　five　I　altered　my　course　and　steered　east；　and　at　eight　east…south…east；　because　I　would　not　be　seen　by　the　inhabitants　of　those　islands　in　the　morning。　　We　had　little　wind　all　night；　and　in　the　morning；　as　soon　as　it　was　light　we　saw　another　high　peaked　island；　at　eight　it　bore　south…south…east　half…east；　distance　eight　leagues：　　and　this　I　knew　to　be　Bird　Isle。　　It　is　laid　down　in　our　drafts　in　latitude　5　degrees　9　minutes　south；　which　is　too　far　southerly　by　twenty…seven　miles；　according　to　our　observation；　and　the　like　error　in　laying　down　the　Turtle　Islands　might　be　the　occasion　of　our　missing　them。

At　night　I　shortened　sail；　for　fear　of　coming　too　nigh　some　islands；　that　stretch　away　bending　like　a　half　moon　from　Ceram　towards　Timor；　and　which　in　my　course　I　must　of　necessity　pass　through。　　The　next　morning　betimes　I　saw　them；　and　found　them　to　be　at　a　farther　distance　from　Bird　Island　than　I　expected。　　In　the　afternoon　it　fell　quite　calm；　and　when　we　had　a　little　wind；　it　was　so　unconstant；　flying　from　one　point　to　another；　that　I　could　not　without　difficulty　get　through　the　islands　where　I　designed；　besides；　I　found　a　current　setting　to　the　southward；　so　that　it　was　betwixt　five　and　six　in　the　evening　before　I　passed　through　the　islands；　and　then　just　weathered　little　Watela；　whereas　I　thought　to　have　been　two　or　three　leagues　more　northerly。　　We　saw　the　day　before；　betwixt　two　and　three；　a　spout　but　a　small　distance　from　us；　it　fell　down　out　of　a　black　cloud；　that　yielded　great　store　of　rain；　thunder　and　lightning；　this　cloud　hovered　to　the　southward　of　us　for　the　space　of　three　hours；　and　then　drew　to　the　westward　a　great　pace；　at　which　time　it　was　that　we　saw　the　spout；　which　hung　fast　to　the　cloud　till　it　broke；　and　then　the　cloud　whirled　about　to　the　south…east；　then　to　east…north…east；　where　meeting　with　an　island；　it　spent　itself　and　so　dispersed；　and　immediately　we　had　a　little　of　the　tail　of　it；　having　had　none　before。　　Afterwards　we　saw　a　smoke　on　the　island　Kosiway；　which　continued　till　night。

On　New　Year's　Day　we　first　descried　the　land　of　New　Guinea；　which　appeared　to　be　high　land；　and　the　next　day　we　saw　several　high　islands　on　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　and　ran　in　with　the　main　land。　The　shore　here　lies　along　east…south…east　and　west…north…west。　　It　is　high　even　land；　very　well　clothed　with　tall　flourishing　trees；　which　appeared　very　green；　and　gave　us　a　very　pleasant　prospect。　　We　ran　to　the　westward　of　four　mountainous　islands；　and　in　the　night　had　a　small　tornado；　which　brought　with　it　some　rain　and　a　fair　wind。　　We　had　fair　weather　for　a　long　time；　only　when　near　any　land　we　had　some　tornadoes；　but　off；　at　sea；　commonly　clear　weather；　though；　if　in　sight　of　land；　we　usually　saw　many　black　clouds　hovering　about　it。

On　the　5th　and　6th　of　January　we　plied　to　get　in　with　the　land；　designing　to　anchor；　fill　water；　and　spend　a　little　time　in　searching　the　country；　till　after　the　change　of　the　moon；　for　I　found　a　strong　current　setting　against　us。　　We　anchored　in　thirty…　eight　fathom　water；　good　oozy　ground。　　We　had　an　island　of　a　league　long　without　us；　about　three　miles　distant；　and　we　rode　from　the　main　about　a　mile。　　The　easternmost　point　of　land　seen　bore　east…by…　south　half…south；　distance　three　leagues；　and　the　westernmost　west…　south…west　half…south；　distance　two　leagues。　　So　soon　as　we　anchored；　we　sent　the　pinnace　to　look　for　water　and　try　if　they　could　catch　any　fish。　　Afterwards　we　sent　the　yawl　another　way　to　see　for　water。　　Before　night　the　pinnace　brought　on　board　several　sorts　of　fruits　that　they　found　in　the　woods；　such　as　I　never　saw　before。　　One　of　my　men　killed　a　stately　land…fowl；　as　big　as　the　largest　dunghill　cock；　it　was　of　a　sky…colour；　only　in　the　middle　of　the　wings　was　a　white　spot；　about　which　were　some　reddish　spots；　on　the　crown　it　had　a　large　bunch　of　long　feathers；　which　appeared　very　pretty；　his　bill　was　like　pigeon's；　he　had　strong　legs　and　feet；　like　dunghill　fowls；　only　the　claws　were　reddish；　his　crop　was　full　of　small　berries。　　It　lays　an　egg　as　big　as　a　large　hen's　egg；　for　our　men　climbed　the　tree　where　it　nested；　and　brought　off　one　egg。　They　found　water；　and　reported　that　the　trees　were　large；　tall；　and　very　thick；　and　that　they　saw　no　sign　of　people。　　At　night　the　yawl　came　aboard　and　brought　a　wooden　fish…spear；　very　ingeniously　made；　the　matter　of　it　was　a　small　cane；　they　found　it　by　a　small　barbecue；　where　they　also　saw　a　shattered　canoe。

The　next　morning　I　sent　the　boatswain　ashore　fishing；　and　at　one　haul　he　caught　three　hundred　and　fifty…two　mackerel；　and　about　twenty　other　fishes；　which　I　caused　to　be　equally　divided　among　all　my　company。　　I　sent　also　the　gunner　and　chief　mate　to　search　about　if　they　could　find　convenient　anchoring　near　a　watering…place；　by　night　they　brought　word　that　they　had　found　a　fine　stream　of　good　water；　where　the　boat　could　come　close　to；　and　it　was　very　easy　to　be　filled；　and　that　the　ship　might　anchor　as　near　to　it　as　I　pleased；　so　I　went　thither。　　The　next　morning；　therefore；　we　anchored　in　twenty…five　fathom　water；　soft　oozy　ground；　about　a　mile　from　the　river；　we　got　on　board　three　tuns　of　water　that　night；　and　caught　two　or　three　pike…fish；　in　shape　much　like　a　parracota；　but　with　a　longer　snout；　something　resembling　a　garr；　yet　not　so　long。　The　next　day　I　sent　the　boat　again　for　water；　and　before　night　all　my　casks　were　full。

Having　filled　here　about　fifteen　tuns　of　water；　seeing　we　could　catch　but　little　fish；　and　had　no　other　refreshments；　I　intended　to　sail　next　day；　but　finding　that　we　wanted　wood；　I　sent　to　cut　some；　and　going　ashore　to　hasten　it；　at　some　distance　from　the　place　where　our　men　were；　I　found　a　small　cove；　where　I　saw　two　barbecues；　which　appeared　not　to　be　above　two　months'　standing；　the　spars　were　cut　with　some　sharp　instrument；　so　that；　if　done　by　the　natives；　it　seems　that　they　have　iron。　　On　the　10th；　a　little　after　twelve　o'clock；　we　weighed　and　stood　over　to　the　north　side　of　the　bay；　and　at　one　o'clock　stood　out　with　the　wind　at　north　and　north…north…　west。　　At　four　we　passed　out　by　a　White　Island；　which　I　so　named　from　its　many　white　cliffs；　having　no　name　in　our　drafts。　　It　is　about　a　league　long；　pretty　high；　and　very　woody；　it　is　about　five　miles　from　the　main；　only　at　the　west　end　it　reaches　within　three　miles　of　it。　　At　some　distance　off　at　sea　the　west　point　appears　like　a　cape…land；　the　north　side　trends　away　north…north…west；　and　the　east　side　east…south…east。　　This　island　lies　in　latitude　3　degrees　4　minutes　south；　and　the　meridian　distance　from　Babao　five　hundred　and　twelve　miles　east。　　After　we　were　out　to　sea；　we　plied　to　get　to　the　northward；　but　met　with　such　a　strong　current　against　us；　that　we　got　but　little；　for　if　the　wind　favoured　us　in　the　night；　that　we　got　three　or　four　leagues；　we　lost　it　again；　and　were　driven　as　far　astern　next　morning；　so　that　we　plied　here　several　days。

The　14th；　being　past　a　point　of　land　that　we　had　been　three　days　getting　about；　we　found　little　or　no　current；　so　that；　having　the　wind　at　north…west…by…west　and　west…north…west；　we　stood　to　the　northward；　and　had　several　soundings：　　at　three　o'clock　thirty…eight　fathom；　the　nearest　part　of　New　Guinea　being　about　three　leagues'　distance；　at　four；　thirty…seven；　at　five；　thirty…six；　at　six；　thirty…six；　at　eight；　thirty…three　fathom；　then　the　Cape　was　about　four　leagues'　distant；　so　that　as　we　ran　off　we　found　our　water　shallower；　we　had　then　some　islands　to　the　westward　of　us；　at　about　four　leagues'　distance。

A　little　after　noon　we　saw　smoke　on　the　islands　to　the　west　of　us；　and　having　a　fine　gale　of　wind；　I　steered　away　for　them。　　At　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening　we　anchored　in　thirty…five　fathom；　about　two　leagues　from　an　island；　good　soft　oozy　ground。　　We　lay　still　all　night；　and　saw　fires　ashore。　　In　the　morning　we　weighed　again；　and　ran　farther　in；　thinking　to　have　shallower　water；　but　we　ran　within　a　mile　of　the　shore；　and　came　to　in　thirty…eight　fathom　good　soft　holding　ground。　　While　we　were　under　sail　two　canoes　came　off　within　call　of　us。　　They　spoke　to　us；　but　we　did　not　understand　their　language　nor　signs。　　We　waved　to　them　to　come　aboard；　and　I　called　to　them　in　the　Malayan　language　to　do　the　same；　but　they　would　not。　Yet　they　came　so　nigh　us　that　we　could　show　them　such　things　as　we　had　to　truck　with　them；　yet　neither　would　this　entice　them　to　come　on