y
woodland. The savannahs bear a sort of thin coarse grass. The mould is
also a coarser sand than that by the seaside, and in some places it is
clay. Here are a great many rocks in the large savannah we were in, which
are 5 or 6 foot high, and round at top like a haycock, very remarkable;
some red, and some white. The woodland lies farther in still; where there
were divers sorts of small trees, scarce any three foot in circumference;
their bodies 12 or 14 foot high, with a head of small knibs or boughs. By
the sides of the creeks, especially nigh the sea, there grow a few small
black mangrove-trees.

There are but few land animals. I saw some lizards; and my men saw two or
three beasts like hungry wolves, lean like so many skeletons, being
nothing but skin and bones: it is probable that it was the foot of one of
those beasts that I mentioned as seen by us in New Holland. We saw a
raccoon or two, and one small speckled snake.

The land-fowls that we saw here were crows (just such as ours in England)
small hawks, and kites; a few of each sort: but here are plenty of small
turtledoves that are plump, fat and very good meat. Here are 2 or 3 sorts
of smaller birds, some as big as larks, some less; but not many of either
sort. The sea-fowl are pelicans, boobies, noddies, curlews, sea-pies,
etc., and but few of these neither.

The sea is plentifully stocked with the largest whales that I ever saw;
but not to compare with the vast ones of the northern seas. We saw also a
great many green-turtle, but caught none; here being no place to set a
turtle-net in; here being no channel for them, and the tides running so
strong. We saw some sharks, and paracoots; and with hooks and lines we
caught some rock-fish and old-wives. Of shellfish, here were oysters both
of the common kind for eating, and of the pearl kind: and also wilks,
conches, mussels, limpets, periwinkles, etc., and I gathered a few
strange shells; chiefly a sort not large, and thick-set all about with
rays or spikes growing in rows.

And thus having ranged about a considerable time upon this coast without
finding any good fresh water, or any convenient place to clean the ship,
as I had hoped for: and it being moreover the height of the dry season,
and my men growing scorbutic for want of refreshments, so that I had
little encouragement to search further, I resolved to leave this coast
and accordingly in the beginning of September set sail towards Timor.

...

AN AC