A Continuation of a Voyage to New Holland | Page 4

world, in the
latitude of 16 degrees 15 minutes, from which I was not now far distant,
would not fail to afford me sweet water upon digging, as it did then; for
the brackish water I had taken in here, though it served tolerably well
for boiling, was yet not very wholesome.
With these intentions I put to sea on the 5th of September 1699, with a
gentle gale, sounding all the way; but was quickly induced to alter my
design. For I had not been out above a day but I found that the shoals
among which I was engaged all the while on the coast, and was like to
be engaged in, would make it a very tedious thing to sail along by the
shore, or to put in where I might have occasion. I therefore edged
farther off to sea, and so deepened the water from 11 to 32 fathom. The

next day, being September the 6th, we could but just discern the land,
though we had then no more than about 30 fathom, uncertain soundings;
for even while we were out of sight of land we had once but 7 fathom,
and had also great and uncertain tides whirling about, that made me
afraid to go near a coast so shallow, where we might be soon aground
and yet have but little wind to bring us off: for should a ship be near a
shoal she might be hurled upon it unavoidably by a strong tide, unless
there should be a good wind to work her and keep her off. Thus also on
the 7th day we saw no land, though our water decreased again to 26
fathom; for we had deepened it, as I said, to 30.
WATERSNAKES.
This day we saw two water-snakes, different in shape from such as we
had formerly seen. The one was very small, though long; the other long
and as big as a man's leg, having a red head; which I never saw any
have, before or since. We had this day latitude 16 degrees 9 minutes by
observation.
I was by this time got to the north of the place I had thought to have put
in at where I dug wells in my former voyage; and though I knew, by the
experience I had of it then, that there was a deep entrance in thither
from the eastward; yet by the shoals I had hitherto found so far
stretched on this coast, I was afraid I should have the same trouble to
coast all along afterwards beyond that place: and besides the danger of
running almost continually amongst shoals on a strange shore, and
where the tides were strong and high; I began to bethink myself that a
great part of my time must have been spent in being about a shore I was
already almost weary of, which I might employ with greater
satisfaction to my mind, and better hopes of success, in going forward
to New Guinea. Add to this the particular danger I should have been in
upon a lee shore, such as is here described, when the north-west
monsoon should once come in; the ordinary season of which was not
now far off, though this year it stayed beyond the common season; and
it comes on storming at first, with tornadoes, violent gusts, etc.
Wherefore quitting the thoughts of putting in again at New Holland, I
resolved to steer away for the island Timor; where, besides getting

fresh water, I might probably expect to be furnished with fruits and
other refreshments to recruit my men, who began to droop; some of
them being already to my great grief afflicted with the scurvy, which
was likely to increase upon them and disable them, and was promoted
by the brackish water they took in last for boiling their oatmeal. It was
now also towards the latter end of the dry season; when I might not
probably have found water so plentifully upon digging at that part of
New Holland as when I was there before in the wet season. And then,
considering the time also that I must necessarily spend in getting in to
the shore through such shoals as I expected to meet with; or in going
about to avoid them; and in digging of wells when I should come hither:
I might very well hope to get to Timor and find fresh water there as
soon as I could expect to get it at New Holland; and with less trouble
and danger.
On the 8th of September therefore, shaping our course for Timor, we
were in latitude 15 degrees 37 minutes. We had 26 fathom coarse sand;
and we saw one whale. We found them lying most commonly near the
shore or in shoal water.