the
mouth of the river, and likewise two or three small huts made of dry
grass, in which they saw banana-leaves and the sword of a sword-fish, all
which they left intact in conformity with their orders; they also
reported that the interior is very low-lying and submerged in many
places, but that 5, 6, or 7 miles from the coast it becomes hilly, much
resembling the island of Ceram near Banda.

* * *

NOTE.

(The skipper of the Arnem and nine persons along with him, slain by the
savages, in consequence of their want of caution.)

This same day the skipper of the yacht Aernem, Direk Melisz(oon) without
knowledge of myself, of the subcargo or steersman of the said yacht,
unadvisedly went ashore to the open beach in the pinnace, taking with him
15 persons, both officers and along common sailors, and no more than four
muskets, for the purpose of fishing with a seine-net; there was great
disorder in landing, the men running off in different directions, until
at last a number of black savages came running forth from the wood, who
first seized and tore to pieces an assistant, named Jan Willemsz Van den
Briel who happened to be unarmed, after which they slew with arrows,
callaways (spears) and with the oars which they had snatched from the
pinnace, no less than nine of our men, who were unable to defend
themselves, at the same time wounding the remaining seven (among them the
skipper, who was the first to take to his heels); these last seven men at
last returned on board in very sorry plight with the pinnace and one oar,
the skipper loudly lamenting his great want of prudence, and entreating
pardon for the fault he had committed.

* * *

In the evening the wind West with a very stiff breeze, so that we did not
sail in the night, considering our ignorance of these waters and our fear
of cliffs and shallows that might lie off the coast, which in every case
we had to keep near to, if we wanted to get further north.

On Sunday morning the 12th we set sail again with a stiff breeze from the
west; we held our course E. by S. along the land, and sailed 14 miles
that day; in the evening we altered our course to E.S.E., with a N.W.
wind; in the night we had variable wind and weather, so that we kept
drifting; in the day-watch the skipper of the Aernem, Direk Melisz., died
of the wounds received the day before, having suffered grievous pains
shortly before his death.

In the morning of the thirteenth the wind was N.E. with fair w