[September 1770.]
Saturday, 1st September. In the P.M. and most part of the night had a fresh breeze from the South-East with which we keept standing in for the land North-East and East-North-East, close upon a wind, until half past 6, when we Anchor'd in 4 1/2 fathoms, soft muddy bottom, as we have every were found upon the Coast. About an hour before we Anchor'd we saw the land from the Mast head extending from the East by North to South-South-East, all very low; at the time we Anchor'd we found a small drean* (* Drain.) of a Tide setting away to the North-West, which continued until 2 in the morning, when the Water had fell 9 feet or better. This Tide of Ebb was then succeeded by the Flood, which came from the South-West; yet we did not find the Water to rise much upon a perpendicular, or else the greatest fall of the Tide had not been well attended to in the night, for at 6, when we got under sail, we had no more than 3 fathoms under the ship, and yet we could not see the land from the Deck. After getting under sail we stood to the Northward with a light breeze at East, and deepned our Water by noon to 10 fathoms, having the Land just in sight from the Mast head to the South-East. At this time we were in the Latitude of 7 degrees 39 minutes South, Longitude 222 degrees 42 minutes West; Port St. Augustine bore South 10 degrees West, distant 15 Leagues.
Sunday, 2nd. In the P.M. had Calm until 2, when a light breeze sprung up at North by East, and we stood in for the Land East by North until 5, at which time we got the wind from the South-West, a light breeze, with which we steer'd North-East, edging in for the land, having it in sight from the Deck, and which I judged to be about 3 or 4 Leagues off, being very low land. Found the Variation to be 2 degrees 34 minutes East, and a little before 8 o'Clock, having but little wind, we Anchor'd in 7 fathoms, soft Muddy bottom. In the Afternoon and evening we saw several Sea Snakes, some of which the people in the Boat alongside took up by hand. At daylight in the Morning we got under sail, and stood away to the North-North-East, having a fresh gale at East, which by noon brought us into the Latitude of 7 degrees 14 minutes South, Longitude 222 degrees 30 minutes West; Depth of Water 13 fathoms. Course and distance sail'd since Yesterday Noon is North 24 degrees East, 27 Miles, having at this time no land in sight, for the Land, according to the Charts, trends more Easterly than the Wind would permit us to sail.
Monday, 3rd. Steer'd North by East, with a fresh breeze at East by North until 7 in the Evening, when the wind came to South-East by South, with which we keept standing to the Eastward close upon a wind all Night, having from 17 to 10 fathoms pretty even Soundings. At daylight we saw the land extending from North by East to South-East, distant about 4 Leagues. We still keept standing in for it, having the advantage of a fresh gale at East-South-East and East by South, until near 9, when, being about 3 or 4 Miles off, and in 3 fathoms, we brought too and I went ashore in the pinnace, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, having a mind to land once in this Country before we quit it Altogether, which I now am determin'd to do without delay; for I found that it is only spending time to little purpose, and carrying us far out of our way, staying upon this Coast, which is so shallow that we can hardly keep within sight of land.
[Land in New Guinea.]
At the time we put off from the Ship we saw not the least sign of inhabitants; but we had no sooner landed than we saw the print of Men's feet fresh upon the sand, and a little way farther we found a small Shed or Hutt, about which lay green shells of Cocoa Nutts. By this we were well assured that the inhabitants were not far off; nay, we thought we heard their Voices in the woods, which were so close and thick that we did not think it safe to venture in, for fear of an Ambuscade, as we had only a Boat's crew with us, a part of which were left to look after the boat, which lay about a 1/4 of a Mile from the Shore. We therefore took a walk upon the Sea beach, but had not gone above 200 Yards before we were attack'd by 3 or 4 Men, who came out of the woods a little before us, but upon our firing upon them they retir'd. Finding that we could not search the Country with any degree of Safety, we return'd to the boat, and was followed by 60, or, as some thought, about 100, of the Natives, who had advanced in small parties out of the woods; but they suffer'd us to go to our boats without giving us any trouble. We had now time to view them attentively; we thought them to be about the size and Colour of the New Hollanders, with short, Cropt Hair, and quite naked like them. I thought these of a lighter Colour; but that may be owing to a whitish Pigment with which we thought their bodies were painted, because some appeared darker than others.
Their Arms were ordinary darts of about 4 feet long, made of a kind of reed, and pointed at one end with hard wood; but what appear'd more extraordinary to us was something they had which caused a flash of fire or Smoak, very much like the going off of a pistol or small Gun, but without any report. The deception was so great that the people in the Ship actually thought that they had fire Arms; indeed, they seem'd to use these things in imitation of such, for the moment the first man we saw made his appearance he fir'd off one of these things, and while we lay looking at them in the boat 4 or 5 would let them off all at once, which had all the appearance in the world of Volleys of Small Arms; but I am confident that nothing came from them but smook, but by what means this was done, or what purpose it answer'd, we were not able to Guess. I thought the Combustable matter was contain'd in a reed or piece of small Bamboo, which they gave a Swing round in the hand and caused it to go off.* (* The natives carry hollow canes with burning tinder for making fires.)
This place lies in the Latitude of 6 degrees 15 minutes South, about 65 Leagues to the North-East of Point St. Augustine, or Walsche Caep, and is near to what is called in the Charts by the long name of Cape de la Colta de St. Bonaventura.* (* Cook's landing place in New Guinea, on the western side of this great island, was on a part of the coast scarcely known to this day. It is in the part of the island claimed by the Dutch. Cook's insatiable desire to explore is well shown in this digression from his course to Batavia.) The land is very low, like every other part of the Coast we have seen here; it is thick and Luxuriously cloathed with woods and Verdure, all of which appear Green and flourishing. Here were Cocoa nutt Trees, Bread Fruit Trees, and Plantain Trees, but we saw no fruit but on the former, and these were small and Green; the other Trees, Shrubs, Plants, etc., were likewise such as is common in the South Sea Islands and in New Holland.
Upon my return to the Ship we hoisted in the boat and made sail to the Westward, with a design to leave the Coast altogether. This, however, was contrary to the inclination and opinion of some of the Officers, who would have had me send a Party of Men ashore to cut down the Cocoa Nutt Trees for the sake of the Nutts; a thing that I think no man living could have justified, for as the Natives had attacked us for meer landing without taking away one thing, certainly they would have made a Vigerous effort to have defended their property; in which case many of them must have been kill'd, and perhaps some of our own people too, and all this for 2 or 300 Green Cocoa Nutts, which, when we had got them, would have done us little service; besides nothing but the utmost necessity would have obliged me to have taken this method to come at refreshments.
It's true I might have gone farther along the Coast to the Northward and Westward until we had found a place where the Ship could lay so near the Shore as to cover the people with her Guns when landed; but it is very probable that before we had found such a place we should have been carried so far to the West as to have been obliged to have gone to Batavia by the way of the Moluccas, and on the North side of Java, where we were all utter Strangers. This I did not think was so safe a Passage as to go to the South of Java and thro' the Straits of Sunda, the way I propose to myself to go. Besides, as the Ship is leakey, we are not yet sure wether or no we shall not be obliged to heave her down at Batavia; in this case it becomes the more necessary that we should make the best of our way to that place, especially as no new discovery can be Expected to be made in these Seas, which the Dutch have, I believe, long ago narrowly examin'd, as appears from 3 Maps bound up with the French History of Voyages to the Terra Australis, published in 1756,* (* De Brye's Voyages.) which Maps, I do suppose, by some means have been got from the Dutch, as we found the Names of many of the places are in that Language.