The 14th, being past a point of land that we had been three days getting about, we found little or no current, so that, having the wind at north-west-by-west and west-north-west, we stood to the northward, and had several soundings:  at three o’clock thirty-eight fathom, the nearest part of New Guinea being about three leagues’ distance; at four, thirty-seven; at five, thirty-six; at six, thirty-six; at eight, thirty-three fathom; then the Cape was about four leagues’ distant, so that as we ran off we found our water shallower; we had then some islands to the westward of us, at about four leagues’ distance.

A little after noon we saw smoke on the islands to the west of us, and having a fine gale of wind, I steered away for them.  At seven o’clock in the evening we anchored in thirty-five fathom, about two leagues from an island, good soft oozy ground.  We lay still all night, and saw fires ashore.  In the morning we weighed again, and ran farther in, thinking to have shallower water; but we ran within a mile of the shore, and came to in thirty-eight fathom good soft holding ground.  While we were under sail two canoes came off within call of us.  They spoke to us, but we did not understand their language nor signs.  We waved to them to come aboard, and I called to them in the Malayan language to do the same, but they would not.  Yet they came so nigh us that we could show them such things as we had to truck with them; yet neither would this entice them to come on board, but they made signs for us to come ashore, and away they went.  Then I went after them in my pinnace, carrying with me knives, beads, glasses, hatchets, &c.  When we came near the shore, I called to them in the Malayan language.  I saw but two men at first, the rest lying in ambush behind the bushes; but as soon as I threw ashore some knives and other toys, they came out, flung down their weapons, and came into the water by the boat’s side, making signs of friendship by pouring water on their heads with one hand, which they dipped into the sea.  The next day, in the afternoon, several other canoes came aboard, and brought many roots and fruits, which we purchased.

The island has no name in our drafts, but the natives call it Pub Sabuda; it is about three leagues long, and two miles wide, more or less; it is of a good height, so as to be seen eleven or twelve leagues; it is very rocky, yet above the rocks there is good yellow and black mould, not deep, yet producing plenty of good tall trees, and bearing any fruits or roots which the inhabitants plant.  I do not know all its produce, but what we saw were plantains, cocoa-nuts, pine-apples, oranges, papaes, potatoes, and other large roots.  Here are also another sort of wild jacas, about the bigness of a man’s two fists, full of stones or kernels, which eat pleasant enough when roasted.  The libby tree grows here in the swampy valleys, of which they make sago cakes.  I did not see them make any, but was told by the