Fault of the charts.

The 15th in the morning between 12 and 2 o’clock it blew a very brisk gale at north-west and looked very black in the south-west.  At 2 it flew about at once to the south-south-west and rained very hard.  The wind settled some time at west-south-west, and we steered east-north-east till 3 in the morning:  then, the wind and rain abating, we steered east half north for fear of coming near the land.  Presently after, it being a little clear, the man at the bowsprit-end called out, “Land on our starboard bow.”  We looked out and saw it plain.  I presently sounded and had but 10 fathom soft ground.  The master, being somewhat scared, came running in haste with this news, and said it was best to anchor:  I told him no, but sound again; then we had 12 fathom; the next cast, 13 and a half; the 4th, 17 fathom; and then no ground with 50 fathom line.  However we kept off the island and did not go so fast but that we could see any other danger before we came nigh it.  For here might have been more islands not laid down in my charts besides this.  For I searched all the charts I had, if perchance I might find any island in the one which was not in the others; but I could find none near us.  When it was day we were about 5 leagues off the land we saw; but, I believe, not above 5 mile, or at most 2 leagues, off it when we first saw it in the night.

Providence island.

This is a small island but pretty high; I named it Providence.  About 5 leagues to the southward of this there is another island which is called William Schouten’s Island and laid down in our charts:  it is a high island and about 20 leagues long.

It was by mere Providence that we missed the small island.  For had not the wind come to west-south-west and blown hard, so that we steered east-north-east, we had been upon it by our course that we steered before, if we could not have seen it.  This morning we saw many great trees and logs swim by us; which it is probable came out of some great rivers on the main.

They cross the line.

On the 16th we crossed the Line, and found variation 6 degrees 26 minutes east.  The 18th by my observation at noon we found that we had had a current setting to the southward, and probably that drew us in so nigh Schouten’s Island.  For this 24 hours we steered east by north with a large wind, yet made but an east by south half south course; though the variation was not above 7 degrees east.

The 21st we had a current setting to the northward, which is against the true trade monsoon, it being now near the full moon.  I did expect it here, as in all other places.  We had variation 8 degrees 45 minutes east.  The 22nd we found but little current; if any, it set to the southward.

A snake pursued by fish.