arrival of the Dutch, the natives expressed the utmost joy and
satisfaction, treating them with the utmost kindness and respect, and
manifested the most sincere and deep concern at their departure. Many
of the Dutch also felt a similar regret, and would have been well
pleased to have made a longer stay in this delightful and plenteous
country, among so kind a people, as, by the help of the excellent
provisions in great abundance with which these good islands furnished
them, all their sick people would have been perfectly recovered in
a month. These islands had also one convenience greatly superior to
those they had met with before, as there was good anchorage almost
every where along their coasts, where they rode in the utmost safety,
in from fifteen to twenty fathoms.

So many advantageous circumstances ought to have induced Roggewein
and his officers to have remained here longer; but their heads were
so full of proceeding for the East Indies, that they were fearful of
missing the favourable monsoon, while they afterwards discovered, to
their cost, that they were two months too early, instead of two months
too late. By this indiscreet step, they sacrificed the health and
strength of their crew to such a degree, that they were at length
hardly able to navigate their ships, and at one time were on the
point of burning one of their ships, that they might be better able to
manage the other: All of which inconveniences might have been avoided,
had they embraced this opportunity afforded them by Divine Providence,
and been contented to remain in a place of safety, plenty, and
pleasure, till their sick were recovered, instead of wilfully seeking
new dangers which they were so little able to encounter.

Leaving Bowman's islands, and continuing their course towards the N.W.
they came next morning in sight of two islands, which they took to
be _Coccos_ and _Traitor's_ islands,[7] so called by Schouten, who
discovered them. The island of Coccos, at a distance, for Roggewein
would not stop to examine it, seemed very high land, and about eight
leagues in circuit. The other seemed much lower, composed of a red
soil, and destitute of trees. They soon after saw two other islands
of large extent, one of which they named _Tienhoven_,[8] and the other
_Groninguen_; which last many of their officers were of opinion was
no island, but the _great southern continent_ they were sent out to
discover. The island of _Tienhoven_ appeared a rich