On the 25th, being St John the Baptist’s day, they sailed past another island, on which were seven or eight hovels, which they named St John’s Island. [Lat. 3 deg. 40’ S. long. 206 deg. 20’ W.] At this time they saw some very high land to the S.W. which they thought to be the western point of New Guinea.[127] They reached this coast by noon, and sailed along, sending their boat in search of an anchorage, but no bottom could then be found.  Two or three canoes filled with a barbarous people attacked the boat with slings, but were soon driven away by the muskets.  These people were very black, entirely naked, and spoke a quite different language from that of the islanders they had seen hitherto.  They kept fires burning on the coast all night, and some of them came lurking about the ship in their canoes; but though the Dutch, on discovering them, did every thing they could to conciliate, they would not understand any signs made for procuring provisions, but answered all with horrible noises and outcries.

[Footnote 127:  This land was discovered afterwards to be separate from New Guinea, and is now named New Ireland, having another large island interposed, called New Britain.—­E.]

At night, they anchored in a bay in 40 fathoms on uneven ground.  About this place the country was high and verdant, and afforded a pleasant prospect, being, as they guessed, 1840 leagues west from the coast of Peru.  In the morning of the 26th, three canoes came to the ship, quite full of these barbarians, being well armed after their manner, with clubs, wooden swords, and slings.  The Dutch treated them kindly, giving them several toys to procure their favour; but they were not to be won by kindness, neither could they be taught good manners except by the language of the great guns:  For they presently assaulted the ship with all their force, and continued till ten or twelve of them were slain by cannon-shot.  They then threw themselves into the water, endeavouring to escape by swimming and diving; but they were pursued in the water by the boat, when several were knocked in the head, and three prisoners taken, besides four of their canoes, which were cut up as fuel for the use of the ship.  Though these savages would not formerly understand any signs, they were now more apt, and understood that hogs and bananas were demanded in ransom for the prisoners.  One wounded man was set at liberty, but the Dutch exacted ten hogs for the others.  This island afforded a sort of birds that are all over bright red.  North of it lay another island, of which they made no other discovery, except its position in regard to this.  The Dutch concluded that these people were of the Papuas nation, because of their short hair, and because they chewed betel mixed with chalk.