t Timor are much the same as in other
places in south latitude. The fair weather begins in April or May and
continues to October, then the tornadoes begin to come, but no violent
bad weather till the middle of December. Then there are violent west or
north-west winds, with rain, till towards the middle of February. In May
the southerly winds set in and blow very strong on the north side of the
island, but fair. There is great difference of winds on the 2 sides of
the island: for the southerly winds are but very faint on the south side,
and very hard on the north side; and the bad weather on the south side
comes in very violent in October, which on the north side comes not till
December. You have very good sea and land breezes, when the weather is
fair; and may run indifferently to the east or west, as your business
lies. We found from September to December the winds veering all round the
compass gradually in 24 hours time; but such a constant western current
that it is much harder getting to the east than west at or near spring
tides: which I have more than once made trial of. For weighing from Babao
at 6 o'clock in the morning on the 12 instant we kept plying under the
shore till the 20th, meeting with such a western current that we gained
very little. We had land and seabreezes; but so faint that we could
hardly stem the current; and when it was calm between the breezes we
drove a-stern faster than ever we sailed ahead.

CHAPTER 3.

PLYING ON THE NEW GUINEA COAST.

DEPARTURE FROM TIMOR.

On the 12th of December 1699 we sailed from Babao, coasting along the
island Timor to the eastward towards New Guinea. It was the 20th before
we got as far as Laphao, which is but forty leagues. We saw black clouds
in the north-west and expected the wind from that quarter above a month
sooner.

THE ISLANDS OMBA AND FETTER.

That afternoon we saw the opening between the islands Omba and Fetter,
but feared to pass through in the night. At two o'clock in the morning it
fell calm; and continued so till noon, in which time we drove with the
current back again south-west six or seven leagues.

On the 22nd, steering to the eastward to get through between Omba and
Fetter, we met a very strong tide against us, so that we, although we had
a very fresh gale, yet made way very slowly; yet before night got
through. By a good observation we found that the south-east point of Omba
lies in latitude 8 degrees 25 minutes. In my charts it is l