assaulted by two fishes, that
had kept us company five or six days; they were shaped like mackerel, and
were about that bigness and length, and of a yellow-greenish colour. The
snake swam away from them very fast, keeping his head above water; the
fish snapped at his tail, but when he turned himself, that fish would
withdraw, and another would snap, so that by turns they kept him
employed, yet he still defended himself, and swam away a great pace, till
they were out of sight.

The 25th, betimes in the morning, we saw an island to the southward of
us, at about fifteen leagues' distance. We steered away for it,
supposing it to be that which the Dutch call Wishart's Island; but,
finding it otherwise, I called it Matthias, it being that saint's day.
This island is about nine or ten leagues long, mountainous and woody,
with many savannahs, and some spots of land which seemed to be cleared.

At eight in the evening we lay by, intending, if I could, to anchor under
Matthias Isle; but the next morning, seeing another island about seven or
eight leagues to the eastward of it, we steered away for it. At noon we
came up fair with its south-west end, intending to run along by it and
anchor on the south-east side, but the tornadoes came in so thick and
hard that I could not venture in. This island is pretty low and plain,
and clothed with wood; the trees were very green, and appeared to be
large and tall, as thick as they could stand one by another. It is about
two or three leagues long, and at the south-west point there is another
small, low, woody island, about a mile round, and about a mile from the
other. Between them there runs a reef of rocks which joins them. (The
biggest I named Squally Island.)

Seeing we could not anchor here, I stood away to the southward, to make
the main; but having many hard squalls and tornadoes, we were often
forced to hand all our sails and steer more easterly to go before it. On
the 26th at four o'clock it cleared up to a hard sky and a brisk settled
gale; then we made as much sail as we could. At five it cleared up over
the land, and we saw, as we thought, Cape Solomaswer bearing south-south-
east, distance ten leagues. We had many great logs and trees swimming by
us all this afternoon, and much grass; we steered in south-south-east
till six, then the wind slackened, and we stood off till seven, having
little wind; then we lay by till ten, at which time we made sail, and
steered away e