The 25th, betimes in the morning, we saw an island to the southward of us, at about fifteen 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 nine or ten leagues long, mountainous and woody, with many savannahs, and some spots of land which seemed to be cleared.

At eight in the evening we lay by, intending, if I could, to anchor under Matthias Isle; but the next morning, seeing another island about seven or eight 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 two or three 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.)

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 four o’clock it cleared up to a hard sky and a brisk settled gale; then we made as much sail as we could.  At five it cleared up over the land, and we saw, as we thought, Cape Solomaswer bearing south-south-east, distance ten leagues.  We had many great logs and trees swimming by us all this afternoon, and much grass; we steered in south-south-east till six, then the wind slackened, and we stood off till seven, having little wind; then we lay by till ten, 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 seven leagues’ distance.  We passed by many small low woody islands which lay between us and the main, not laid down in our drafts.  We found variation 9 degrees 50 minutes east.

The 28th we had many violent tornadoes, wind, rain, and some spouts, and in the tornadoes the wind shifted.  In the night we had fair weather, but more lightning than we had seen at any time this voyage.  This morning we left a large high island on our larboard side, called in the Dutch drafts Wishart’s Isle, about six leagues from the main; and, seeing many smokes upon the main, I therefore steered towards it.