[43] Morinda citrifolia. Lin.—Translator.
[44] It is possible that our colony of New South Wales was here alluded to. The natives of the islands in Torres Straits, from their frequent intercourse with ships from Sydney, must be well aware of the existence of the colony, and might have communicated it to the Papuas of the south part of New Guinea, with whom they maintain a constant intercourse.—Translator.
CHAPTER XIX.
NEW GUINEA.
Voyage towards the St. Bartholomeus River.—Encounter a Multitude of Whales.—Discover a Sand-bank.—Nautical Remarks.—Difficulty in approaching the Land.—Sharks.—Crocodiles.—Discover a River.—The Author ascends it.—Remarkable Behaviour of the Natives.—Their Wild State.—Unable to land.—Arrival at an uninhabited Bay on the Island of Lakahia.—Visit from some of the Chiefs.
Having filled up our water-casks, and put the rigging in order, we left our anchorage off Wadia on the morning of the 22nd of April, and continued our voyage towards New Guinea. Owing to calms we were unable to advance far during the day, but we afterwards were favoured by a steady breeze, which soon carried us out of view of the Arru Islands. Bartholomeus River, (on the south coast of New Guinea), being the point to be first visited, we shaped our course for the south-west extreme of that great island. The winds and weather we experienced during the passage, were very unsteady, the former being generally from the northern quarter. As soon as we passed the Arru Islands, the pilots stated to me that they were unacquainted with the navigation beyond, and were even afraid to proceed any farther. The traders from Ceram, and the islands to the westward, do not penetrate beyond the Arrus.
A number of birds usually came on board the brig towards evening, to roost, most of which appeared to me to be land-birds. The colours of some were very beautiful, and in many we could trace a resemblance to our small ducks, magpies and larks.
When to the north-east of the Arru Islands we obtained soundings, for the first time, on a corally bottom; but as we stood to the south-west the depth gradually decreased, the bottom changing from coral to sand, and from sand to soft mud. We encountered daily an immense number of large Noord-kapers (a species of whale), which collected around the brig, and on two occasions one of these sea-monsters passed under her bottom, grazing the keel, and shaking the entire vessel.
At noon, on the 26th, we passed over a small patch of hard sand, on which we had only nine fathoms, the depth around being nineteen and twenty fathoms mud. This, which was named Kolff Bank, was found to lie in latitude 7 deg. south, longitude 136 deg. 4 min. east.[45]
On the night of the 27th, while steering to the south-south-east, the depth gradually decreased, but the bottom still continued muddy. This made me suspect that we were approaching False Cape, (or Cape Valsche), the south-west extreme of New Guinea. On steering south the depth increased to twenty-six fathoms, but after hauling up north-east and east-north-east we had only five and six fathoms, which, coupled with a swell from the south and south-east, led me to conclude that we had passed the Cape. In the evening, when the atmosphere cleared up, we saw the land to the northward, and soon brought up to await the day. During the night we experienced north-east winds, with heavy rain, and a current of six miles from the east-south-east. Rise and fall between seven and eight feet.