ying and
without variety, having a fine sandy beach in various places. In the
afternoon we dropped anchor owing to the calm, having sailed {Page 36} 11
miles South. Great volumes of smoke becoming visible on the land, the
subcargo [*] got orders to land with the two pinnaces, duly manned and
armed, and was specially enjoined to use his utmost endeavours for the
advantage of Our Masters; when the pinnaces returned at nightfall, the
subcargo reported that the pinnaces could get no farther than a stone's
throw from the land, owing to the muddy bottom into which the men sunk to
their waists, but that they had in various places seen blacks emerging
from the wood, while others lay hid in the coppice; they therefore sent a
man ashore with some pieces of iron and strings of beads tied to a stick,
in order to attract the blacks; but as nothing could be effected and the
night was coming on, they had been forced to return to the yachts.

[* Pieter Lintiens. (Summary).]

In the morning of the 16th, being Easter-day, the wind was East; we set
sail, holding our course S. by E.; at noon we were in 14 deg. 56'; in the
evening we came to anchor in 5 1/2fathom, having sailed 101/2 miles, course
kept South.

In the morning of the 17th the wind was S. by W., with rain and the tide
setting to the south; at noon the wind went round to East, so that we
made sail, course held S. by W., along the land in 41/2 fathom; towards the
evening, it fell a calm, so that we dropped anchor with the ebb, after
which I went ashore myself with the two pinnaces duly provided with men
and arms; we went a considerable distance into the interior, which we
found to be a flat, fine country with few trees, and a good soil for
planting and sowing, but so far as we could observe utterly destitute of
fresh water. Nor did we see any human beings or even signs of them; near
the strand the coast was sandy with a fine beach and plenty of excellent
fish.

In the morning of the 18th the wind was E.N.E., course held S. by W.
along the land; about noon, as we saw persons on the beach, we cast
anchor in 31/2 fathom clayey bottom; the skipper of the Pera got orders to
row to land with the two pinnaces, duly provided for defence; in the
afternoon when the pinnaces returned, we were informed by the skipper
that as soon as he had landed with his men, a large number of blacks,
some of them armed and others unarmed, had made up to them; these blacks
showed no fear and were so bo