r a long time,
only when near any land we had some tornadoes; but off, at sea, commonly
clear weather, though, if in sight of land, we usually saw many black
clouds hovering about it.

On the 5th and 6th of January we plied to get in with the land, designing
to anchor, fill water, and spend a little time in searching the country,
till after the change of the moon, for I found a strong current setting
against us. We anchored in thirty-eight fathom water, good oozy ground.
We had an island of a league long without us, about three miles distant,
and we rode from the main about a mile. The easternmost point of land
seen bore east-by-south half-south, distance three leagues, and the
westernmost west-south-west half-south, distance two leagues. So soon as
we anchored, we sent the pinnace to look for water and try if they could
catch any fish. Afterwards we sent the yawl another way to see for
water. Before night the pinnace brought on board several sorts of fruits
that they found in the woods, such as I never saw before. One of my men
killed a stately land-fowl, as big as the largest dunghill cock; it was
of a sky-colour, only in the middle of the wings was a white spot, about
which were some reddish spots; on the crown it had a large bunch of long
feathers, which appeared very pretty; his bill was like pigeon's; he had
strong legs and feet, like dunghill fowls, only the claws were reddish;
his crop was full of small berries. It lays an egg as big as a large
hen's egg, for our men climbed the tree where it nested, and brought off
one egg. They found water, and reported that the trees were large, tall,
and very thick, and that they saw no sign of people. At night the yawl
came aboard and brought a wooden fish-spear, very ingeniously made, the
matter of it was a small cane; they found it by a small barbecue, where
they also saw a shattered canoe.

The next morning I sent the boatswain ashore fishing, and at one haul he
caught three hundred and fifty-two mackerel, and about twenty other
fishes, which I caused to be equally divided among all my company. I
sent also the gunner and chief mate to search about if they could find
convenient anchoring near a watering-place; by night they brought word
that they had found a fine stream of good water, where the boat could
come close to, and it was very easy to be filled, and that the ship might
anchor as near to it as I pleased, so I went thither. The next morning,
therefore,