But I Was Since Informed, That He
And His Surgeon, When Going On Board A Dutch Ship In The Road, Were
Overset By The Natives And Drowned, By Order Of Rajah Laut, As We
Supposed, Who Had Seized All His Gold.
We sailed on the 2d November for Celebes, and anchored at its N.E. end
on the 9th.
The 30th, while steering between two shoals, in lat. 3 deg. S.
ten leagues from Celebes, we saw three waterspouts towards evening. A
waterspout is a piece of a cloud hanging down in a sloping direction,
sometimes bending like a bow, but never perpendicular. Opposite to its
extremity the sea begins to foam, and the water is then seen gently
moving round in a circle, increasing to a rapid whirling motion, rising
upwards, an hundred paces in circumference at the bottom, but lessening
gradually upwards to the size of a spout, through which the sea-water
appears to be conveyed into the cloud, as is manifest by its blackness
and increase of bulk. After this the cloud, which was before immoveable,
drives along for half an hour, accompanied by the spout. When the
sucking is over, and breaks off, all the water which was below the
spout, or pendulous cloud, falls again into the sea with a terrible
clashing noise. These spouts are, however, more frightful than
dangerous.
We had sight of the Isle of Bouton on the 1st December, and anchored
there on the 5th, where we staid till the 11th, procuring eggs, fowls,
potatoes, and other provisions from the natives, who are Mahometans, and
speak the Malay language. Continuing our voyage, we saw the N.W. point
of Timor on the 28th, and on the 29th stood S. towards New Holland,
which we fell in with on the 4th January, 1688, in lat. 16 deg. 50' S. New
Holland is a vast tract of land, but whether island or continent is
hitherto unknown.[200] We anchored at a point of land, three leagues to
the east of which is a deep bay. The land was low and sandy, the points
only excepted, which were rocky, as were some islands in the bay. We
found here no fresh water, except by digging. There were various trees,
and among these the tree producing dragon's-blood. We saw no
fruit-trees, nor so much as the track of any animal, except one footstep
of a beast, which seemed the size of a large mastiff. There were a few
land-birds, but none bigger than a black-bird, and scarcely any
sea-fowl; neither did the sea afford any fish, except tortoises and
manatees,[201] both of which are in vast plenty.
[Footnote 200: It is now known to be a vast island, stretching from the
lat. of 11 deg. 40' to 38 deg. 40', both S. and from long. 109 deg. 40' to 154 deg. 50'
both E. being 1870 miles from N. to S. and 2400 miles from E. to W.]
[Footnote 201:
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