Ifles that are fet down about this parallel. There is a fine frefii trade-wind, which
generally blows eafterly in the day time, but comes about at night more foutherly,
and blows much ftronger. We kept a W. S. W. courfe, being in latitude 70 24/
fouth, about twelve degrees from the iiland of Timor. Since the 3d inftant
we have had from twelve to twenty fathoms water till this day, and then our
foundings were much deeper.
The Arow Ifles belong to the Dutch Eaft-India company, who go there from
Banda, and trade for fago, birds of paradife, and New-Guinea (laves.
On the 6th, in the forenoon, in latitude of 8° 15', we fawan ¡(land to the N.W.
of us, of confiderable extent, being about fix or feven leagues of flat level land j and,
by the latitude we were in, we.fuppofed it was Timor land, which is. laid down in
the maps more to the weft ward.“ We had a very frefti trade-wind from the S. E.
and no foundings.
On the 7th, we had a freih trade-wind from the eaft, with clear weather, latitude
90 3 i7, and faw abundance of very fmall flying-fifb, and fome porpoiles.
On the 9th, we had light breezes, or calms, all day. Mr. Banks went out in
the fmall boat* and (hot between thirty and forty large boobies, which prey upon
the flying-fiih. In the evening we faw land to the N. W. of us, and fuppofed it
to be about twenty leagues diftant, which being very high, we thought, at firft,
it had been clouds. Latitude 90 46'.
On the 10th, we had light breezes or calms all day, and were ftill at a great
diftance from land. We made an obfervation of the fun this day, and of the moon
at night, to determine the longitude, and found ourfelves in 2330 33' weft from
London ; and our latitude, by obfervation, was io° i ' fouth, by which we were
certain that a current had driven us to the fouth, as we kept our courfe to the weft.
We faw feveral (harks, dolphins, and barracootas, about the (hip, and caught a
large (hark.
On
On the 12th, in the morning, we had light breezes from the weft, but, in the
afternoon, it veered round to the fouth. We were on the eaft fide of Timor, and
about one mile and a half from the ihore, which is very ftrait, and has a fandy
beach • the inner fide of which has a (kirting of Etoa trees. We faw the opening
of a river which might make a fnug harbour. Both the high and low land is
covered with wood, amongft which are many palms on the hills : we faw no houfe,
01* any human being, but a great many fmokes.
On the 15th, after having been troubled feveral days with light breezes from the
S. W. we had the wind N. E. and E. and ftood fouthward to weather it. The
land, this day, appeared very fcabby to the naked eye, but, viewed through our
glades, we difcovered thefe to be clear places, many of which were fenced about,
and had houfes upon them, the eaves of which reached to the ground. We faw
alfo a great many palm-trees on the beach, as well as on the hills, fome parts of
which were cultivated. We had a bold ihore, with hardly any beach. Toward
evening the land near the ihore appeared much flatter and more level; behind
which, at a great diftance, we difcovered many high hills. Latitude io° i /.
On the 16th, in the morning, we had a briik trade-wind from the eaft, and a
view of the illand of Rotte, which lies off the fouth end of Timor, and pafied
between it and Anamaboo, which lies to the S. W. of Timor. Both thefe iflands
were much lower than Timor} neither did they appear fo fertile. We faw no
houfes, fmoke, or cultivated land upon them, but many palms of a kind we were
not acquainted with. We had a fine briik trade-wind this day, but,no foundings j
latitude, by obfervation, was io° 24', about four or five leagues from thefouther-
moft part of Timor. In the night, between ten and eleven o'clock, before the
moon was up, we faw a remarkable phaenomenon, Which appeared in the louth
quarter, extending one point weft, and two eaft, and was about twenty degrees
high, like a glow of red rifing from fire, ftriped with white, which (hot up from
the horizon in a perpendicular dire&ion, alternately appearing and difappearing.
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