ceiving any change in the water in which we had
sounded 26 fathom; so that the land here, which we did not see, is highly
dangerous to touch at, but through God's providence the yachts did not
get aground here; at noon we set sail, being in 10 deg. 15' S. Lat., the wind
being W. by S. and afterwards variable; we sailed S.S.W. till the next
morning, in 10 and 101/2 fathom, and covered 6 miles.

On the 9th the wind was N. with rain, course held S.E.; at night the wind
went round to S.E.; we therefore came to anchor in 11 fathom, having
sailed 5 miles this day.

In the morning of the 10th the wind was E.N.E., course held S.E. in 9,
10, and 11 fathom; at night the wind blew from the S.E., upon which we
cast anchor, having sailed 5 miles this day.

On the 11th the wind was E. by N. with a fair breeze, course kept S.S.E.;
at noon we were in 11 deg. 30'; the whole of this day and night we tried to
get south with variable winds and on different courses, and sailed 22
miles in the last 24 hours; course kept S.E.

In the morning of the 12th the wind was S.E. with good weather; at
sunrise we saw the land of Nova Guinea [*], showing itself as a low-lying
coast without hills or mountains; we were then in 131/2 fathom, clayey
bottom; course held S.S.W.; at noon we were in Lat. 11 deg. 45' South, having
sailed 10 miles on a S.E. course in the last 24 hours.

[* York Peninsula.]

In the morning of the 13th the wind was S.E. by E. and we were in 24
fathom; we still saw the land aforementioned and found it to be of the
same shape as before; course held S.W.; at noon we were in 12 deg. 53'; for
the rest of day and night we tried to get south with the winds aforesaid
and on varying courses, having sailed 22 miles in the last 24 hours;
course kept S.W.

On the 14th the wind was E. by S., course held S. by E. along the land in
11, 12, 13, and 14 fathom; at noon we were in Lat. 13 deg. 47', the land
being no longer in sight. The rest of the day and the whole night we
tried to get the land alongside with divers winds and on varying courses
in 7, 6, 6, 4, 3, and 21/2 fathom; towards daybreak we were so near the
land that one might have recognised persons on shore.

In the morning of the 15th the wind blew hard from the East; course held
S. by E. in 3 and 21/2 fathom along a sandbank, situated about one mile
from the mainland; at noon we were in 14 deg. 36. The land which we have
hitherto seen and followed, extends S. and N.; it is low-l