On the 23rd in the afternoon we saw 2 snakes; and the next morning another, passing by us, which was furiously assaulted by 2 fishes that had kept us company 5 or 6 days.  They were shaped like mackerel and were about that bigness and length, and of a yellow-greenish colour.  The snake swam away from them very fast, keeping his head above water; the fish snapped at his tail; but when he turned himself that fish would withdraw, and another would snap; so that by turns they kept him employed; yet he still defended himself and swam away a great pace till they were out of sight.

The 25th betimes in the morning we saw an island to the southward of us at about 15 leagues distance.  We steered away for it, supposing it to be that which the Dutch call Wishart’s Island; but, finding it otherwise, I called it Matthias; it being that saint’s day.  This island is about 9 or 10 leagues long, mountainous and woody, with many savannahs, and some spots of land which seemed to be cleared.

Squally island.

At 8 in the evening we lay by, intending, if I could, to anchor under Matthias Isle.  But the next morning, seeing another island about 7 or 8 leagues to the eastward of it, we steered away for it; at noon we came up fair with its south-west end, intending to run along by it and anchor on the south-east side:  but the tornadoes came in so thick and hard that I could not venture in.  This island is pretty low and plain, and clothed with wood; the trees were very green, and appeared to be large and tall, as thick as they could stand one by another.  It is about 2 or 3 leagues long, and at the south-west point there is another small low woody island about a mile round, and about a mile from the other.  Between them there runs a reef of rocks which joins them. (The biggest I named Squally Island.)

The main of new guinea.

Seeing we could not anchor here I stood away to the southward to make the main.  But, having many hard squalls and tornadoes, we were often forced to hand all our sails and steer more easterly to go before it.  On the 26th at 4 o’clock it cleared up to a hard sky, and a brisk settled gale; then we made as much sail as we could.  At 5 it cleared up over the land and we saw, as we thought, Cape Solomaswer bearing south-south-east distance 10 leagues.  We had many great logs and trees swimming by us all this afternoon, and much grass; we steered in south-south-east till 6, then the wind slackened and we stood off till 7, having little wind; then we lay by till 10, at which time we made sail and steered away east all night.  The next morning, as soon as it was light, we made all the sail we could, and steered away east-south-east, as the land lay; being fair in sight of it, and not above 7 leagues distance.  We passed by many small low woody islands which lay between us and the main, not laid down in our charts.  We found variation 9 degrees 50 minutes east.