We Proposed To Have Come To Anchor About Its North-East Point,
And On Sounding, Had Sixty Fathoms.
We saw two boats coming off to us,
and used every means to get speech of them, wishing for
A pilot, and
desiring to know the name of the island, but the wind was so strong that
we could not get in, wherefore we stood away N.W. and had sight of
another island bearing N.N.W. for which we steered, and thence descried
another, N.E. half E. about seven or eight leagues off. Coming under the
western island, we observed certain rocks about two miles offshore, one
of which was above water, and the other, to the north, under water, a
great way without the other, and the sea breaking on it.
[Footnote 2: The latitude in the text, which we have reason to believe
accurate, as Captain Saris was so long at this place, indicates the
northern end of the island of Morty, east and a little northerly of
the northern peninsula or leg of Gilolo. - E.]
[Footnote 3: We have omitted in the text the naked journal of daily
winds, courses, and distances, as tending to no useful information
whatever. - E.]
[Footnote 4: The indicated latitude, considering the direction of the
voyage between Morty and Japan, nearly coincides with the small islands
of Kumi and Matchi, west from the south end of the great Liqueo. - E.]
On the 7th, we supposed ourselves about twenty-eight or thirty leagues
from Tonan.[5] In the morning of the 8th, we had sight of a high round
island, bearing E. six leagues off, with various other islands, in six
or seven directions westwards, five or six leagues off.[6] In the
morning of the 8th we had sight of land bearing N.N.E. and of six great
islands in a row N.E. from the island we descried the preceding evening;
and at the northern end of all were many small rocks and hummocks. In a
bay to the eastwards of these, we saw a high land bearing E. and E. by
S. and E.S.E. which is the island called Xima in the charts, but named
Maihma by the natives, while the former island is called Segue, or
Amaxay.[7] The 10th, four great fishing-boats came aboard, about five
tons burden each, having one large sail, like that of a skiff. They had
each four oars of a side, resting on pins fastened to the gunwales, the
heads of the pins being let into the middle of the oars, so that they
hung in just equipoise, saving much labour to the rowers. These people
make much more speed in rowing than our men, and perform their work
standing, by which they take up less room. They told us we were just
before the entrance to Nangasaki, which bore N.N.E.; the straits of
Arima being N.E. by N. and that the high hill we saw yesterday was
upon the island called Uszideke,[8] making the straits of Arima, at
the north end of which is good anchorage, and at the south end is the
entrance to Cahinoch.[9] We agreed with two of the masters of these
fishing-boats for thirty dollars each, and rice for their food, to pilot
us to Firando, on which agreement their people came aboard our ship,
and voluntarily performed its duty as readily as any of our own
mariners.
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