, having a breeze at north and north-north-east, I sent
my boat to sound and, standing after her with the ship, anchored in 30
fathom water oazy sand, half a mile from the shore, right against a small
river of fresh water. The next morning I sent both the boats ashore to
fish; they returned about 10 o'clock with a few mullets and 3 or 4
cavallies, and some pan-fish. We found variation here 2 degrees 15
minutes east.

When the sea was smooth by the land-winds we sent our boats ashore for
water; who, in a few turns, filled all our casks.

The land here is low, swampy and woody; the mould is a dark grey, friable
earth. Two rivers came out within a bow-shot of each other, just opposite
to the place where we rode: one comes right down out of the country; and
the other from the south, running along by the shore, not musket-shot
from the seaside. The northernmost river is biggest, and out of it we
filled our water; our boats went in and out at any time of tide. In some
places the land is overflown with fresh water, at full sea. The land
hereabouts is full of trees unknown to us, but none of them very large or
high; the woods yield many wild fruits and berries, such as I never saw
elsewhere. We met with no land animals.

STRANGE FOWLS.

The fowls we found were pigeons, parrots, cockadores, and a great number
of small birds unknown to me. One of the master's mates killed 2 fowls as
big as crows; of a black colour, excepting that the tails were all white.
Their necks were pretty long, one of which was of a saffron-colour, the
other black. They had very large bills much like a ram's horn; their legs
were strong and short, and their claws like a pigeon's; their wings of an
ordinary length: yet they make a great noise when they fly, which they do
very heavily. They feed on berries, and perch on the highest trees. Their
flesh is sweet; I saw some of the same species at New Guinea, but nowhere
else.

THE ISLANDS BONAO, BOURO, MISACOMBI, PENTARE, LAUBANA, AND POTORO.

May the 3rd at 6 in the morning we weighed, intending to pass between
Bonao and Ceram; but presently after we got under sail we saw a pretty
large proa coming about the north-west point of Ceram. Wherefore I stood
to the north to speak with her, putting aboard our ensign. She, seeing us
coming that way, went into a small creek and skulked behind a point a
while: at last discovering her again I sent my boat to speak with her;
but the proa rowed away and would not com