the　morning；　then　the　wind　and　rain　abating；　we　steered　east…half…north　for　fear　of　coming　near　the　land。　　Presently　after；　it　being　a　little　clear；　the　man　at　the　bowsprit　end　called　out；　〃Land　on　our　starboard　bow。〃　　We　looked　out　and　saw　it　plain：　　I　presently　sounded；　and　had　but　ten　fathom；　soft　ground。　　The　master；　being　somewhat　scared；　came　running　in　haste　with　this　news；　and　said　it　was　best　to　anchor。　　I　told　him　no；　but　sound　again；　then　we　had　twelve　fathom；　the　next　cast；　thirteen　and　a　half；　the　fourth；　seventeen　fathom；　and　then　no　ground　with　fifty　fathom　line。　　However；　we　kept　off　the　island；　and　did　not　go　so　fast　but　that　we　could　see　any　other　danger　before　we　came　nigh　it；　for　here　might　have　been　more　islands　not　laid　down　in　my　drafts　besides　this；　for　I　searched　all　the　drafts　I　had；　if　perchance　I　might　find　any　island　in　the　one　which　was　not　in　the　others；　but　I　could　find　none　near　us。　　When　it　was　day　we　were　about　five　leagues　off　the　land　we　saw；　but；　I　believe；　not　above　five　miles；　or　at　most　two　leagues；　off　it　when　we　first　saw　it　in　the　night。
  This　is　a　small　island；　but　pretty　high；　I　named　it　Providence。　About　five　leagues　to　the　southward　of　this　there　is　another　island；　which　is　called　William　Scouten's　Island；　and　laid　down　in　our　drafts：　　it　is　a　high　island；　and　about　twenty　leagues　big。
  It　was　by　mere　providence　that　we　missed　the　small　island；　for；　had　not　the　wind　come　to　west…south…west；　and　blown　hard；　so　that　we　steered　east…north…east；　we　had　been　upon　it　by　our　course　that　we　steered　before；　if　we　could　not　have　seen　it。　　This　morning　we　saw　many　great　trees　and　logs　swim　by　us；　which；　it　is　probable；　came　out　of　some　great　rivers　on　the　main。
  On　the　16th　we　crossed　the　line；　and　found　variation　6　degrees　26　minutes　east。　　The　18th；　by　my　observation　at　noon；　we　found　that　we　had　had　a　current　setting　to　the　southward；　and　probably　that　drew　us　in　so　nigh　Scouten's　Island。　　For　this　twenty…four　hours　we　steered　east…by…north　with　a　large　wind；　yet　made　but　an　east…by…　south　half　south　course；　though　the　variation　was　not　above　7　degrees　east。
  The　21st　we　had　a　current　setting　to　the　northward；　which　is　against　the　true　trade　monsoon；　it　being　now　near　the　full　moon。　　I　did　expect　it　here；　as　in　all　other　places。　　We　had　variation　8　degrees　45　minutes　east。　　The　22nd　we　found　but　little　current；　if　any；　it　set　to　the　southward。
  On　the　23rd；　in　the　afternoon；　we　saw　two　snakes；　and　the　next　morning　another　passing　by　us；　which　was　furiously　assaulted　by　two　fishes；　that　had　kept　us　company　five　or　six　days；　they　were　shaped　like　mackerel；　and　were　about　that　bigness　and　length；　and　of　a　yellow…greenish　colour。　　The　snake　swam　away　from　them　very　fast；　keeping　his　head　above　water；　the　fish　snapped　at　his　tail；　but　when　he　turned　himself；　that　fish　would　withdraw；　and　another　would　snap；　so　that　by　turns　they　kept　him　employed；　yet　he　still　defended　himself；　and　swam　away　a　great　pace；　till　they　were　out　of　sight。
  The　25th；　betimes　in　the　morning；　we　saw　an　island　to　the　southward　of　us；　at　about　fifteen　leagues'　distance。　　We　steered　away　for　it；　supposing　it　to　be　that　which　the　Dutch　call　Wishart's　Island；　but；　finding　it　otherwise；　I　called　it　Matthias；　it　being　that　saint's　day。　　This　island　is　about　nine　or　ten　leagues　long；　mountainous　and　woody；　with　many　savannahs；　and　some　spots　of　land　which　seemed　to　be　cleared。
  At　eight　in　the　evening　we　lay　by；　intending；　if　I　could；　to　anchor　under　Matthias　Isle；　but　the　next　morning；　seeing　another　island　about　seven　or　eight　leagues　to　the　eastward　of　it；　we　steered　away　for　it。　　At　noon　we　came　up　fair　with　its　south…west　end；　intending　to　run　along　by　it　and　anchor　on　the　south…east　side；　but　the　tornadoes　came　in　so　thick　and　hard　that　I　could　not　venture　in。　This　island　is　pretty　low　and　plain；　and　clothed　with　wood；　the　trees　were　very　green；　and　appeared　to　be　large　and　tall；　as　thick　as　they　could　stand　one　by　another。　　It　is　about　two　or　three　leagues　long；　and　at　the　south…west　point　there　is　another　small；　low；　woody　island；　about　a　mile　round；　and　about　a　mile　from　the　other。　　Between　them　there　runs　a　reef　of　rocks　which　joins　them。　（The　biggest　I　named　Squally　Island。）
  Seeing　we　could　not　anchor　here；　I　stood　away　to　the　southward；　to　make　the　main；　but　having　many　hard　squalls　and　tornadoes；　we　were　often　forced　to　hand　all　our　sails　and　steer　more　easterly　to　go　before　it。　　On　the　26th　at　four　o'clock　it　cleared　up　to　a　hard　sky　and　a　brisk　settled　gale；　then　we　made　as　much　sail　as　we　could。　　At　five　it　cleared　up　over　the　land；　and　we　saw；　as　we　thought；　Cape　Solomaswer　bearing　south…south…east；　distance　ten　leagues。　　We　had　many　great　logs　and　trees　swimming　by　us　all　this　afternoon；　and　much　grass；　we　steered　in　south…south…east　till　six；　then　the　wind　slackened；　and　we　stood　off　till　seven；　having　little　wind；　then　we　lay　by　till　ten；　at　which　time　we　made　sail；　and　steered　away　east　all　night。　　The　next　morning；　as　soon　as　it　was　light；　we　made　all　the　sail　we　could；　and　steered　away　east…south…east；　as　the　land　lay；　being　fair　in　sight　of　it；　and　not　above　seven　leagues'　distance。　　We　passed　by　many　small　low　woody　islands　which　lay　between　us　and　the　main；　not　laid　down　in　our　drafts。　　We　found　variation　9　degrees　50　minutes　east。
  The　28th　we　had　many　violent　tornadoes；　wind；　rain；　and　some　spouts；　and　in　the　tornadoes　the　wind　shifted。　　In　the　night　we　had　fair　weather；　but　more　lightning　than　we　had　seen　at　any　time　this　voyage。　　This　morning　we　left　a　large　high　island　on　our　larboard　side；　called　in　the　Dutch　drafts　Wishart's　Isle；　about　six　leagues　from　the　main；　and；　seeing　many　smokes　upon　the　main；　I　therefore　steered　towards　it。
  The　mainland　at　this　place　is　high　and　mountainous；　adorned　with　tall；　flourishing　trees；　the　sides　of　the　hills　had　many　large　plantations　and　patches　of　clear　land；　which；　together　with　the　smoke　we　saw；　were　certain　signs　of　its　being　well　inhabited；　and　I　was　desirous　to　have　some　commerce　with　the　inhabitants。　　Being　nigh　shore；　we　saw　first　one　proa；　a　little　after；　two　or　three　more；　and　at　last　a　great　many　boats　came　from　all　the　adjacent　bays。　　When　they　were　forty…six　in　number　they　approached　so　near　us　that　we　could　see　each　other's　signs　and　hear　each　other　speak；　though　we　could　not　understand　them；　nor　they　us。　　They　made　signs　for　us　to　go　in　towards　the　shore；　pointing　that　way。　　It　was　squally　weather；　which　at　first　made　me　cautious　of　going　too　near；　but　the　weather　beginning　to　look　pretty　well；　I　endeavoured　to　get　into　a　bay　ahead　of　us；　which　we　could　have　got　into　well　enough　at　first；　but　while　we　lay　by；　we　were　driven　so　far　to　leeward　that　now　it　was　more　difficult　to　get　in。　　The　natives　lay　in　their　proas　round　us；　to　whom　I　showed　beads；　knives；　glasses；　to　allure　them　to　come　nearer。　But　they　would　not　come　so　nigh　as　to　receive　anything　from　us；　therefore　I　threw　out　some　things　to　them；　viz。；　a　knife　fastened　to　a　piece　of　board；　and　a　glass　bottle　corked　up　with　some　beads　in　it；　which　they　took　up；　and　seemed　well　pleased。　　They　often　struck　their　left　breast　with　their　right　hand；　and　as　often　held　up　a　black　truncheon　over　their　heads；　which　we　thought　was　a　token　of　friendship；　wherefore　we　did　the　like。　　And　when　we　stood　in　towards　their　shore；　they　seemed　to　rejoice；　but　when　we　stood　off；　they　frowned；　yet　kept　us　company　in　their　proas；　still　pointing　to　the　shore。　　About　five　o'clock　we　got　within　the　mouth　of　the　bay；　and　sounded　several　times；　but　had　no　ground；　though　within　a　mile　of　the　shore。　　The　basin　of　this　bay　was　about　two　miles　within　us；　into　which　we　might　have　gone；　but　as　I　was　not　assured　of　anchorage　there；　so　I　thought　it　not　prudent　to　run　in　at　this　time；　it　being　near　night；　and　seeing　a　black　tornado　rising　in　the　west；　which　I　most　feared。　　Besides；　we　had　near　two　hundred　men　in　proas　close　by　us；　and　the　bays　on　the　shore　were　lined　with　men　from　one　end　to　the　other；　where　there　could　not　be　less　than　three　or　four　hundred　more。　　What　weapons　they　had；　we　knew　not；　nor　yet　their　design；　therefore　I　had；　at　their　first　coming　near　us；　got　up　all　our　small　arms；　and　made　several　put　on　cartouch　boxes；　to　prevent　treachery。　At　last　I　resolved　to　go　out　again；　which；　when　the　natives　in　their　proas　perceived；　they　began　to　fling　stones　at　us　as　fast　as　they　could；　being　provided　with　engines　for　that　purpose；　wherefore　I　named　this　place　Slinger's　Bay；　but　at　the　firing　of　one　gun　they　were　all　amazed；　drew　off；　and　flung　no　more　stones。　　They　got　together；　as　if　consulting　what　to　do；　for　they　did　not　make　in　towards　the　shore；　but　lay　still；　though　some　of　them　were　killed　or　wounded；　and　many　more　of　them　had　paid　for　their　boldness；　but　that　I　was　unwilling　to　cut　off　any　of　them；　which；　if　I　had　done；　I　could　not　hope　afterwards　to　bring　them　to　treat　with　me。
  The　next　day　we　sailed　close　by　an　island；　where　we　saw　many　smokes；　and　men　in　the　bays；　out　of　which　came　two　or　three　canoes；　taking　much　pains　to　overtake　us；　but　they　could　not；　though　we　went　with　an　easy　sail；　and　I　could　not　now　stay　for　them。　　As　I　passed　by　the　south…east　point　I　sounded　several　times　within　a