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NOTE.

The same day the plenary council having been convened, it was determined and fixed by formal resolution to continue our present course along the coast, and if we should come upon any capes, bights, or roads, to come to anchor there for one or two days at the utmost for a landing, in which we shall run ashore in good order with two well-manned and armed pinnaces, to endeavour to come to parley with the inhabitants and generally inspect the state of affairs there; in leaving we shall, if at all practicable, seize one or two blacks to take along with us; the main reason which has led us to touch at the island aforesaid being, that certain reports and writings seem to imply that the land which we are now near to, is the Gouwen-eylandt [*], which it would be impossible to call at on our return-voyage in the eastern monsoon, if we are to obey our orders and instructions.

[* An allusion perhaps to the “provincia aurifera”, as the so-called Beach was sometimes styled; VAN LINSCHOTEN, we know, had also surmised the presence of gold in the South-land.]

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In the morning of the 10th, the wind being N.W. by north, being close inshore, we again held our course for the land; somewhat later in the day we had West wind with a hard gale, with which we sailed along the coast; about noon we cast anchor in 12 fathom clayey bottom without any shelter from the W.N.W. wind; when we were at anchor there, the pinnace of the Pera, in conformity with the above resolution was sent ashore well-manned and armed, under command of the sub-cargo, but the heavy rolling of the sea made it impossible to effect a landing.  We accordingly made a man swim ashore through the surf, who deposited a few small pieces of iron on the beach, where he had observed numerous human footprints; but as nothing more could be done, the pinnace went back to the yacht, which we could not get round to eastward owing to the strong current; we were accordingly forced to weigh the anchor again, and drift with the current, and thus ran on along the coast till the first watch, when we cast anchor, it being a dead calm and we having no knowledge of the water.

In the morning of the 11th we took the sun’s altitude, which we found to be 8 deg., we being in 14 deg. 14’, which makes a difference of 6 deg. 14’.  When we had sailed along the land for about a mile’s distance we cast anchor in 9 fathom muddy bottom and sent the pinnace ashore in the same fashion as last time, but earnestly charged the subcargo to use great caution, and to treat with kindness any natives that he should meet {Page 24} with, trying if possible to lay hands on some of them, that through them, as soon as they have become somewhat conversant with the Malay tongue, our Lords and Masters may obtain reliable knowledge touching the productions of their land.  At noon we were in Latitude 4 deg. 20’; at night when our men returned with the pinnace, they informed us that the strong surf had