early australian voyages-第8部分

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st；　with　dark　cold　weather。　　Fearing；　therefore；　that　we　were　run　farther　to　the　west　than　we　thought　ourselves　by　our　reckoning；　and　dreading　that　we　should　fall　to　the　south　of　New　Guinea；　or　be　thrown　upon　some　unknown　coast　in　such　blowing　misty　weather；　we　resolved　to　stand　away　to　the　north；　or　to　the　north…　north…west；　till　we　should　arrive　in　the　latitude　of　4；　5；　or　6　degrees　south；　and　then　to　bear　away　west　for　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　as　the　least　dangerous　way　that　we　could　take。

It　is　very　plain　from　hence；　that　Captain　Tasman　had　now　laid　aside　all　thoughts　of　discovering　farther；　and　I　think　it　is　not　difficult　to　guess　at　the　reason；　when　he　was　in　this　latitude；　line　was　morally　certain　that　he　could；　without　further　difficulty；　sail　round　by　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　and　so　back　again　to　the　East　Indies。　　It　is　therefore　extremely　probable　that　he　was　directed　by　his　instructions　to　coast　round　that　great　southern　continent　already　discovered；　in　order　to　arrive　at　a　certainty　whether　it　was　joined　to　any　other　part　of　the　world；　or　whether；　notwithstanding　its　vast　extent；　viz。；　from　the　equator　to　43　degrees　of　south　latitude；　and　from　the　longitude　of　123　degrees　to　near　190　degrees；　it　was；　notwithstanding；　an　island。　　This；　I　say；　was　in　all　appearance　the　true　design　of　his　voyage；　and　the　reason　of　it　seems　to　be　this：　　that　an　exact　chart　being　drawn　from　his　discoveries；　the　East　India　Company　might　have　perfect　intelligence　of　the　extent　and　situation　of　this　now…found　country　before　they　executed　the　plan　they　were　then　contriving　for　preventing　its　being　visited　or　farther　discovered　by　their　own　or　any　other　nation；　and　this　too　accounts　for　the　care　taken　in　laying　down　the　map　of　this　country　on　the　pavement　of　the　new　stadthouse　at　Amsterdam；　for　as　this　county　was　henceforward　to　remain　as　a　kind　of　deposit　or　land　of　reserve　in　the　hands　of　the　East　India　Company；　they　took　this　method　of　intimating　as　much　to　their　countrymen；　so　that；　while　strangers　are　gaping　at　this　map　as　a　curiosity；　every　intelligent　Dutchman　may　say　to　himself；　〃Behold　the　wisdom　of　the　East　India　Company。　　By　their　present　empire　they　support　the　authority　of　this　republic　abroad；　and　by　their　extensive　commerce　enrich　its　subjects　at　home；　and　at　the　same　time　show　us　here　what　a　reserve　they　have　made　for　the　benefit　of　posterity；　whenever；　through　the　vicissitudes　to　which　all　sublunary　things　are　liable；　their　present　sources　of　power　and　grandeur　shall　fail。〃

I　cannot　help　supporting　my　opinion　in　this　respect；　by　putting　the　reader　in　mind　of　a　very　curious　piece　of　ancient　history；　which　furnishes　us　with　the　like　instance　in　the　conduct　of　another　republic。　　Diodorus　Siculus；　in　the　fifth　book　of　his　Historical　Library；　informs　us　that　in　the　African　Ocean；　some　days'　sail　west　from　Libya；　there　had　been　discovered　an　island；　the　soil　of　which　was　exceedingly　fertile　and　the　country　no　less　pleasant；　all　the　land　being　finely　diversified　by　mountains　and　plains；　the　former　thick　clothed　with　trees；　the　latter　abounding　with　fruits　and　flowers；　the　whole　watered　by　innumerable　rivulets；　and　affording　so　pleasant　an　habitation　that　a　finer　or　more　delightful　country　fancy　itself　could　not　feign；　yet　he　assures　us；　the　Carthagenians；　those　great　masters　of　maritime　power　and　commerce；　though　they　had　discovered　this　admirable　island；　would　never　suffer　it　to　be　planted；　but　reserved　it　as　a　sanctuary　to　which　they　might　fly；　whenever　the　ruin　of　their　own　republic　left　them　no　other　resource。　This　tallies　exactly　with　the　policy　of　the　Dutch　East　India　Company；　who；　if　they　should　at　any　time　be　driven　from　their　possessions　in　Java；　Ceylon；　and　other　places　in　that　neighbourhood；　would　without　doubt　retire　back　into　the　Moluccas；　and　avail　themselves　effectually　of　this　noble　discovery；　which　lies　open　to　them；　and　has　been　hitherto　close　shut　up　to　all　the　world　beside。　But　to　proceed。



CHAPTER　XII：　　OCCURRENCES　IN　THE　VOYAGE。



On　February　14th　we　were　in　the　latitude　of　16　degrees　30　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　193　degrees　35　minutes。　　We　had　hitherto　had　much　rain　and　bad　weather；　but　this　day　the　wind　sinking；　we　hailed　our　consort　the　Zee…Haan；　and　found　to　our　great　satisfaction　that　our　reckonings　agreed。　　On　the　20th；　in　the　latitude　of　13　degrees　45　minutes；　and　in　the　longitude　of　193　degrees　35　minutes；　we　had　dark；　cloudy　weather；　much　rain；　thick　fogs；　and　a　rolling　sea；　on　all　sides　the　wind　variable。　　On　the　26th；　in　the　latitude　of　9　degrees　48　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　193　degrees　43　minutes；　we　had　a　north…west　wind；　having　every　day；　for　the　space　of　twenty…one　days；　rained　more　or　less。　　On　March　2nd；　in　the　latitude　of　9　degrees　11　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　192　degrees　46　minutes；　the　variation　was　10　degrees　to　the　east；　the　wind　and　weather　still　varying。　　On　March　8th；　in　the　latitude　of　7　degrees　46　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　190　degrees　47　minutes；　the　wind　was　still　variable。



CHAPTER　XIII：　　HE　ARRIVES　AT　THE　ARCHIPELAGO　OF　ANTHONG　JAVA。



On　the　14th；　in　the　latitude　of　10　degrees　12　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　186　degrees　14　minutes；　we　found　the　variation　8　degrees　45　minutes　to　the　east。　　We　passed　some　days　without　being　able　to　take　any　observation；　because　the　weather　was　all　that　time　dark　and　rainy。　　On　March　20th；　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　15　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　181　degrees　16　minutes；　the　weather　being　then　fair；　we　found　the　variation　9　degrees　eastward。　On　the　22nd；　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　2　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　178　degrees　32　minutes；　we　had　fine　fair　weather；　and　the　benefit　of　the　east　trade　wind。　　This　day　we　had　sight　of　land；　which　lay　four　miles　west。　　This　land　proved　to　be　a　cluster　of　twenty　islands；　which　in　the　maps　are　called　Anthong　Java。　　They　lie　ninety　miles　or　thereabouts　from　the　coast　of　New　Guinea。　　It　may　not　be　amiss　to　observe　here；　that　what　Captain　Tasman　calls　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　is　in　reality　the　coast　of　New　Britain；　which　Captain　Dampier　first　discovered　to　be　a　large　island　separated　from　the　coast　of　New　Guinea。



CHAPTER　XIV：　　HIS　ARRIVAL　ON　THE　COAST　OF　NEW　GUINEA。



On　the　25th；　in　the　latitude　of　4　degrees　35　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　175　degrees　10　minutes；　we　found　the　variation　9　degrees　30　minutes　east。　　We　were　then　in　the　height　of　the　islands　of　Mark；　which　were　discovered　by　William　Schovten　and　James　le　Maire。　　They　are　fourteen　or　fifteen　in　number；　inhabited　by　savages；　with　black　hair；　dressed　and　trimmed　in　the　same　manner　as　those　we　saw　before　at　the　Bay　of　Murderers　in　New　Zealand。　　On　the　29th　we　passed　the　Green　Islands；　and　on　the　30th　that　of　St。　John；　which　were　likewise　discovered　by　Schovten　and　Le　Maire。　　This　island　they　found　to　be　of　a　considerable　extent；　and　judged　it　to　lie　at　the　distance　of　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　forty　leagues　from　the　coast　of　Peru。　　It　appeared　to　them　well　inhabited　and　well　cultivated；　abounding　with　flesh；　fowl；　fish；　fruit；　and　other　refreshments。　　The　inhabitants　made　use　of　canoes　of　all　sizes；　were　armed　with　slings；　darts；　and　wooden　swords；　wore　necklaces　and　bracelets　of　pearl；　and　rings　in　their　noses。　　They　were；　however；　very　intractable；　notwithstanding　all　the　pains　that　could　be　taken　to　engage　them　in　a　fair　correspondence；　so　that　Captain　Schovten　was　at　last　obliged　to　fire　upon　them　to　prevent　them　from　making　themselves　masters　of　his　vessel；　which　they　attacked　with　a　great　deal　of　vigour；　and　very　probably　this　was　the　reason　that　Captain　Tasman　did　not　attempt　to　land　or　make　any　farther　discovery。　　On　April　1st；　we　were　in　the　latitude　of　4　degrees　30　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　171　degrees　2　minutes；　the　variation　being　8　degrees　45　minutes　to　the　east；　having　now　sight　of　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　and　endeavouring　to　double　the　cape　which　the　Spaniards　call　Cobo　Santa　Maria；　we　continued　to　sail　along　the　coast　which　lies　north…west。　　We　afterwards　passed　the　islands　of　Antony　Caens；　Gardeners　Island；　and　Fishers　Island；　advancing　towards　the　promontory　called　Struis　Hoek；　where　the　coast　runs　south　and　south…　east。　　We　resolved　to　pursue　the　same　route；　and　to　continue　steering　south　till　we　should　either　discover　land　or　a　passage　on　that　side。

It　is　necessary　to　observe；　that　all　this　time　they　continued　on　the　coast；　not　of　New　Guinea　but　of　New　Britain；　for　that　cape　which　the　Spaniards　called　Santa　Maria　is　the　very　same　that　Captain　Dampier　called　Cape　St。　George；　and　Caens；　Gardeners；　and　Fishers　Islands　all　lie　upon　the　same　coast。　　They　had　been　discovered　by　Schovten　and　Le　Maire；　who　found　them　to　be　well　inhabited；　but　by　a　very　base　and　treacherous　people；　who；　after　making　signs　of　peace；　attempted　to　surprise　their　ships；　and　these　islanders　managed　their　slings　with　such　force　and　dexterity；　as　to　drive　the　Dutch　sailors　from　their　decks；　which　account　of　Le　Maire's　agree　perfectly　well　with　what　Captain　Dampier　tells　us　of　the　same　people。　　As　for　the　continent　of　New　Guinea；　it　lies　quite　behind　the　island　of　New　Britain；　and　was　therefore　laid　down　in　all　the　charts　before　Dampier's　discovery；　at　least　four　degrees　more　to　the　east　than　it　should　have　been。



CHAPTER　XV：　　CONTINUES　HIS　VOYAGE　ALONG　THAT　COAST。



On　April　12th；　in　the　latitude　of　3　degrees　45　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　167　degrees；　we　found　the　variation　10　degrees　towards　the　east。　　That　night　part　of　the　crew　were　wakened　out　of　their　sleep　by　an　earthquake。　　They　immediately　ran　upon　deck；　supposing　that　the　ship　had　struck。　　On　heaving　the　lead；　however；　there　was　no　bottom　to　be　found。　　We　had　afterwards　several　shocks；　but　none　of　them　so　violent　as　the　first。　　We　had　then　doubled　the　Struis　Hoek；　and　were　at　that　time　in　the　Bay　of　Good　Hope。　　On　the　14th；　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　27　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　166　degrees　57　minutes；　we　observed　the　variation　to　be　9　degrees　15　minutes　to　the　east。　　The　land　lay　then　north…east；　east…north…east；　and　again　south…south…west；　so　that　we　imagined　there　had　been　a　passage　between　those　two　points；　but　we　were　soon　convi