a very high peaked mountain, cleft at top, and much like the
burning island that we passed by, but bigger and higher; the other was a
pretty long high flat island. Now I was certain that these were not the
Turtle Islands, and that they could be no other than the Banda Isles; yet
we steered in to make them plainer. At 3 o'clock we discovered another
small flat island to the north-west of the others, and saw a great deal
of smoke rise from the top of the high island; at 4 we saw other small
islands, by which I was now assured that these were the Banda Isles
there. At 5 I altered my course and steered east, and at 8
east-south-east; because I would not be seen by the inhabitants of those
islands in the morning.

BIRD ISLAND.

We had little wind all night: and in the morning as soon as it was light
we saw another high peaked island: at 8 it bore south-south-east half
east, distance 8 leagues. And this I knew to be Bird Isle. It is laid
down in our charts in latitude 5 degrees 9 minutes south, which is too
far southerly by 27 miles according to our observation; and the like
error in laying down the Turtle Islands might be the occasion of our
missing them.

At night I shortened sail for fear of coming too nigh some islands that
stretch away bending like a half moon from Ceram towards Timor, and which
in my course I must of necessity pass through. The next morning betimes I
saw them; and found them to be at a farther distance from Bird Island
than I expected. In the afternoon it fell quite calm; and when we had a
little wind it was so unconstant, flying from one point to another, that
I could not without difficulty get through the islands where I designed:
besides I found a current setting to the southward; so that it was
betwixt 5 and 6 in the evening before I passed through the islands; and
then just weathered little Waiela, whereas I thought to have been 2 or 3
leagues more northerly. We saw the day before, betwixt 2 and 3, a spout
but a small distance from us. It fell down out of a black cloud that
yielded great store of rain, thunder, and lightning: this cloud hovered
to the southward of us for the space of three hours, and then drew to the
westward a great pace; at which time it was that we saw the spout, which
hung fast to the cloud till it broke; and then the cloud whirled about to
the south-east, then to east-north-east; where, meeting with an island,
it spent itself and so dispersed; and immediately we had a little