early australian voyages-第9部分

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…west；　so　that　we　imagined　there　had　been　a　passage　between　those　two　points；　but　we　were　soon　convinced　of　our　mistake；　and　that　it　was　all　one　coast；　so　that　we　were　obliged　to　double　the　West　Cape　and　to　continue　creeping　along　shore；　and　were　much　hindered　in　our　passage　by　calms。　　This　description　agrees　very　well　with　that　of　Schovten　and　Le　Maire；　so　that　probably　they　had　now　sight　again　of　the　coast　of　New　Guinea。

It　is　very　probable；　from　the　accident　that　happened　to　Captain　Tasman；　and　which　also　happened　to　others　upon　that　coast；　and　from　the　burning　mountains　that　will　be　hereafter　mentioned；　that　this　country　is　very　subject　to　earthquakes；　and　if　so；　without　doubt　it　abounds　with　metals　and　minerals；　of　which　we　have　also　another　proof　from　a　point　in　which　all　these　writers　agree；　viz。；　that　the　people　they　saw　had　rings　on　their　noses　and　ears；　though　none　of　them　tell　us　of　what　metal　these　rings　were　made；　which　Le　Maire　might　easily　have　done；　since　he　carried　off　a　man　from　one　of　the　islands　whose　name　was　Moses；　from　whom　he　learned　that　almost　every　nation　on　this　coast　speaks　a　different　language。



CHAPTER　XVI：　　ARRIVES　IN　THE　NEIGHBOURHOOD　OF　BURNING　ISLAND；　AND　SURVEYS　THE　WHOLE　COAST　OF　NEW　GUINEA。



On　the　20th；　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　4　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　164　degrees　27　minutes；　we　found　the　variation　8　degrees　30　minutes　east。　　We　that　night　drew　near　the　Brandande　Yland；　i。e。；　burning　island；　which　William　Schovten　mentions；　and　we　perceived　a　great　flame　issuing；　as　he　says；　from　the　top　of　a　high　mountain。　　When　we　were　between　that　island　and　the　continent；　we　saw　a　vast　number　of　fires　along　the　shore　and　half…way　up　the　mountain；　from　whence　we　concluded　that　the　country　must　be　very　populous。　　We　were　often　detained　on　this　coast　by　calms；　and　frequently　observed　small　trees；　bamboos；　and　shrubs；　which　the　rivers　on　that　coast　carried　into　the　sea；　from　which　we　inferred　that　this　part　of　the　country　was　extremely　well　watered；　and　that　the　land　must　be　very　good。　　The　next　morning　we　passed　the　burning　mountain；　and　continued　a　west…north…west　course　along　that　coast。

It　is　remarkable　that　Schovten　had　made　the　same　observation　with　respect　to　the　drift…wood　forced　by　the　rivers　into　the　sea。　　He　likewise　observed　that　there　was　so　copious　a　discharge　of　fresh　water；　that　it　altered　the　colour　and　the　taste　of　the　sea。　　He　likewise　says　that　the　burning　island　is　extremely　well　peopled；　and　also　well　cultivated。　　He　afterwards　anchored　on　the　coast　of　the　continent；　and　endeavoured　to　trade　with　the　natives；　who　made　him　pay　very　dear　for　hogs　and　cocoa…nuts；　and　likewise　showed　him　some　ginger。　　It　appears　from　Captain　Tasman's　account　that　he　was　now　in　haste　to　return　to　Batavia；　and　did　not　give　himself　so　much　trouble　as　at　the　beginning　about　discoveries；　and　to　say　the　truth；　there　was　no　great　occasion；　if；　as　I　observed；　his　commission　was　no　more　than　to　sail　round　the　new　discovered　coasts；　in　order　to　lay　them　down　with　greater　certainty　in　the　Dutch　charts。



CHAPTER　XVII：　　COMES　TO　THE　ISLANDS　OF　JAMA　AND　MOA。



On　the　27th；　being　in　the　latitude　of　2　degrees　10　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　146　degrees　57　minutes；　we　fancied　that　we　had　a　sight　of　the　island　of　Moa；　but　it　proved　to　be　that　of　Jama；　which　lies　a　little　to　the　east　of　Moa。　　We　found　here　great　plenty　of　cocoa…nuts　and　other　refreshments。　　The　inhabitants　were　absolutely　black；　and　could　easily　repeat　the　words　that　they　heard　others　speak；　which　shows　their　own　to　be　a　very　copious　language。　It　is；　however；　exceedingly　difficult　to　pronounce；　because　they　make　frequent　use　of　the　letter　R；　and　sometimes　to　such　a　degree　that　it　occurs　twice　or　thrice　in　the　same　word。　　The　next　day　we　anchored　on　the　coast　of　the　island　of　Moa；　where　we　likewise　found　abundance　of　refreshments；　and　where　we　were　obliged　by　bad　weather　to　stay　till　May　9th。　　We　purchased　there；　by　way　of　exchange；　six　thousand　cocoa…nuts；　and　a　hundred　bags　of　pysanghs　or　Indian　figs。　When　we　first　began　to　trade　with　these　people；　one　of　our　seamen　was　wounded　by　an　arrow　that　one　of　the　natives　let　fly；　either　through　malice　or　inadvertency。　　We　were　at　that　very　juncture　endeavouring　to　bring　our　ships　close　to　the　shore；　which　so　terrified　these　islanders；　that　they　brought　of　their　own　accord　on　board　us；　the　man　who　had　shot　the　arrow　and　left　him　at　our　mercy。　We　found　them　after　this　accident　much　more　tractable　than　before　in　every　respect。　　Our　sailors；　therefore；　pulled　off　the　iron　hoops　from　some　of　the　old　water…casks；　stuck　them　into　wooden　handles；　and　filing　them　to　an　edge；　sold　these　awkward　knives　to　the　inhabitants　for　their　fruits。

In　all　probability　they　had　not　forgot　what　happened　to　our　people　on　July　16th；　1616；　in　the　days　of　William　Schovten：　　these　people；　it　seems；　treated　him　very　ill；　upon　which　James　le　Maire　brought　his　ship　close　to　the　shore；　and　fired　a　broadside　through　the　woods；　the　bullets；　flying　through　the　trees；　struck　the　negroes　with　such　a　panic；　that　they　fled　in　an　instant　up　into　the　country；　and　durst　not　show　their　heads　again　till　they　had　made　full　satisfaction　for　what　was　past；　and　thereby　secured　their　safety　for　the　time　to　come；　and　he　traded　with　them　afterwards　very　peaceably；　and　with　mutual　satisfaction。

This　account　of　our　author's　seems　to　have　been　taken　upon　memory；　and　is　not　very　exact。　　Schovten's　seamen；　or　rather　the　petty　officer　who　commanded　his　long　boat；　insulted　the　natives　grossly　before　they　offered　any　injury　to　his　people；　and　then；　notwithstanding　they　fired　upon　them　with　small　arms；　the　islanders　obliged　them　to　retreat；　so　that　they　were　forced　to　bring　the　great　guns　to　bear　upon　the　island　before　they　could　reduce　them。　　These　people　do　not　deserve　to　be　treated　as　savages；　because　Schovten　acknowledges　that　they　had　been　engaged　in　commerce　with　the　Spaniards；　as　appeared　by　their　having　iron　pots；　glass　beads；　and　pendants；　with　other　European　commodities；　before　he　came　thither。　He　also　tells　us　that　they　were　a　very　civilised　people；　their　country　well　cultivated　and　very　fruitful；　that　they　had　a　great　many　boats；　and　other　small　craft；　which　they　navigated　with　great　dexterity。　　He　adds　also；　that　they　gave　him　a　very　distinct　account　of　the　neighbouring　islands；　and　that　they　solicited　him　to　fire　upon　the　Arimoans；　with　whom　it　seems　they　are　always　at　war；　which；　however；　he　refused　to　do；　unless　provoked　to　it　by　some　injury　offered　by　those　people。　　It　is　therefore　very　apparent　that　the　inhabitants　of　Moa　are　a　people　with　whom　any　Europeans；　settled　in　their　neighbourhood；　might　without　any　difficulty　settle　a　commerce；　and　receive　considerable　assistance　from　them　in　making　discoveries。　But　perhaps　some　nations　are　fitter　for　these　kind　of　expeditions　than　others；　as　being　less　apt　to　make　use　of　their　artillery　and　small　arms　upon　every　little　dispute；　for　as　the　inhabitants　of　Moa　are　well　enough　acquainted　with　the　superiority　which　the　Europeans　have　over　them；　it　cannot　be　supposed　that　they　will　ever　hazard　their　total　destruction　by　committing　any　gross　act　of　cruelty　upon　strangers　who　visit　their　coast；　and　it　is　certainly　very　unfair　to　treat　people　as　savages　and　barbarians；　merely　for　defending　themselves　when　insulted　or　attacked　without　cause。　　The　instance　Captain　Tasman　gives　us　of　their　delivering　up　the　man　who　wounded　his　sailor　is　a　plain　proof　of　this；　and　as　to　the　diffidence　and　suspicion　which　some　later　voyagers　have　complained　of　with　respect　to　the　inhabitants　of　this　island；　they　must　certainly　be　the　effects　of　the　bad　behaviour　of　such　Europeans　as　this　nation　have　hitherto　dealt　with；　and　would　be　effectually　removed；　if　ever　they　had　a　settled　experience　of　a　contrary　conduct。　　The　surest　method　of　teaching　people　to　behave　honestly　towards　us　is　to　behave　friendly　and　honestly　towards　them；　and　then　there　is　no　great　reason　to　fear；　that　such　as　give　evident　proofs　of　capacity　and　civility　in　the　common　affairs　of　life　should　be　guilty　of　treachery　that　must　turn　to　their　own　disadvantage。



CHAPTER　XVIII：　　PROSECUTES　HIS　VOYAGE　TO　CERAM。



On　the　12th　of　May；　being　then　in　the　latitude　of　54　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　153　degrees　17　minutes；　we　found　the　variation　6　degrees　30　minutes　to　the　east。　　We　continued　coasting　the　north　side　of　the　island　of　William　Schovten；　which　is　about　eighteen　or　nineteen　miles　long；　very　populous；　and　the　people　very　brisk　and　active。　　It　was　with　great　caution　that　Schovten　gave　his　name　to　this　island；　for　having　observed　that　there　were　abundance　of　small　islands　laid　down　in　the　charts　on　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　he　was　suspicious　that　this　might　be　of　the　number。　　But　since　that　time　it　seems　a　point　generally　agreed；　that　this　island　had　not　before　any　particular　name；　and　therefore；　in　all　subsequent　voyages；　we　find　it　constantly　mentioned　by　the　name　of　Schovten's　Island。

He　describes　it　as　a　very　fertile　and　well…peopled　island；　the　inhabitants　of　which　were　so　far　from　discovering　anything　of　a　savage　nature；　that　they　gave　apparent　testimonies　of　their　having　had　an　extensive　commerce　before　he　touched　there；　since　they　not　only　showed　him　various　commodities　from　the　Spaniards；　but　also　several　samples　of　China　ware；　he　observes　that　they　are　very　unlike　the　nations　he　had　seen　before；　being　rather　of　an　olive　colour　than　black；　some　having　short；　others　long　hair；　dressed　after　different　fashions；　they　were　also　a　taller；　stronger；　and　stouter　people　than　their　neighbours。　　These　little　circumstances；　which　may　seem　tedious　or　trifling　to　such　as　read　only　for　amusement；　are；　however；　of　very　great　importance　to　such　as　have　discoveries　in　view；　because　they　argue　that　these　people　have　a　general　correspondence；　the　difference　of　their　complexion　must　arise　from　a　mixed　descent；　and　the　different　manner　of　wearing　their　hair　is　undoubtedly　owing　to　their　following　the　fashion　of　different　nations；　as　their　fancies　lead　them。　　He　farther　observes　that　their　vessels　were　larger　and　better　contrived　than　their　neighbours；　that　they　readily　parted　with　their　bows　and　arrows　in　exchange　for