In the morning of the 10th the wind was E.N.E., course held S.E. in 9, 10, and 11 fathom; at night the wind blew from the S.E., upon which we cast anchor, having sailed 5 miles this day.
On the 11th the wind was E. by N. with a fair breeze, course kept S.S.E.; at noon we were in 11° 30'; the whole of this day and night we tried to get south with variable winds and on different courses, and sailed 22 miles in the last 24 hours; course kept S.E.
In the morning of the 12th the wind was S.E. with good weather; at sunrise we saw the land of Nova Guinea [*], showing itself as a low-lying coast without hills or mountains; we were then in 13½ fathom, clayey bottom; course held S.S.W.; at noon we were in Lat. 11° 45' South, having sailed 10 miles on a S.E. course in the last 24 hours.
[* York Peninsula.]
In the morning of the 13th the wind was S.E. by E. and we were in 24 fathom; we still saw the land aforementioned and found it to be of the same shape as before; course held S.W.; at noon we were in 12° 53'; for the rest of day and night we tried to get south with the winds aforesaid and on varying courses, having sailed 22 miles in the last 24 hours; course kept S.W.
On the 14th the wind was E. by S., course held S. by E. along the land in 11, 12, 13, and 14 fathom; at noon we were in Lat. 13° 47', the land being no longer in sight. The rest of the day and the whole night we tried to get the land alongside with divers winds and on varying courses in 7, 6, 6, 4, 3, and 2½ fathom; towards daybreak we were so near the land that one might have recognised persons on shore.
In the morning of the 15th the wind blew hard from the East; course held S. by E. in 3 and 2½ fathom along a sandbank, situated about one mile from the mainland; at noon we were in 14° 36. The land which we have hitherto seen and followed, extends S. and N.; it is low-lying and without variety, having a fine sandy beach in various places. In the afternoon we dropped anchor owing to the calm, having sailed {Page 36} 11 miles South. Great volumes of smoke becoming visible on the land, the subcargo [*] got orders to land with the two pinnaces, duly manned and armed, and was specially enjoined to use his utmost endeavours for the advantage of Our Masters; when the pinnaces returned at nightfall, the subcargo reported that the pinnaces could get no farther than a stone's throw from the land, owing to the muddy bottom into which the men sunk to their waists, but that they had in various places seen blacks emerging from the wood, while others lay hid in the coppice; they therefore sent a man ashore with some pieces of iron and strings of beads tied to a stick, in order to attract the blacks; but as nothing could be effected and the night was coming on, they had been forced to return to the yachts.
[* Pieter Lintiens. (Summary).]
In the morning of the 16th, being Easter-day, the wind was East; we set sail, holding our course S. by E.; at noon we were in 14° 56'; in the evening we came to anchor in 5 ½fathom, having sailed 10½ miles, course kept South.
In the morning of the 17th the wind was S. by W., with rain and the tide setting to the south; at noon the wind went round to East, so that we made sail, course held S. by W., along the land in 4½ fathom; towards the evening, it fell a calm, so that we dropped anchor with the ebb, after which I went ashore myself with the two pinnaces duly provided with men and arms; we went a considerable distance into the interior, which we found to be a flat, fine country with few trees, and a good soil for planting and sowing, but so far as we could observe utterly destitute of fresh water. Nor did we see any human beings or even signs of them; near the strand the coast was sandy with a fine beach and plenty of excellent fish.