One of my men killed a stately land-fowl, as big as the largest dunghill-cock.  It was of a sky-colour; only in the middle of the wings was a white spot, about which were some reddish spots:  on the crown it had a large bunch of long feathers, which appeared very pretty.  His bill was like a pigeon’s; he had strong legs and feet, like dunghill-fowls; only the claws were reddish.  His crop was full of small berries.  It lays an egg as big as a large hen’s egg; for our men climbed the tree where it nested and brought off one egg.  They found water; and reported that the trees were large, tall and very thick; and that they saw no sign of people.  At night the yawl came aboard and brought a wooden fishgig, very ingeniously made; the matter of it was a small cane; they found it by a small barbecue, where they also saw a shattered canoe.

Great quantities of mackerel.

The next morning I sent the boatswain ashore a-fishing and at one haul he caught 352 mackerels and about 20 other fishes; which I caused to be equally divided among all my company.  I sent also the gunner and chief mate to search about if they could find convenient anchoring nearer a watering-place:  by night they brought word that they had found a fine stream of good water, where the boat could come close to and it was very easy to be filled; and that the ship might anchor as near to it as I pleased:  so I went thither.  The next morning therefore we anchored in 25 fathom water, soft oazie ground, about a mile from the river:  we got on board 3 tun of water that night; and caught 2 or 3 pike-fish, in shape much like a parracota, but with a longer snout, something resembling a gar, yet not so long.  The next day I sent the boat again for water and before night all my casks were full.

A white island.

Having filled here about 15 tuns of water, seeing we could catch but little fish, and had no other refreshments, I intended to sail next day; but finding that we wanted wood I sent to cut some; and going ashore to hasten it, at some distance from the place where our men were, I found a small cove where I saw two barbecues, which appeared not to be above 2 months standing:  the spars were cut with some sharp instrument; so that, if done by the natives, it seems that they have iron.  On the 10th, a little after 12 o’clock, we weighed and stood over to the north side of the bay; and at 1 o’clock stood out with the wind at north and north-north-west.  At 4 we passed out by a White Island, which I so named from its many white cliffs, having no name in our charts.  It is about a league long, pretty high, and very woody:  it is about 5 miles from the main, only at the west end it reaches within 3 miles of it.  At some distance off at sea the west point appears like a cape land; the north side trends away north-north-west, and the east side east-south-east.  This island lies in latitude 3 degrees 4 minutes south; and the meridian distance from Babao, 500 and 12 miles east.  After we were out to sea we plied to get to the northward; but met with such a strong current against us that we got but little.  For if the wind favoured us in the night, that we got 3 or 4 leagues; we lost it again and were driven as far astern next morning, so that we plied here several days.