was much too far off for them. We found variation 1 degrees 2 minutes
east. In the afternoon I steered north-east by east for the islands that
we saw. At two o'clock I went and looked over the fore-yard, and saw two
islands at much greater distance than the Turtle Islands are laid down in
my drafts, one of them was 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 Bande Isles, yet we steered in to make them plainer. At three
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 four we saw other small islands, by which I was now assured
that these were the Bande Isles there. At five I altered my course and
steered east, and at eight east-south-east, because I would not be seen
by the inhabitants of those islands in the morning. We had little wind
all night, and in the morning, as soon as it was light we saw another
high peaked island; at eight it bore south-south-east half-east, distance
eight leagues: and this I knew to be Bird Isle. It is laid down in our
drafts in latitude 5 degrees 9 minutes south, which is too far southerly
by twenty-seven 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;