the 4th, 6 degrees 20
minutes, and on the 6th, 7 degrees 20 minutes. That evening we saw some
fowls like men-of-war-birds flying north-east, as I was told; for I did
not see them, having been indisposed these 3 or 4 days.

THE TRYAL ROCKS.

On the 11th we found the variation 8 degrees 1 minute west; on the 12th,
6 degrees 0 minutes. I kept on my course to the westward till the 15th,
and then altered it. My design was to seek for the Tryal Rocks; but,
having been sick 5 or 6 days without any fresh provision or other good
nourishment aboard, and seeing no likelihood of my recovery, I rather
chose to go to some port in time than to beat here any longer; my people
being very negligent when I was not upon deck myself; I found the winds
variable, so that I might go any way, east, west, north, or south;
wherefore it is probable I might have found the said rocks had not
sickness prevented me; which discovery (whenever made) will be of great
use to merchants trading to these parts.

THE COAST OF JAVA. PRINCES ISLE. STRAITS OF SUNDA. THWART-THE-WAY ISLAND.

From hence nothing material happened till we came upon the coast of Java.
On the 23rd we saw Princes Isle plain, and the mouth of the Straits of
Sunda. By my computation the distance between Timor and Princes Isle is
14 degrees 22 minutes. The next day in the afternoon, being abreast of
Crockadore Island, I steered away east-north-east for an island that lies
near midway between Sumatra and Java but nearest the Java shore; which is
by Englishmen called Thwart-the-way. We had but small winds till about 3
o'clock when it freshened, and I was in good hopes to pass through before
day: but at 9 o'clock the wind fell and we got but little. I was then
abreast of Thwart-the-way, which is a pretty high long island; but before
11 the wind turned, and presently afterward it fell calm. I was then
about 2 leagues from the said island; and, having a strong current
against us, before day we were driven astern 4 or 5 leagues. In the
morning we had the wind at north-north-west; it looked black and the wind
unsettled: so that I could not expect to get through. I therefore stood
toward the Java shore, and at 10 anchored in 24 fathom water, black oazy
ground, 3 leagues from the shore. I sounded in the night when it was
calm, and had 54 fathom, coarse sand and coral.

INDIAN PROAS, AND THEIR TRAFFIC.

In the afternoon before we had seen many proas; but none came off to us;
and in the night