In the evening of the 28th, they sailed from hence, and next day held a course to the N.W. and N.W. by N. with a shifting wind till noon, and then a calm.  They had the point of the island in view till evening, though they sailed along the coast, which was full of bays and turnings, and trended N.W. and N.W. by W. This day they saw other three high islands, which lay northwards five or six miles from the greater one, being then in the latitude of 3 deg. 20’ S. The 30th in the morning, several canoes of these black Papuas came off to the ship, and being allowed to come aboard, broke certain staves over the Dutch, in sign of peace.  Their canoes were more artificially made and ornamented than the others, and the people seemed more civilized and more modest, as they had the pudenda covered, which the others had not.  Their hair was rubbed over with chalk, their black frizly locks appearing as if powdered.  They affected to be poor, and came to beg, not bringing any thing to the ship, yet the four islands whence they came appeared, to be well stored with cocoas.

On the 1st June, the Dutch came to anchor between the coast of New Guinea and an island two miles long.  They were soon after surrounded by twenty-five canoes, full of the same people who had broken staves the day before in token of peace, and who came now fully armed in guise of war.  They were not long of entering on the work they came about.  Two of them laid hold of two anchors which hung from the bows of the ship, and endeavoured with their girdles to tug the ship on shore.  The rest lay close to the ship’s sides, and gave a brisk onset with slings and other weapons; but the great guns soon forced them to retire, with twelve or thirteen killed, and many more wounded.  After this, the Dutch sailed peaceably along the coast, with a good gale of wind, continuing their course W.N.W. and N.W. by W. The 2d they were in lat. 3 deg. 12’ S. and saw a low land to larboard, and right before them a low island.  Continuing W.N.W. with a slight current at E.N.E. they sailed gently along.  The 3d they saw high land, bearing W. about 14 leagues from the other island, and in lat. 2 deg. 41’ S. The 4th, while passing these four island, they suddenly came in view of twenty-three other islands, some great, some small, some high, and others low, most of which they left to starboard, and only two or three to larboard.  Some of these were a league distant from the others, and some only a cannon-shot.  Their latitude was in 2 deg. 30’ S. a little more or less.

On the 6th in the morning, the weather being variable and even sometimes stormy, they had in the morning a very high hill before them, bearing S.W. which they thought to have been Geeminassi in Banda; but, on a nearer approach, they discovered three other hills more like it in the north, some six or seven leagues distant, which they were convinced were that hill of Banda.[128] Behind these hills lay a large tract of land, stretching east and west, of very great