piece of meat on a hook for him but he went astern and returned no
more. About midnight, the wind being pretty moderate, I weighed and stood
into the bottom of the bay, and ran over nearer the south shore, where I
thought to lie and water, and at convenient times get fish for our
refreshment. The next morning I sent my pinnace with 2 hogsheads and 10
barrecoes for water; they returned at noon with the casks full of water;
very thick and muddy, but sweet and good. We found variation 15 minutes
west.

THE ISLAND ROTI.

This afternoon, finding that the breezes were set in here, and that it
blew so hard that I could neither fish nor fill water without much
difficulty and hazard of the boat; I resolved to be gone, having good
quantity of water aboard. Accordingly at half an hour after 2 in the
morning we weighed with the wind at east by south, and stood to sea. We
coasted along by the island Roti which is high land, spotted with woods
and savannahs. The trees appeared small and shrubby, and the savannahs
dry and rusty. All the north side has sandy bays by the sea. We saw no
houses nor plantations.

MORE ISLANDS THAN ARE COMMONLY LAID DOWN IN THE CHARTS. GREAT CURRENTS.

The next day we crowded all the sail we could to get to the west of all
the isles before night but could not; for at 6 in the evening we saw land
bearing south-west by west. For here are more islands than are laid down
in any charts that I have seen. Wherefore I was obliged to make a more
westerly course than I intended till I judged we might be clear of the
land. And when we were so I could easily perceive by the ship's motion.
For till then, being under the lee of the shore, we had smooth water; but
now we had a troubled sea which made us dance lustily. This turbulent sea
was occasioned in part by the current; which, setting out slanting
against the wind, was by it raised into short cockling seas. I did indeed
expect a south-west current here but not so very strong as we found it.

On the 26th we continued to have a very strong current setting
southwardly; but on what point exactly I know not. Our whole distance by
log was but 82 miles, and our difference of latitude since yesterday noon
by observation 100 miles, which is 18 miles more than the whole distance;
and our course, allowing no leeway at all, was south 17 degrees west,
which gives but 76 miles difference of latitude, 24 less than we found by
observation. I did expect (as has been said) we mig