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latitude of 9° 30′ or 10° S. In noon we caught a small dolphin, the afternoon I took an oppor- which was the first relief of the tunity of examining our store kind that we obtained. I issued of bread, and found remaining about two ounces to each per nineteen days' allowance, at the son, including the offals, and former rate of serving one saved the remainder for dinner twenty-fifth of a pound three the next day. Towards evening times a day; therefore, as I saw the wind freshened, and it blew every prospect of a quick pas- strong all night, so that we sage, I again ventured to grant shipped much water, and suf an allowance for supper, agree- fered greatly from the wet and able to my promise at the time cold.-Tuesday, 9th.-At dayit was discontinued. We passed light, as usual, I heard much the night miserably wet and complaining, which my own cold, and in the morning I feelings convinced me was too heard heavy complaints. The well founded. I gave the sursea was high, and breaking over geon and Lebogue a little wine, us. I could only afford the but I could afford them no allowance of bread and water further relief, except encouragfor breakfast; but for dinner I ing them with hopes that a very gave out an ounce of dried few days longer, at our present clams to each person, which fine rate of sailing, would bring was all that remained. At noon us to Timor. Gannets, boobies, I altered the course to the men-of-war and tropic birds, W.N.W., to keep more from were constantly about us. Served the sea, as the wind blew strong. the usual allowance of bread The sea ran very high all this day, and water, and at noon we dined and we had frequent showers on the remains of the dolphin, of rain, so that we were con- which amounted to about an tinually wet, and suffered much ounce per man. This aftercold in the night. Mr. Ledward, noon I suffered great sickness, the surgeon, and Lawrence Le- from the nature of the part of bogue, an old hardy seaman, the stomach of the fish, which appeared to be giving way very had fallen to my share at dinner. fast. I could only assist them At sunset I served an allowance by a tea-spoonful or two of of bread and water for supper. wine, which I had carefully-Wednesday, 10th. In the saved, expecting such a melan- morning, after a very comfortcholy necessity. less night, there was a visible alteration for the worse in many of the people, which gave me great apprehensions. An extreme weakness, swelled legs, hollow and ghastly countenance, a more than common inclination

'Monday, 8th.-Wind at S.E. The weather was more moderate than it had been for some days past. A few gannets were seen. The sea being smooth, I steered W. by S. At four in the after

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to sleep, with an apparent debility of understanding, seemed to me the melancholy presages of an approaching dissolution. The surgeon and Lebogue, in particular, were most miserable objects. I occasionally gave them a few teaspoonfuls of wine out of the little that remained, which greatly assisted them. The hopes of being able to accomplish the voyage was our principal support. The boatswain very innocently told me, that he really thought I looked worse than any one in the boat. The simplicity with which he uttered such an opinion amused me, and I returned him a better compliment. Birds and rock-weed showed that we were not far from land; but I expected such signs here, as there are many islands between the east part of Timor and New Guinea. The night was more moderate than the last. Thursday, 11th. -Every one received the customary allowance of bread and water, and an extra allowance of water was given to those who were most in need. At noon I observed in latitude 9° 41' S.; course S. 77° W., distance 109 miles; longitude made 13° 49' W. I had little doubt of having now passed the meridian of the eastern part of Timor, which is laid down in 128° E. This diffused universal joy and satisfaction. In the afternoon we saw gannets, and many other birds, and at sunset we kept a very anxious look-out. In the evening we caught a booby,

which I reserved for our dinner the next day.

'Friday, 12th.-At three in the morning, with an excess of joy, we discovered Timor bearing from W.S.W. to W.N.W., and I hauled on a wind to the N.N.E. till daylight, when the land bore from S.W. by S. to N.E. by N. Our distance from the shore, two leagues. It is not possible for me to describe the pleasure which the blessing of the sight of this land diffused among us. It appeared scarce credible to ourselves that, in an open boat, and so poorly provided, we should have been able to reach the coast of Timor in forty-one days after leaving Tofoa, having in that time run, by our log, a distance of 3618 miles; and that, notwithstanding our extreme distress, no one should have perished on the voyage. I have already mentioned that I knew not where the Dutch settlement was situated, but I had a faint idea that it was at the S.W. part of the island. I therefore, after daylight, bore away along shore to the S.S.W., which I was the more readily induced to do as the wind would not suffer us to go towards the N.E. without great loss of time. The day gave us a most agreeable prospect of the land, which was interspersed with woods and lawns-the interior part mountainous, but the shore low. Towards noon the coast became higher, with some remarkable headlands. We were greatly

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delighted with the general look of the country, which exhibited many cultivated spots and beautiful situations; but we could only see a few small huts, whence I concluded that no European resided in this part of the island. Much sea ran on the shore, which made landing impracticable. At noon, we were abreast of a high headland. With the usual allowance of bread and water for dinner, I divided the bird we had caught the night before, and to the surgeon and Lebogue I gave a little wine. The wind blew fresh at E. and E.S.E., with very hazy weather. During the afternoon we continued our course along a low shore covered with innumerable palm trees, called the fan palm, from the leaf spreading like a fan; but here we saw no signs of cultivation, nor had the country so fine an appearance as to the eastward. This, however, was only a small tract, for by sunset it improved again, and I saw several great smokes where the inhabitants were clearing and cultivating their grounds. We had now run twenty-five miles to the W.S.W. since noon, and were W. five miles from a low point, which in the afternoon I imagined had been the southernmost land; and here the coast formed a deep bend, with low land in the bight that appeared like islands. The west shore was high; but from this part of the coast to the high cape which we were abreast of at noon, the

shore is low, and I believe shoal. I particularly remark this situa tion, because here the very high ridge of mountains that run from the east end of the island terminate, and the appearance of the country changes for the worse. That we might not run past any settlement in the night, I determined to preserve my station till the morning, and therefore brought to under a close-reefed foresail. We were here in shoal water, our distance from the shore being half a league, the westernmost land in sight bearing WS.W. W. Served bread and water for sup per, and the boat lying to very well, all but the officer of the watch endeavoured to get a little sleep.

'Saturday, 13th.-At two in the morning, we wore and stood in shore till daylight, when I found we had drifted during the night about three leagues to the W.S.W., the southernmost land in sight bearing W. On examining the coast, and not seeing any sign of a settlement, we bore away to the westward, having a strong gale against a weather current, which occa sioned much sea. was high and covered with wood, but we did not run far before low land again formed the coast, the points of which opening at west, I once more fancied we were on the south part of the island; but at ten o'clock we found the coast again inclining towards the south, part of it bearing W.S.W. W. At

The shore

the same time, high land appeared in the S.W.; but the weather was so hazy, that it was doubtful whether the two lands were separated, the opening only extending one point of the compass. For this reason I stood towards the outer land, and found it to be the island Roti. I returned to the shore we had left, and brought to a grapnel in a sandy bay, that I might more conveniently calculate my situation. In this place we saw several smokes, where the natives were clearing their grounds. During the little time we remained here, the master and carpenter very much importuned me to let them go in search of supplies, to which at length I assented; but not finding any other person willing to be of their party, they did not choose to quit the boat. I stopped here no longer than for the purpose just mentioned, and we continued steering towards shore. We had a view of a beautiful-looking country, as if formed by art into lawns and parks. The coast is low, and covered with woods, in which are innumerable fan palm trees, that look like cocoa-nut walks. The interior part is high land, but very different from the more eastern parts of the island, where it is exceedingly mountainous, and, to appearance, the soil better. At noon the island Roti bore S.W. by W. seven leagues. The usual allowance of bread and water was served for breakfast and dinner, and to

We

the surgeon and Lebogue I continued to give wine. had a strong breeze at E.S.E., with hazy weather, all the afternoon. At two o'clock, having run through a very dangerous breaking sea, the cause of which I attributed to be a strong tide setting to windward, and shoal water, we discovered a spacious bay or sound, with a fair entrance about two or three miles wide. I now conceived hopes that our voyage was nearly at an end, as no place could appear more eligible for shipping, or more likely to be chosen for a European settlement. I therefore came to a grapnel near the east side of the entrance, in a small sandy bay, where we saw a hut, a dog, and some cattle; and I immediately sent the boatswain and gunner away to the hut, to discover the inhabitants. I had just time to make some nautical observations, when I saw the boatswain and gunner returning with some of the natives; I therefore no longer doubted of our success, and that our expectations would be fully gratified. They brought five Indians, and informed me that they had found two families, where the women treated them with European politeness. From these people I learned that the governor resided at a place called Coupang, which was some distance to the N.E. I made signs for one of them to go in the boat and show us the way to Coupang, intimating that I would pay him for his trouble:

the man readily complied, and came into the boat. These people were of a dark tawny colour, had long black hair, and chewed a great deal of betel. Their dress was a square piece of cloth round the hips, in the folds of which was stuck a large knife; a handkerchief wrapped round the head; and another hanging by the four corners from the shoulders, which served as a bag for their betel equipage. They brought us a few pieces of dried turtle, and some ears of Indian corn. This last was the most welcome; for the turtle was so hard, that it could not be eaten without being first soaked in hot water. They offered to bring us some other refreshments if I would wait, but as the pilot was willing, I determined to push on. It was about half an hour past four when we sailed. By direction of the pilot, we kept close to the east shore under all our sail; but as night came on the wind died away, and we were obliged to try at the oars, which I was surprised to see we could use with some effect. At ten o'clock, finding we advanced but slowly, I came to a grapnel, and, for the first time, I issued double allowance of bread and a little wine to each person. 'Sunday, 14th. - At cne o'clock in the morning, after the most happy and sweet sleep that ever men enjoyed, we weighed, and continued to keep the east shore on board, in very smooth water, when at last I

found we were again open to the sea, the whole of the land to the westward that we had passed being an island, which the pilot called Pulu Samow. The northern entrance of this channel is about a mile and a half or two miles wide, and I had no ground at ten fathoms. The report of two cannon that were fired gave new life to every one; and soon after we discovered two square-rigged vessels and a cutter at anchor to the eastward. We endeavoured to work to windward, but were obliged to take to our oars again, having lost ground on each tack. We kept close to the shore, and continued rowing till four o'clock, when I brought to a grapnel, and gave another allowance of bread and wine to all hands. As soon as we had rested a little, we weighed again, and rowed till near daylight, when we came to a grapnel off a small fort and town, which the pilot told me was Coupang. Among the things which the boatswain had thrown into the boat before we left the ship was a bundle of signal flags, that had been used by the boats to show the depth of water in sounding; with these we had in the course of the passage made a small jack, which I now hoisted in the main shrouds, as a signal of distress; for I did not think proper to land without leave. Soon after daybreak, a soldier hailed us to land, which I immediately did, among a crowd of Indians, and

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