Here the ship trembled again with loud
claps of thunder, and was almost set on fire by the lightning, had it
not been prevented by prodigious rain.
[Footnote 130: The centre of Schouten Island is in lat. 0 deg. 30' S. and
long. 223 deg. W. It is nearly 24 leagues long from E. to W. and about eight
leagues from N. to S. In some maps this island is named Mysory,
probably the native appellation, and it lies off the mouth of a great
bay, having within it another island of considerable size, called
Jobie, or Traitor's Island. - E.]
The 31st, continuing a northern course, they passed to the north of the
equator, and being encompassed almost all round by land, they anchored
in twelve fathoms on good ground, near a desolate island which lay close
by the main land. The 1st of August they were in lat. 0 deg. 15' N. The 2d
and 3d being calm, they were carried by the current W. and W. by N. This
day at noon their latitude was 0 deg. 35' N. when they saw several whales
and sea-tortoises, with two islands to the westwards. They now reckoned
themselves at the western extremity of the land of New Guinea, along
which they had sailed 280 leagues.
