early australian voyages-第22部分

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l　cockles　in　the　sea　round　the　island　in　such　quantities　that　we　might　have　laden　the　boat　in　an　hour's　time。　　These　were　not　above　ten　or　twelve　pounds'　weight。　　We　cut　some　wood；　and　brought　off　cockles　enough　for　all　the　ship's　company；　but　having　no　small　shot；　we　could　kill　no　pigeons。　　I　returned　about　four　o'clock；　and　then　my　gunner　and　both　mates　went　thither；　and　in　less　than　three…quarters　of　an　hour　they　killed　and　brought　off　ten　pigeons。　　Here　is　a　tide：　　the　flood　sets　west　and　the　ebb　east；　but　the　latter　is　very　faint　and　but　of　small　continuance；　and　so　we　found　it　ever　since　we　came　from　Timer：　the　winds　we　found　easterly；　between　north…east　and　east…south…east；　so　that　if　these　continue；　it　is　impossible　to　beat　farther　to　the　eastward　on　this　coast　against　wind　and　current。　　These　easterly　winds　increased　from　the　time　we　were　in　the　latitude　of　about　2　degrees　south；　and　as　we　drew　nigher　the　line　they　hung　more　easterly：　　and　now　being　to　the　north　of　the　continent　of　New　Guinea；　where　the　coast　lies　east　and　west；　I　find　the　trade…wind　here　at　east；　which　yet　in　higher　latitudes　is　usually　at　north…　north…west　and　north…west；　and　so　I　did　expect　them　here；　it　being　to　the　south　of　the　line。

The　7th；　in　the　morning；　I　sent　my　boat　ashore　on　Pigeon　Island；　and　stayed　till　noon。　　In　the　afternoon　my　men　returned；　brought　twenty…　two　pigeons；　and　many　cockles；　some　very　large；　some　small：　　they　also　brought　one　empty　shell；　that　weighed　two　hundred　and　fifty…　eight　pounds。

At　four　o'clock　we　weighed；　having　a　small　westerly　wind　and　a　tide　with　us；　at　seven　in　the　evening　we　anchored　in　forty…two　fathom；　near　King　William's　Island；　where　I　went　ashore　the　next　morning；　drank　His　Majesty's　health；　and　honoured　it　with　his　name。　　It　is　about　two　leagues　and　a　half　in　length；　very　high　and　extraordinarily　well　clothed　with　woods；　the　trees　are　of　divers　sorts；　most　unknown　to　us；　but　all　very　green　and　flourishing；　many　of　them　had　flowers；　some　white；　some　purple；　others　yellow：　　all　which　smelt　very　fragrantly：　　the　trees　are　generally　tall　and　straight　bodied；　and　may　be　fit　for　any　use。　　I　saw　one　of　a　clean　body；　without　knot　or　limb；　sixty　or　seventy　feet　high　by　estimation；　it　was　three　of　my　fathoms　about；　and　kept　its　bigness；　without　any　sensible　decrease；　even　to　the　top。　　The　mould　of　the　island　is　black；　but　not　deep；　it　being　very　rocky。　　On　the　sides　and　top　of　the　island　are　many　palmetto　trees；　whose　heads　we　could　discern　over　all　the　other　trees；　but　their　bodies　we　could　not　see。

About　one　in　the　afternoon　we　weighed　and　stood　to　the　eastward；　between　the　main　and　King　William's　Island；　leaving　the　island　on　our　larboard　side；　and　sounding　till　we　were　past　the　island；　and　then　we　had　no　ground。　　Here　we　found　the　flood　setting　east…by…　north；　and　the　ebb　west…by…south；　there　were　shoals　and　small　islands　between　us　and　the　main；　which　caused　the　tide　to　set　very　inconstantly；　and　make　many　whirlings　in　the　water；　yet　we　did　not　find　the　tide　to　set　strong　any　way；　nor　the　water　to　rise　much。

On　the　9th；　being　to　the　eastward　of　King　William's　Island；　we　plied　all　day　between　the　main　and　other　islands；　having　easterly　winds　and　fair　weather　till　seven　the　next　morning；　then　we　had　very　hard　rain　till　eight；　and　saw　many　shoals　of　fish。　　We　lay　becalmed　off　a　pretty　deep　bay　on　New　Guinea；　about　twelve　or　fourteen　leagues　wide；　and　seven　or　eight　leagues　deep；　having　low　land　near　its　bottom；　but　high　land　without。　　The　easternmost　part　of　New　Guinea　seen　bore　east…by…south；　distant　twelve　leagues；　Cape　Mabo　west…　south…west　half…south；　distant　seven　leagues。

At　one　in　the　afternoon　it　began　to　rain；　and　continued　till　six　in　the　evening；　so　that；　having　but　little　wind　and　most　calms；　we　lay　still　off　the　forementioned　bay；　having　King　William's　Island　still　in　sight；　though　distant　by　judgment　fifteen　or　sixteen　leagues　west。　　We　saw　many　shoals　of　small　fish；　some　sharks；　and　seven　or　eight　dolphins；　but　caught　none。　　In　the　afternoon；　being　about　four　leagues　from　the　shore；　we　saw　an　opening　in　the　land；　which　seemed　to　afford　good　harbour。　　In　the　evening　we　saw　a　large　fire　there；　and　I　intended　to　go　in　（if　winds　and　weather　would　permit）　to　get　some　acquaintance　with　the　natives。

Since　the　4th　instant　that　we　passed　Cape　Mabo；　to　the　12th；　we　had　small　easterly　winds　and　calms；　so　that　we　anchored　several　times；　where　I　made　my　men　cut　wood；　that　we　might　have　a　good　stock　when　a　westerly　wind　should　present；　and　so　we　plied　to　the　eastward；　as　winds　and　currents　would　permit；　having　not　got　in　all　above　thirty　leagues　to　the　eastward　of　Cape　Mabo；　but　on　the　12th；　at　four　in　the　afternoon；　a　small　gale　sprang　up　at　north…east…by…north；　with　rain；　at　five　it　shuffled　about　to　north…west；　from　thence　to　the　south…west；　and　continued　between　those　two　points　a　pretty　brisk　gale；　so　that　we　made　sail　and　steered　away　north…east；　till　the　13th；　in　the　morning；　to　get　about　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　　When　it　was　day　we　steered　north…east　half　east；　then　north…east…by…east　till　seven　o'clock；　and；　being　then　seven　or　eight　leagues　off　shore；　we　steered　away　east；　the　shore　trending　east…by…south。　　We　had　very　much　rain　all　night；　so　that　we　could　not　carry　much　sail；　yet　we　had　a　very　steady　gale。　　At　eight　this　morning　the　weather　cleared　up；　and　the　wind　decreased　to　a　fine　top…gallant　gale；　and　settled　at　west…by…south。　　We　had　more　rain　these　three　days　past；　than　all　the　voyage；　in　so　short　a　time。　　We　were　now　about　six　leagues　from　the　land　of　New　Guinea；　which　appeared　very　high；　and　we　saw　two　headlands　about　twenty　leagues　asunder；　the　one　to　the　east　and　the　other　to　the　west；　which　last　is　called　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　　We　found　variation　east　4　degrees。

The　15th；　in　the　morning；　between　twelve　and　two　o'clock；　it　blew　a　very　brisk　gale　at　north…west；　and　looked　very　black　in　the　south…　west。　　At　two　it　flew　about　at　once　to　the　south…south…west；　and　rained　very　hard。　　The　wind　settled　some　time　at　west…south…west；　and　we　steered　east…north…east　till　three　in　the　morning；　then　the　wind　and　rain　abating；　we　steered　east…half…north　for　fear　of　coming　near　the　land。　　Presently　after；　it　being　a　little　clear；　the　man　at　the　bowsprit　end　called　out；　〃Land　on　our　starboard　bow。〃　　We　looked　out　and　saw　it　plain：　　I　presently　sounded；　and　had　but　ten　fathom；　soft　ground。　　The　master；　being　somewhat　scared；　came　running　in　haste　with　this　news；　and　said　it　was　best　to　anchor。　　I　told　him　no；　but　sound　again；　then　we　had　twelve　fathom；　the　next　cast；　thirteen　and　a　half；　the　fourth；　seventeen　fathom；　and　then　no　ground　with　fifty　fathom　line。　　However；　we　kept　off　the　island；　and　did　not　go　so　fast　but　that　we　could　see　any　other　danger　before　we　came　nigh　it；　for　here　might　have　been　more　islands　not　laid　down　in　my　drafts　besides　this；　for　I　searched　all　the　drafts　I　had；　if　perchance　I　might　find　any　island　in　the　one　which　was　not　in　the　others；　but　I　could　find　none　near　us。　　When　it　was　day　we　were　about　five　leagues　off　the　land　we　saw；　but；　I　believe；　not　above　five　miles；　or　at　most　two　leagues；　off　it　when　we　first　saw　it　in　the　night。

This　is　a　small　island；　but　pretty　high；　I　named　it　Providence。　About　five　leagues　to　the　southward　of　this　there　is　another　island；　which　is　called　William　Scouten's　Island；　and　laid　down　in　our　drafts：　　it　is　a　high　island；　and　about　twenty　leagues　big。

It　was　by　mere　providence　that　we　missed　the　small　island；　for；　had　not　the　wind　come　to　west…south…west；　and　blown　hard；　so　that　we　steered　east…north…east；　we　had　been　upon　it　by　our　course　that　we　steered　before；　if　we　could　not　have　seen　it。　　This　morning　we　saw　many　great　trees　and　logs　swim　by　us；　which；　it　is　probable；　came　out　of　some　great　rivers　on　the　main。

On　the　16th　we　crossed　the　line；　and　found　variation　6　degrees　26　minutes　east。　　The　18th；　by　my　observation　at　noon；　we　found　that　we　had　had　a　current　setting　to　the　southward；　and　probably　that　drew　us　in　so　nigh　Scouten's　Island。　　For　this　twenty…four　hours　we　steered　east…by…north　with　a　large　wind；　yet　made　but　an　east…by…　south　half　south　course；　though　the　variation　was　not　above　7　degrees　east。

The　21st　we　had　a　current　setting　to　the　northward；　which　is　against　the　true　trade　monsoon；　it　being　now　near　the　full　moon。　　I　did　expect　it　here；　as　in　all　other　places。　　We　had　variation　8　degrees　45　minutes　east。　　The　22nd　we　found　but　little　current；　if　any；　it　set　to　the　southward。

On　the　23rd；　in　the　afternoon；　we　saw　two　snakes；　and　the　next　morning　another　passing　by　us；　which　was　furiously　assaulted　by　two　fishes；　that　had　kept　us　company　five　or　six　days；　they　were　shaped　like　mackerel；　and　were　about　that　bigness　and　length；　and　of　a　yellow…greenish　colour。　　The　snake　swam　away　from　them　very　fast；　keeping　his　head　above　water；　the　fish　snapped　at　his　tail；　but　when　he　turned　himself；　that　fish　would　withdraw；　and　another　would　snap；　so　that　by　turns　they　kept　him　employed；　yet　he　still　defended　himself；　and　swam　away　a　great　pace；　till　they　were　out　of　sight。

The　25th；　betimes　in　the　morning；　we　saw　an　island　to　the　southward　of　us；　at　about　fifteen　leagues'　distance。　　We　steered　away　for　it；　supposing　it　to　be　that　which　the　Dutch　call　Wishart's　Island；　but；　finding　it　otherwise；　I　called　it　Matthias；　it　being　that　saint's　day。　　This　island　is　about　nine　or　ten　leagues　long；　mountainous　and　woody；　with　many　savannahs；　and　some　spots　of　land　which　seemed　to　be　cleared。

At　eight　in　the　evening　we　lay　by；　intending；　if　I　could；　to　anchor　under　Matthias　Isle；　but　the　next　morning；　seeing　another　island　about　seven　or　eight　leagues　to　the　eastward　of　it；　we　steered　away　for　it。　　At　noon　we　came　up　fair　with　its　south…west　end；　intending　to　run　along　by　it　and　anchor　on　the　south…east　side；　but　the　tornadoes　came　in　so　thick　and　hard　that　I　could　not　venture　in。　This　island　is　pretty　low　and　plain；　and　clothed　with　wood；　the　trees　were　very　green；　and　appeared　to　be　large　and　tall；　as　thick　as　they　could　stand　one　by　another。　　It　is　about　two　or　three　leagues　long；　and　at　the　south…west　point　there　is　another　small；　low；　woody　island；　about　a　mile　round；　and　about　a　mile　from　the　other。　　Between　the