On the sixth the wind was S.W. with rain, course held S.E.; at night we were in Lat. 9 deg. 45’, having sailed 11 miles to the E.S.E. in the last 24 hours.

On the 7th, the wind being S.S.E., we ran on an Eastern course in 15 or 16 fathom, and sailed 4 miles till the evening; at nightfall we went over to S.E., and cast anchor in 4 fathom, but as the yacht was veering round, we got into 2 fathom, having sailed three miles E.S.E. during the night.

In the morning of the 8th we clearly saw several stones lying on the sea-bottom, without perceiving any change in the water in which we had sounded 26 fathom; so that the land here, which we did not see, is highly dangerous to touch at, but through God’s providence the yachts did not get aground here; at noon we set sail, being in 10 deg. 15’ S. Lat., the wind being W. by S. and afterwards variable; we sailed S.S.W. till the next morning, in 10 and 101/2 fathom, and covered 6 miles.

On the 9th the wind was N. with rain, course held S.E.; at night the wind went round to S.E.; we therefore came to anchor in 11 fathom, having sailed 5 miles this day.

In the morning of the 10th the wind was E.N.E., course held S.E. in 9, 10, and 11 fathom; at night the wind blew from the S.E., upon which we cast anchor, having sailed 5 miles this day.

On the 11th the wind was E. by N. with a fair breeze, course kept S.S.E.; at noon we were in 11 deg. 30’; the whole of this day and night we tried to get south with variable winds and on different courses, and sailed 22 miles in the last 24 hours; course kept S.E.

In the morning of the 12th the wind was S.E. with good weather; at sunrise we saw the land of Nova Guinea [*], showing itself as a low-lying coast without hills or mountains; we were then in 131/2 fathom, clayey bottom; course held S.S.W.; at noon we were in Lat. 11 deg. 45’ South, having sailed 10 miles on a S.E. course in the last 24 hours.

[* York Peninsula.]

In the morning of the 13th the wind was S.E. by E. and we were in 24 fathom; we still saw the land aforementioned and found it to be of the same shape as before; course held S.W.; at noon we were in 12 deg. 53’; for the rest of day and night we tried to get south with the winds aforesaid and on varying courses, having sailed 22 miles in the last 24 hours; course kept S.W.

On the 14th the wind was E. by S., course held S. by E. along the land in 11, 12, 13, and 14 fathom; at noon we were in Lat. 13 deg. 47’, the land being no longer in sight.  The rest of the day and the whole night we tried to get the land alongside with divers winds and on varying courses in 7, 6, 6, 4, 3, and 21/2 fathom; towards daybreak we were so near the land that one might have recognised persons on shore.