That the land which we have touched at as above mentioned, is low-lying and half-submerged to northward, so that a large part of it is under water at high tide; to the south it is somewhat higher and inhabited by certain natives who have built huts there; so far as we could ascertain the land is barren, covered with tall wild trees; the natives quite black and naked without any covering to hide their privy parts; their hair curly in the manner of the Papues: they wear certain fish-bones through the nose, and through their ears pieces of tree-bark, a span in length, so that they look more like monsters than like human beings: their weapons are arrows and bows which they use with great skill.
On the 13th the wind was N., the weather fair, and the current stronger to west than to northward; we set sail in the forenoon, holding our course W.N.W. in order to get into deeper water; when we had run some distance, we got into eight feet of water; upon which we turned back and towards evening came to anchor in 2 fathom.
On the 14th the weather was fair, the wind N. by W., the current running strongly to S.W., as before; at noon we sent out the two pinnaces to take soundings; they rowed as far as 2 miles W.N.W. of the yachts, and nowhere found more than 1½ and 2 fathom of water; the same day, seeing that the weather is now getting more constant every day, it was resolved to put up again the main-topmast in the yacht Aernem, which had been taken down before on account of bad weather.
On the 15th the wind was N.N.E. with good weather and the current as strong as before; we set sail at noon with the tide running from the N.W., hoping to get into deeper water, but having been tacking about till the evening, we were by counter-currents forced to come to anchor in three fathom.
On the 16th the weather was good, the wind being N.E. by N.; we set sail in the forenoon; in the course of the day we had a calm; towards the evening the wind went round to W.S.W., course held N.N.W. along the shallows in 2½ and 2 fathom; in the evening we came to anchor in 3 fathom; we find that in these parts the currents set very strongly to south-west, as before mentioned, and that the water rises and falls fully 1½ and 2 fathom at each tide.
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On the 17th the wind was East; we set sail, holding a W.N.W. and W. by N. course, and thus got into deeper water upwards of 5 fathom; at noon we were in Lat. 8° 4'; in the evening we cast anchor in 6 fathom, having sailed 4 miles W.S.W.
In the morning of the 18th the weather was good with a W. wind; in the afternoon we set sail with the rising tide running from the west; course held S.W. by S. in 6 fathom. when we got into deeper water than 7 and 8 fathom, we altered our course to S.E. by E. and E.S.E. in 10, 12, 14, 18, 20, 26 and 28 fathom; towards evening we went on an Eastward course, having sailed 5½ miles on the aforesaid course from the morning to the evening, and 9 miles to eastward from the evening till the morning.
On the 19th the wind was W., course held E., with the Valsch Caep N.N.E. of us at 5 miles' distance, the land extending N. by W.; the water being 24 fathom here, we went over to E.N.E. and sailed 4 miles, when we got into 6 fathom, where we cast anchor about 4 miles from the land.