eather and
little wind, so that we ran near the land again; at noon we were in Lat.
4 deg. 25'; the wind West with a very stiff breeze, course held East by
South, and by computation sailed 10 miles until the evening; in the night
the wind was variable; towards daybreak it came on to rain; at 21/2 miles'
distance from the low-lying land we were in 28 fathom, black sandy
bottom, the land bearing East and West.

In the morning of the 14th the wind was East with a faint breeze, which
continued for the rest of the day; we kept tacking; in the evening the
wind was N.E. by N. with a very strong current setting westward.

{Page 25}

On the 15th before daybreak the wind was N. by W. with a stiff breeze,
course held East by South; in the morning we took the sun's altitude at
sunrise, which we found to be 7 degrees; at night ditto 21 deg. 30'; the
difference being divided by two comes to 7 deg. 15'; somewhat later in the
day, the wind being N.E. by N., we were five miles or upwards from the
land in 33 fathom, drifting rapidly to westward; at noon we were in Lat.
4 deg. 51', the wind W. by N.; course held N.E. by E. towards the land;
shortly after the wind became due North; from the morning to the evening
we had sailed 6 miles, and in 36 hours had been driven back, i.e.
westward, at least 11 miles.

This same day the plenary council having been convened, it has been
deemed advisable to appoint another skipper in the Aernem in the room of
the deceased, to which place has been appointed a young man, named Willem
Joosten van Colster [*] second mate in the Pera, as being very fit for
the post, while at the same time the second mate Jan Jansz has been named
first mate in the said yacht.

[* Or Van Coolsteerdt, as the Summary (see _infra_) has at this date.]

(Mountains covered with snow.)

In the morning of the 16th we took the sun's altitude at sunrise, which
we found to be 5 deg. 6'; the preceding evening ditto 20 deg. 30'; the difference
being divided by two Comes to 7 deg. 42'. increasing North-easterly
variation; the wind N. by E.; we were at about 11/2 mile's distance from
the low-lying land in 5 or 6 fathom, clayey bottom; at a distance of
about 10 miles by estimation into the interior, we saw a very high
mountain-range in many places white with snow, which we thought a very
singular sight, being so near the line equinoctial. Towards the evening
we held our course E. by S. along half-submerged land in 5, 4, 3 and 2
fathom