early australian voyages-第21部分

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ld　show　them　such　things　as　we　had　to　truck　with　them；　yet　neither　would　this　entice　them　to　come　on　board；　but　they　made　signs　for　us　to　come　ashore；　and　away　they　went。　　Then　I　went　after　them　in　my　pinnace；　carrying　with　me　knives；　beads；　glasses；　hatchets；　&c。　　When　we　came　near　the　shore；　I　called　to　them　in　the　Malayan　language。　　I　saw　but　two　men　at　first；　the　rest　lying　in　ambush　behind　the　bushes；　but　as　soon　as　I　threw　ashore　some　knives　and　other　toys；　they　came　out；　flung　down　their　weapons；　and　came　into　the　water　by　the　boat's　side；　making　signs　of　friendship　by　pouring　water　on　their　heads　with　one　hand；　which　they　dipped　into　the　sea。　　The　next　day；　in　the　afternoon；　several　other　canoes　came　aboard；　and　brought　many　roots　and　fruits；　which　we　purchased。

The　island　has　no　name　in　our　drafts；　but　the　natives　call　it　Pub　Sabuda；　it　is　about　three　leagues　long；　and　two　miles　wide；　more　or　less；　it　is　of　a　good　height；　so　as　to　be　seen　eleven　or　twelve　leagues；　it　is　very　rocky；　yet　above　the　rocks　there　is　good　yellow　and　black　mould；　not　deep；　yet　producing　plenty　of　good　tall　trees；　and　bearing　any　fruits　or　roots　which　the　inhabitants　plant。　　I　do　not　know　all　its　produce；　but　what　we　saw　were　plantains；　cocoa…　nuts；　pine…apples；　oranges；　papaes；　potatoes；　and　other　large　roots。　Here　are　also　another　sort　of　wild　jacas；　about　the　bigness　of　a　man's　two　fists；　full　of　stones　or　kernels；　which　eat　pleasant　enough　when　roasted。　　The　libby　tree　grows　here　in　the　swampy　valleys；　of　which　they　make　sago　cakes。　　I　did　not　see　them　make　any；　but　was　told　by　the　inhabitants　that　it　was　made　of　the　pith　of　the　tree；　in　the　same　manner　I　have　described　in　my　〃Voyage　Round　the　World。〃　　They　showed　me　the　tree　whereof　it　was　made；　and　I　bought　about　forty　of　the　cakes。　　I　bought　also　three　or　four　nutmegs　in　their　shell；　which　did　not　seem　to　have　been　long　gathered；　but　whether　they　be　the　growth　of　this　island　or　not；　the　natives　would　not　tell　whence　they　had　them；　and　seem　to　prize　them　very　much。　　What　beasts　the　island　affords　I　know　not；　but　here　are　both　sea　and　land　fowl。　　Of　the　first；　boobies　and　men…of…war　birds　are　the　chief；　some　goldens；　and　small　milk…white　crab…catchers；　the　land…fowl　are　pigeons；　about　the　bigness　of　mountain…pigeons　in　Jamaica；　and　crows　about　the　bigness　of　those　in　England；　and　much　like　them；　but　the　inner　part　of　their　feathers　are　white；　and　the　outside　black；　so　that　they　appear　all　black；　unless　you　extend　the　feathers。　　Here　are　large　sky…coloured　birds；　such　as　we　lately　killed　on　New　Guinea；　and　many　other　small　birds；　unknown　to　us。　Here　are　likewise　abundance　of　bats；　as　big　as　young　coneys；　their　necks；　head；　ears；　and　noses　like　foxes；　their　hair　rough；　that　about　their　necks　is　of　a　whitish　yellow；　that　on　their　heads　and　shoulders　black；　their　wings　are　four　feet　over　from　tip　to　tip；　they　smell　like　foxes。　　The　fish　are　bass；　rock…fish；　and　a　sort　of　fish　like　mullets；　old…wives；　whip…rays；　and　some　other　sorts　that　I　knew　not；　but　no　great　plenty　of　any；　for　it　is　deep　water　till　within　less　than　a　mile　of　the　shore；　then　there　is　a　bank　of　coral　rocks；　within　which　you　have　shoal…water；　white　clean　sand；　so　there　is　no　good　fishing　with　the　seine。

This　island　lies　in　latitude　2　degrees　43　minutes　south；　and　meridian　distance　from　port　Babo；　on　the　island　Timor；　four　hundred　and　eighty…six　miles：　　besides　this　island；　here　are　nine　or　ten　other　small　islands。

The　inhabitants　of　this　island　are　a　sort　of　very　tawny　Indians；　with　long　black　hair；　who　in　their　manners　differ　but　little　from　the　Mindanayans；　and　others　of　these　eastern　islands。　　These　seem　to　be　the　chief；　for　besides　them　we　saw　also　shock　curl　pated　New　Guinea　negroes；　many　of　which　are　slaves　to　the　others；　but　I　think　not　all。　　They　are　very　poor；　wear　no　clothes　but　have　a　clout　about　their　middle；　made　of　the　rinds　of　the　tops　of　palmetto　trees；　but　the　women　had　a　sort　of　calico　cloth。　　Their　chief　ornaments　are　blue　and　yellow　beads；　worn　about　their　wrists。　　The　men　arm　themselves　with　bows　and　arrows；　lances；　broad　swords；　like　those　of　Mindanao；　their　lances　are　pointed　with　bone：　　they　strike　fish　very　ingeniously　with　wooden　fish…spears；　and　have　a　very　ingenious　way　of　making　the　fish　rise；　for　they　have　a　piece　of　wood　curiously　carved；　and　painted　much　like　a　dolphin　（and　perhaps　other　figures）；　these　they　let　down　into　the　water　by　a　line　with　a　small　weight　to　sink　it；　when　they　think　it　low　enough；　they　haul　the　line　into　their　boats　very　fast；　and　the　fish　rise　up　after　this　figure；　and　they　stand　ready　to　strike　them　when　they　are　near　the　surface　of　the　water。　　But　their　chief　livelihood　is　from　their　plantations；　yet　they　have　large　boats；　and　go　over　to　New　Guinea；　where　they　get　slaves；　fine　parrots；　&c；　which　they　carry　to　Goram　and　exchange　for　calicoes。　　One　boat　came　from　thence　a　little　before　I　arrived　here；　of　whom　I　bought　some　parrots；　and　would　have　bought　a　slave　but　they　would　not　barter　for　anything　but　calicoes；　which　I　had　not。　Their　houses　on　this　side　were　very　small；　and　seemed　only　to　be　for　necessity；　but　on　the　other　side　of　the　island　we　saw　good　large　houses。　　Their　prows　are　narrow；　with　outriggers　on　each　side；　like　other　Malayans。　　I　cannot　tell　of　what　religion　these　are；　but　I　think　they　are　not　Mahometans；　by　their　drinking　brandy　out　of　the　same　cup　with　us　without　any　scruple。　　At　this　island　we　continued　till　the　20th　instant；　having　laid　in　store　of　such　roots　and　fruits　as　the　island　afforded。

On　the　20th；　at　half　an　hour　after　six　in　the　morning；　I　weighed；　and　standing　out　we　saw　a　large　boat　full　of　men　lying　at　the　north　point　of　the　island。　　As　we　passed　by；　they　rowed　towards　their　habitations；　where　we　supposed　they　had　withdrawn　themselves　for　fear　of　us；　though　we　gave　them　no　cause　of　terror；　or　for　some　differences　among　themselves。

We　stood　to　the　northward　till　seven　in　the　evening；　then　saw　a　rippling；　and；　the　water　being　discoloured；　we　sounded；　and　had　but　twenty…two　fathom。　　I　went　about　and　stood　to　the　westward　till　two　next　morning　then　tacked　again；　and　had　these　several　soundings：　　at　eight　in　the　evening；　twenty…two；　at　ten；　twenty…five；　at　eleven；　twenty…seven；　at　twelve；　twenty…eight　fathom；　at　two　in　the　morning；　twenty…six；　at　four；　twenty…four；　at　six；　twenty…three；　at　eight；　twenty…eight；　at　twelve；　twenty…two。

We　passed　by　many　small　islands；　and　among　many　dangerous　shoals　without　any　remarkable　occurrence　till　the　4th　of　February；　when　we　got　within　three　leagues　of　the　north…west　cape　of　New　Guinea；　called　by　the　Dutch　Cape　Mabo。　　Off　this　cape　there　lies　a　small　woody　island；　and　many　islands　of　different　sizes　to　the　north　and　north…east　of　it。　　This　part　of　New　Guinea　is　high　land；　adorned　with　tall　trees；　that　appeared　very　green　and　flourishing。　　The　cape　itself　is　not　very　high；　but　ends　in　a　low　sharp　point；　and　on　either　side　there　appears　another　such　point　at　equal　distances；　which　makes　it　resemble　a　diamond。　　This　only　appears　when　you　are　abreast　of　the　middle　point；　and　then　you　have　no　ground　within　three　leagues　of　the　shore。

In　the　afternoon　we　passed　by　the　cape　and　stood　over　for　the　islands。　　Before　it　was　dark　we　were　got　within　a　league　of　the　westernmost；　but　had　no　ground　with　fifty　fathom　of　line：　　however；　fearing　to　stand　nearer　in　the　dark；　we　tacked　and　stood　to　the　east　and　plied　all　night。　　The　next　morning　we　were　got　five　or　six　leagues　to　the　eastward　of　that　island；　and；　having　the　wind　easterly；　we　stood　in　to　the　northward　among　the　islands；　sounded；　and　had　no　ground；　then　I　sent　in　my　boat　to　sound；　and　they　had　ground　with　fifty　fathom　near　a　mile　from　the　shore。　　We　tacked　before　the　boat　came　aboard　again；　for　fear　of　a　shoal　that　was　about　a　mile　to　the　east　of　that　island　the　boat　went　to；　from　whence　also　a　shoal…point　stretched　out　itself　till　it　met　the　other：　　they　brought　with　them　such　a　cockle　as　I　have　mentioned　in　my　〃Voyage　Round　the　World〃　found　near　Celebes；　and　they　saw　many　more；　some　bigger　than　that　which　they　brought　aboard；　as　they　said；　and　for　this　reason　I　named　it　Cockle　Island。　　I　sent　them　to　sound　again；　ordering　them　to　fire　a　musket　if　they　found　good　anchoring；　we　were　then　standing　to　the　southward；　with　a　fine　breeze。　　As　soon　as　they　fired；　I　tacked　and　stood　in；　they　told　me　they　had　fifty　fathom　when　they　fired。　　I　tacked　again；　and　made　all　the　sail　I　could　to　get　out；　being　near　some　rocky　islands　and　shoals　to　leeward　of　us。　　The　breeze　increased；　and　I　thought　we　were　out　of　danger；　but　having　a　shoal　just　by　us；　and　the　wind　failing　again；　I　ordered　the　boat　to　tow　us；　and　by　their　help　we　got　clear　from　it。　We　had　a　strong　tide　setting　to　the　westward。

At　one　o'clock；　being　past　the　shoal；　and　finding　the　tide　setting　to　the　westward；　I　anchored　in　thirty…five　fathom　coarse　sand；　with　small　coral　and　shells。　　Being　nearest　to　Cockle　Island；　I　immediately　sent　both　the　boats　thither；　one　to　cut　wood；　and　the　other　to　fish。　　At　four　in　the　afternoon；　having　a　small　breeze　at　south…south…west；　I　made　a　sign　for　my　boats　to　come　on　board。　　They　brought　some　wood；　and　a　few　small　cockles；　none　of　them　exceeding　ten　pounds'　weight；　whereas　the　shell　of　the　great　one　weighed　seventy…eight　pounds；　but　it　was　now　high　water；　and　therefore　they　could　get　no　bigger。　　They　also　brought　on　board　some　pigeons；　of　which　we　found　plenty　on　all　the　islands　where　we　touched　in　these　seas：　　also　in　many　places　we　saw　many　large　bats；　but　killed　none；　except　those　I　mentioned　at　Pub　Sabuda。　　As　our　boats　came　aboard；　we　weighed　and　made　sail；　steering　east…south…east　as　long　as　the　wind　held。　　In　the　morning　we　found　we　had　got　four　or　five　leagues　to　the　east　of　the　place　where　we　weighed。　　We　stood　to　and　fro　till　eleven；　and　finding　that　we　lost　ground；　anchored　in　forty…two　fathom　coarse　gravelly　sand；　with　some　coral。　　This　morning　we　thought　we　saw　a　sail。

In　the　afternoon　I　went　ashore　on　a　small　woody　island；　about　two　leagues　from　us。　　Here　I　found　the　greatest　number　of　pigeons　that　ever　I　saw　either　in　the　East　or　West　Indies；　and　small　cockles　in　the　sea　round　the　island　in　such　quantities　that　we　might　have　laden　the　boat　in　an　hou