The winds we found easterly, between north-east and east-south-east; so
that, if these continue, it is impossible to beat farther to the eastward
on this coast against wind and current. These easterly winds increased
from the time we were in the latitude of about 2 degrees south; and as we
drew nigher the Line they hung more easterly. And now, being to the north
of the continent of New Guinea where the coast lies east and west, I find
the tradewind here at east; which yet in higher latitudes is usually at
north-north-west and north-west; and so I did expect them here, it being
to the south of the Line.

AN EMPTY COCKLESHELL WEIGHING TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT POUND.

The 7th in the morning I sent my boat ashore on Pigeon Island and stayed
till noon. In the afternoon my men returned, brought 22 pigeons, and many
cockles, some very large, some small: they also brought one empty shell
that weighed 258 pound.

KING WILLIAM'S ISLAND. A DESCRIPTION OF IT.

At 4 o'clock we weighed, having a small westerly wind and a tide with us;
at 7 in the evening we anchored in 42 fathom, near King William's Island,
where I went ashore the next morning, drank His Majesty's health, and
honoured it with his name. It is about 2 leagues and a half in length,
very high, and extraordinarily well clothed with woods. The trees are of
divers sorts, most unknown to us, but all very green and flourishing;
many of them had flowers, some white, some purple, others yellow; all
which smelt very fragrantly. The trees are generally tall and
straight-bodied, and may be fit for any uses. I saw one of a clean body,
without knot or limb, 60 are 70 foot high by estimation. It was 3 of my
fathoms about, and kept its bigness without any sensible decrease even to
the top. The mould of the island is black but not deep; it being very
rocky. On the sides and top of the island are many palmetto-trees whose
heads we could discern over all the other trees, but their bodies we
could not see.

About 1 in the afternoon we weighed and stood to the eastward, between
the main and King William's Island; leaving the island on our larboard
side and sounding till we were past the island; and then we had no
ground. Here we found the flood setting east by north, and the ebb west
by south. There were shoals and small islands between us and the main,
which caused the tide to set very inconstantly, and make many whirlings
in the water; yet we did not find the tide to set strong any w