Proceeding therefore across the Great Pacific Ocean, they saw some very low land towards the west on the 15th January, 1625, over which the sea broke with great violence, and which they conjectured to be the island of Galperico.[141] On the 23d the scurvy had made much progress, that there were hardly men enough to work the ships. In the evening of the 25th, they were off the coast of Guam, one of the Ladrones or Mariane islands, the inhabitants coming two leagues out to sea to meet them, with all sorts of refreshments, which they exchanged for old iron, and next morning 150 canoes came off with fruits and garden stuffs. On the 27th a good watering-place was found, where fifty soldiers were landed to protect the seamen. In the beginning of February, the natives brought them considerable quantities of rice, giving 70 or 80 pounds weight in exchange for an old hatchet. On the 5th, by a general muster, 1260 men were found to remain in the fleet, including 32 Spanish and Negro prisoners, so that they had lost 409 since leaving Holland.
[Footnote 141: The relation of the voyage is too vague even to conjecture what island is here meant, but from the direction of the course towards Guam or Guaham it may possibly have been that now called Dawson's island, about 600 leagues nearly east from Guam.--E.]
The island of Guam, Guaham, or Guaci, one of the group named by the Spaniards Islas de las Velas, Ladrones, or Mariane Islands, is in lat 13° 40' N.[142] The soil is tolerably fertile producing vast quantities of cocoas, and the natives grow rice in several places. The Dutch procured here about 2000 fowls, but the natives would not part with their cattle for any price. The people of this island are larger than other Indians' strong and well-proportioned, and are mostly painted red, the men going entirely naked, and the women having a leaf to cover their nakedness. Their arms are assagaies, or javelins and slings, both of which they use with great dexterity. Their canoes are very convenient, and go before the wind at a great rate; neither are these islanders afraid of putting to sea even in a storm; as, in case of their vessels being overset, they turn them up again immediately, and bale out the water. They were also very expert in cheating; for when the Dutch came to examine the bags of rice they had bought so cheap, they found the insides full of stones and dirt; besides which, they stole every thing they could lay hold of. Such persons also as land on this island ought to be very cautious, as the Dutch had several of their people slain here, through their own folly.
[Footnote 142: Lat. 13° 20' N. long. 143° 20' E. from Greenwich.]
Proceeding on the voyage, they saw an island on the 14th of February, in the latitude of 10° 30' N. which they took to be the island of Saavedra.[143] Next day, about nine in the morning, they saw another island, not laid down in the charts, in lat. 9° 45' N.[144] the natives of which came out to them in canoes with fruits and other refreshments, but as the ships were sailing at a great rate, they were not able to get on board. The people seemed much like those of Guam, and the island seemed very populous and highly cultivated. It was now resolved to continue their course to the island of Gilolo, and thence to Ternate. The 2d March, they had sight of the high mountain of [illegible], on the coast of Moco, at the west end of the great island of [illegible] or Gilolo, on the west side of which the Molucca islands are situated. They arrived at Malaya, the principal place in Ternate, on the 4th in the evening. The 5th, or, according to the computation of the inhabitants, the 6th, Jacob Le Feare, governor of the Moluccas, came to visit the admiral, from Taluco, where he then resided. The fleet proceeded on the 4th of April to Amboina, and on the 28th sailed for Batavia, where they arrived on the 29th of August. Here the fleet was separated, part being sent on an expedition against Malacca, and others to other places, so that here the voyage of the Nassau fleet may be said to end, without having completed the circumnavigation, at least in an unbroken series.
[Footnote 143: The island of Saavedra is in 10° 30'N. Not far from this is the isle of [illegible] in Lat. 10° 10' N. and Long. [illegible] E. from Greenwich.--E.]
[Footnote 144: This probably was the isle of [illegible], mentioned in the previous note.--E.]
After this expedition, there occurs a wide chasm in the history of circumnavigations, all that was attempted in this way, for many years afterwards, being more the effect of chance than of design.--Harris.