early australian voyages-第24部分

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nd　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　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