J. E. Heeres - The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606 1765

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The following night...we made for Aro on an East-by-North and Eastern
course.

On Saturday the 29th in the evening we dropped anchor near the northern
island of Aro.

FEBRUARY.

On the 6th...the wind being south-east by east, we set sail again for the
island which in some charts [*] is called Ceram, and in others de Papues;
course held north-east by north; in the evening N.N.E.; about midnight it
fell a calm; sailed 6 miles.

[* Cf. _Remarkable Maps_ II, 2, II, 3. Under date of March 31 the present
journal once more refers to this mistake in the older charts.]

{Page 23}

In the morning of the 6th the wind was N.E. with a tolerable breeze,
course held N.N.W., we saw high land ahead both on the lee and the
weather bow--at noon latitude 4 deg. 57', sailed three miles on the said
course; for the rest of the day we had a calm, towards the evening the
wind went round to S.E., course held N.E. by E., sailed 4 miles.

On Sunday the 8th the wind was S. by W., with rain; course held N.E. by
E., at noon latitude 4 deg. 27, sailed 4 miles on the said course. We then
went on a N.E. course, with a variable wind, which at last fell to a
calm; towards evening after sunset the wind turned to S. by E., we sailed
with the fore- and mizen-sails only on an E. course, sailed three miles
to E.S.O. [sic] In the night the two yachts ran foul of each other in
tacking, but got no damage worth mentioning. The latter part of the night
we drifted in a calm without sails until daybreak.

In the morning of the 9th we made sail again and with a weak N.E. wind
held our course for the land: somewhat later in the day the wind turned
to N.W., at noon we were in latitude 4 deg. 17' and had the south-coast of
the land east slightly north of us, course and wind as before; in the
evening we were close inshore in 25 fathom clayey ground, but since there
was no shelter there from sea-winds, we again turned off the land, and
skirted along it in the night with small sail, seeing we had no knowledge
of the land and the shallows thereabouts; variable wind with rain.

* * *

NOTE.

The same day the plenary council having been convened, it was determined
and fixed by formal resolution to continue our present course along the
coast, and if we should come upon any capes, bights, or roads, to come to
anchor there for one or two days at the utmost for a landing, in which we
shall run ashore in good order with two well-manned and armed pinnaces,
to endeavour to come to parley with the inhabitants and generally inspect
the state of affairs there; in leaving we shall, if at all practicable,
seize one or two blacks to take along with us; the main reason which has
led us to touch at the island aforesaid being, that certain reports and
writings seem to imply that the land which we are now near to, is the
Gouwen-eylandt [*], which it would be impossible to call at on our
return-voyage in the eastern monsoon, if we are to obey our orders and
instructions.

[* An allusion perhaps to the "provincia aurifera", as the so-called
Beach was sometimes styled; VAN LINSCHOTEN, we know, had also surmised
the presence of gold in the South-land.]

* * *

In the morning of the 10th, the wind being N.W. by north, being close
inshore, we again held our course for the land; somewhat later in the day
we had West wind with a hard gale, with which we sailed along the coast;
about noon we cast anchor in 12 fathom clayey bottom without any shelter
from the W.N.W. wind; when we were at anchor there, the pinnace of the
Pera, in conformity with the above resolution was sent ashore well-manned
and armed, under command of the sub-cargo, but the heavy rolling of the
sea made it impossible to effect a landing. We accordingly made a man
swim ashore through the surf, who deposited a few small pieces of iron on
the beach, where he had observed numerous human footprints; but as
nothing more could be done, the pinnace went back to the yacht, which we
could not get round to eastward owing to the strong current; we were
accordingly forced to weigh the anchor again, and drift with the current,
and thus ran on along the coast till the first watch, when we cast
anchor, it being a dead calm and we having no knowledge of the water.

In the morning of the 11th we took the sun's altitude, which we found to
be 8 deg., we being in 14 deg. 14', which makes a difference of 6 deg. 14'. When we
had sailed along the land for about a mile's distance we cast anchor in 9
fathom muddy bottom and sent the pinnace ashore in the same fashion as
last time, but earnestly charged the subcargo to use great caution, and
to treat with kindness any natives that he should meet {Page 24} with,
trying if possible to lay hands on some of them, that through them, as
soon as they have become somewhat conversant with the Malay tongue, our
Lords and Masters may obtain reliable knowledge touching the productions
of their land. At noon we were in Latitude 4 deg. 20'; at night when our men
returned with the pinnace, they informed us that the strong surf had
prevented them from landing, and that they had accordingly, for fully two
miles' distance, rowed up a fresh-water river which fell into the sea
near the yacht, without, however, seeing or hearing any human beings,
except that in returning they had seen numerous human footprints near the
mouth of the river, and likewise two or three small huts made of dry
grass, in which they saw banana-leaves and the sword of a sword-fish, all
which they left intact in conformity with their orders; they also
reported that the interior is very low-lying and submerged in many
places, but that 5, 6, or 7 miles from the coast it becomes hilly, much
resembling the island of Ceram near Banda.

* * *

NOTE.

(The skipper of the Arnem and nine persons along with him, slain by the
savages, in consequence of their want of caution.)

This same day the skipper of the yacht Aernem, Direk Melisz(oon) without
knowledge of myself, of the subcargo or steersman of the said yacht,
unadvisedly went ashore to the open beach in the pinnace, taking with him
15 persons, both officers and along common sailors, and no more than four
muskets, for the purpose of fishing with a seine-net; there was great
disorder in landing, the men running off in different directions, until
at last a number of black savages came running forth from the wood, who
first seized and tore to pieces an assistant, named Jan Willemsz Van den
Briel who happened to be unarmed, after which they slew with arrows,
callaways (spears) and with the oars which they had snatched from the
pinnace, no less than nine of our men, who were unable to defend
themselves, at the same time wounding the remaining seven (among them the
skipper, who was the first to take to his heels); these last seven men at
last returned on board in very sorry plight with the pinnace and one oar,
the skipper loudly lamenting his great want of prudence, and entreating
pardon for the fault he had committed.

* * *

In the evening the wind West with a very stiff breeze, so that we did not
sail in the night, considering our ignorance of these waters and our fear
of cliffs and shallows that might lie off the coast, which in every case
we had to keep near to, if we wanted to get further north.

On Sunday morning the 12th we set sail again with a stiff breeze from the
west; we held our course E. by S. along the land, and sailed 14 miles
that day; in the evening we altered our course to E.S.E., with a N.W.
wind; in the night we had variable wind and weather, so that we kept
drifting; in the day-watch the skipper of the Aernem, Direk Melisz., died
of the wounds received the day before, having suffered grievous pains
shortly before his death.

In the morning of the thirteenth the wind was N.E. with fair weather and
little wind, so that we ran near the land again; at noon we were in Lat.
4 deg. 25'; the wind West with a very stiff breeze, course held East by
South, and by computation sailed 10 miles until the evening; in the night
the wind was variable; towards daybreak it came on to rain; at 21/2 miles'
distance from the low-lying land we were in 28 fathom, black sandy
bottom, the land bearing East and West.

In the morning of the 14th the wind was East with a faint breeze, which
continued for the rest of the day; we kept tacking; in the evening the
wind was N.E. by N. with a very strong current setting westward.

{Page 25}

On the 15th before daybreak the wind was N. by W. with a stiff breeze,
course held East by South; in the morning we took the sun's altitude at
sunrise, which we found to be 7 degrees; at night ditto 21 deg. 30'; the
difference being divided by two comes to 7 deg. 15'; somewhat later in the
day, the wind being N.E. by N., we were five miles or upwards from the
land in 33 fathom, drifting rapidly to westward; at noon we were in Lat.
4 deg. 51', the wind W. by N.; course held N.E. by E. towards the land;
shortly after the wind became due North; from the morning to the evening
we had sailed 6 miles, and in 36 hours had been driven back, i.e.
westward, at least 11 miles.

This same day the plenary council having been convened, it has been
deemed advisable to appoint another skipper in the Aernem in the room of
the deceased, to which place has been appointed a young man, named Willem
Joosten van Colster [*] second mate in the Pera, as being very fit for
the post, while at the same time the second mate Jan Jansz has been named
first mate in the said yacht.

[* Or Van Coolsteerdt, as the Summary (see _infra_) has at this date.]

(Mountains covered with snow.)

In the morning of the 16th we took the sun's altitude at sunrise, which
we found to be 5 deg. 6'; the preceding evening ditto 20 deg. 30'; the difference
being divided by two Comes to 7 deg. 42'. increasing North-easterly
variation; the wind N. by E.; we were at about 11/2 mile's distance from
the low-lying land in 5 or 6 fathom, clayey bottom; at a distance of
about 10 miles by estimation into the interior, we saw a very high
mountain-range in many places white with snow, which we thought a very
singular sight, being so near the line equinoctial. Towards the evening
we held our course E. by S. along half-submerged land in 5, 4, 3 and 2
fathom, at which last point we dropped anchor; we lay there for five
hours, during which time we found the water to have risen 4 or 5 feet; in
the first watch, the wind being N.E., we ran into deeper water, and came
to anchor in 10 fathom, where we remained for the night.

In the morning of the 17th the wind was N.E. with a faint breeze with
which we set sail, course held S.E.; at noon we were in Lat. 5 deg. 24', and
by estimation 5 miles more to eastward than on the 15th last, seeing that
a very strong current had driven us fully 11 miles to westward; in the
evening we found ourselves at 3 miles' distance from the land, and
dropped anchor in 15 fathom, having in the course of the day sailed three
miles E. by S. and E.S.E.

In the morning of the 18th the wind was N.E. with a strong breeze and a
strong current setting to the west; in the afternoon the wind went round
to the S.W., so that we meant to set sail with it, but as it fell a dead
calm we had to remain at anchor.

In the morning of the 19th the wind was N.E. by N., so that we made sail,
keeping an E.S.E. course along the coast, with a strong current setting
westward; at noon we were in Lat. 5 deg. 27'; it then fell calm and we had
continual counter-currents, so that we cast anchor in 14 fathom, having
sailed 21/2 miles; the land bearing from us E.S.E., slightly South; towards
the evening the wind went round to S.S.W., so that we set sail again and
ran on S.E. 1 mile; when it became dark we cast anchor in 6 fathom.

At noon on the 20th the wind was S. and shortly after S.W., with which we
set sail, keeping our course E. by S. and S.O. along the land in 6
fathom; in the evening we cast anchor at about 3 miles' distance from the
land, having sailed 5 miles this day.

{Page 26}

On the 21st the wind was N.E. by N. with a weak breeze and the current
running south straight from the land, which is no doubt owing to the
outflow of the rivers which take their source in the high mountains of
the interior. The eastern part of the high land, which we could see, bore
from us N.E. and N.E. by N; in the morning we set sail with a N.W. wind
and fair weather course held S.E. by E. and S.E. for three miles, and
then S.S.E. for five miles; in the evening we dropped anchor in 7 fathom
about 3 miles from the land, the wind blowing hard from the west with
violent rains.

In the morning of the 22nd the wind was N., a strong gale with rain and a
strong current setting westward, so that we were compelled to remain at
anchor; towards the evening the wind went round to W.S.W., with dirty
weather, so that we got adrift by our anchor getting loose, upon which we
dropped our large anchor to avoid stranding; in the afternoon the storm
subsided and we had variable winds.

In the morning of the 23rd we set sail, course held S.E. with a S.W. wind
and violent rains; when we had run a mile, the heavy swells forced us to
drop anchor; in the afternoon we lifted anchor with great difficulty and
peril owing to the violent rolling of the yacht, and set sail, but
shortly after, the yacht Aernem making a sign with her flag that she
could not manage to heave her anchor, we cast anchor again.

In the morning of the 24th the weather was unruly, with a W. wind and a
very hollow sea; in the afternoon the weather getting slightly better,
both the yachts set sail again with the wind as before, holding a S. by
E. course; in the evening we dropped anchor in 14 fathom, having sailed 4
miles S.S.E., and found the land to extend E.S.E. ever since the 20th
instant.

In the morning of the 25th we set sail with a N.N.W. wind, sailing 4
miles on an E.S.E. course, and then 5 miles on a S. by E. and S.S.E.
course, after which the foretop-mast of the Aernem broke, so that we were
both compelled to drop anchor in 10 fathom about 4 miles from the land.

In the morning of the 26th we set sail to get near the Aernem and speak
to her crew, who were engaged in repairing the rigging and replacing the
foremast; we both drifted with the current in the teeth of the wind, and
thus ran 3 miles, when the Aernem cast anchor 11/2 mile from us on the
weather-side; in the evening there was a strong current from the W.S.W.
with rain, which lasted the whole night.

* * *

NOTE.

(Here end the mountains of the western extremity of Nova Guinea.)

The high-lying interior of Ceram ends here, without showing any opening
or passage (through which we might run north according to our plan), and
passes into low-lying half-submerged land, bearing E.S.E. and S.E. by E.,
extending in all likelihood as far as Nova Guinea, a point which with
God's help we mean to make sure of at any cost; on coming from Aru to the
island of Ceram, the latter is found to have a low-lying foreland
dangerous to touch at, since at 6, 8 and 9 miles' distance from the same,
the lofty mountains of the interior become visible, the low foreland
remaining invisible until one has got within 3 or 4 miles from the land;
the high mountains are seen to extend fully thirty miles to eastward,
when you are north of Aru; as seen from afar, the land seems to have
numerous pleasant valleys and running fresh-water rivers; here and there
it is overgrown with brushwood and in other places covered with high
trees; but we are unable to give any information as to what fruits,
metals and animals it contains, and as to the manner of its cultivation
since the natives whom {Page 27} we found to be savages and man-eaters,
refused to hold parley with us, and fell upon our men who suffered
grievous damage; after the report, however, of some of the men of the
yacht Aernem, who being wounded on the 11th aforementioned, succeeded in
making their escape, the natives are tall black men with curly heads of
hair and two large holes through their noses, stark naked, not covering
even their privities; their arms are arrows, bows, assagays, callaways
and the like. They have no vessels either large or small, nor has the
coast any capes or bights that might afford shelter from west- and
south-winds, the whole shore being clear and unencumbered, with a clayey
bottom, forming a good anchoring-ground, the sea being not above 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 fathom in depth at 1, 2 and more miles' distance from
the land, the rise and fall of the water with the tides we found to be
between 11/2 and 2 fathom.

* * *

In the morning of the 27th the wind was W.N.W. with dirty weather and a
very high sea, so that the Aernem was unable so heave her anchor in order
to get near us, on which account we both of us remained at anchor the
whole day; towards the evening the weather became much worse with pouring
rains, so that we dropped another anchor; in the day-watch the cable of
our large anchor broke without our perceiving it, and the other anchor
getting loose, we drifted slowly to eastward; the land here extended
E.S.E. and W.S.W.

In the morning of the 28th the Aernem was no longer in sight, so that we
resolved to set sail in order to seek her; holding our course S.W., we ran
on for three miles, after which we saw on our lee land bearing S.W. which
we would not sail clear of; we therefore dropped anchor in 9 fathom, the
weather still continuing dirty with rain and wind, and a strong ebb from
the E.S.E. running flat against the wind; the water rising and falling
fully two fathom at every tide.

MARCH.

On the first the wind was W. by N. with rain: we find that in these
latitudes the southern and northern moon makes high water; at noon we
weighed anchor and drifted with the current, which set strongly to
westward.

On the second the wind was west with fair weather, with which we found it
impossible to weather the land; in the evening we were in Lat. 6 deg. 45'.

In the morning of the third the wind was W., with a strong gale and rain;
at noon we had fair weather so that myself and the council determined to
set sail on a Northern course in order to seek the yacht Aernem; when we
had run on the said course for the space of 5 glasses, we saw the said
yacht N.W. of us, but since the current ran very strong in our teeth, we
dropped anchor in 10 fathom.

In the morning of the 4th the wind was north, with which we set sail in
order to get near the Aernem; but when we had sailed for an hour, the
headwind and counter-current forced us to drop anchor.

The yacht aforesaid, which was lying above the wind and the current, now
weighed her anchor and dropped the same near the Pera, after which the
skipper of the Aernern came on board of us in the pinnace, and informed
me that they had very nearly lost the yacht in the storm before
mentioned, since all the seas they had shipped had found their way into
the hold, which got so full of water that the greater part of their rice,
powder and matches had become wet through; this same day I sent the
skipper and the steersman of the Pera on board the yacht Aernem in order
to inquire into her condition, and ascertain whether she was so weak and
disabled as had been reported to me; since the persons committed reported
that the yacht was very weak and disabled above the waterline, it has
been resolved that the main-topmast, which they had already taken down by
way of precaution, should not be put up again provisionally.

{Page 28}

The same day we set sail again with the wind as before, course held S.W.,
and after running on for two miles, we cast anchor again in 11 fathom.

In the morning of the 5th we set sail again, with a W. wind; course held
S.S.W. when we had run on for two miles we got change of weather with
variable winds, in the evening we came to anchor in 13 fathom...

* * *

On the 6th we set sail again before daybreak, the wind being West; course
held S.S.W., sailed three miles; about noon, the wind blowing straight
for the coast, we cast anchor in 51/2 fathom at a mile's distance from the
coast, and, in conformity with the resolution, fetched a light anchor
from the yacht Aernem.

(Keerweer, formerly mistaken for island.)

In the morning of the 7th we set sail again, the wind being N.E., course
held W., in order to get a little farther off the land; when we had run a
mile, we dropped anchor in 51/2 fathom, and I went ashore myself with two
well-manned and armed pinnaces, because on the 6th aforesaid we had seen
4 or 5 canoes making from the land for the yachts; when we got near the
land we saw a small canoe with three blacks; when we rowed towards them,
they went back to the land and put one of the three ashore, as we
supposed, in order to give warning for the natives there to come in great
numbers and seize and capture our pinnaces; for as soon as we made
towards them, they tried to draw us on, slowly paddling on towards the
land; at last the "jurebass"(?) swam to them, with some strings of beads,
but they refused to admit him; so we made signs and called out to them,
but they paid little or no attention, upon which we began to pull back to
the yacht without having effected anything; the blacks or savages seeing
this, slowly followed us, and when we showed them beads and iron objects,
they cautiously came near one of our pinnaces; one of the sailors in the
pinnace inadvertently touching the canoe with one of his oars, the blacks
forthwith began to attack our men, and threw several callaways into the
pinnace, without, however, doing any damage owing to the caution used by
the men in her; in order to frighten them the corporal fired a musket,
which hit them both, so that they died on the spot; we then rowed back to
the yachts. To the place on the coast where the aforesaid incident took
place, we have given the name of Keerweer (= Turn again) in the new
chart, seeing that the land here trends to S.W. and West; its latitude
being 7 deg..

On the 8th we had a strong gale from the S.S.W. the whole day, with rain
and unsteady weather, so that we thought it best to remain at anchor.

In the morning of the 9th the weather was fair, and the wind west, so
that we set sail on a N.N.W. course; when we had run one mile we saw two
groups of canoes putting off from shore and making for us, one consisting
of 7, and the other of 8 small canoes; as we were lying close to the wind
and could not weather the land with it, we came to anchor in 3 fathom;
one of the canoes aforesaid came so near us, that we could call out to
her, but the second group aforesaid kept quiet, upon which the canoe
which had been near us, paddled towards this second group; from their
various gestures we saw and understood sufficiently that their intentions
had from the first been anything but peaceable, but God's Providence
prevented them from carrying their wicked plans into effect; in the
evening we set sail again with the current, the wind being west and our
course held N.N.W. in the first watch we turned our course S.W. and S.W.
by W., on which we sailed the whole night, until about daybreak we found
the water shallowing and dropped anchor in 21/2 fathom, having sailed 5
miles.

[* _Scil._ by the men of the ship Duifken (see the extract
below).--Princess Marianne Strait and Prince Frederik Hendrik island.
(There is no reference in the text for this footnote--Ed.)]

{Page 29}

In the morning of the 10th we set sail again, the wind being W.N.W., on a
S.W. course; at noon we were in Lat. 7 deg. 35'; in the evening we came to
anchor in 3 fathom muddy bottom, at about 11/2 mile's distance from the
land.

* * *

NOTE

That it is impossible to land here with boats or pinnaces, owing to the
clayey and muddy bottom into which a man will sink up to the waist, the
depth of the water being no more than 3 or 4 fathom at 3 or 4 miles'
distance from the land; the land is low-lying and half-submerged, being
quite under water at high tide; it is covered with wild trees, those on
the beach resembling the fir-trees of our country, and seemingly bearing
no fruit; the natives are coal-black like the Caffres; they go about
stark naked, carrying their privities in a small conch-shell, tied to the
body with a bit of string; they have two holes in the midst of the nose,
with fangs of hogs of swordfishes through them, protruding at least three
fingers' breadths on either side, so that in appearance they are more
like monsters than human beings; they seem to be evil-natured and
malignant; their canoes are small and will not hold above 3 of 4 of them
at most; they are made out of one piece of wood, and the natives stand up
in them, paddling them on by means of long oars; their arms are arrows,
bows, assagays and callaways, which they use with great dexterity and
skill; broken iron, parangs and knives are in special demand with them.
The lands which we have up to now skirted and touched at, not only are
barren and inhabited by savages, but also the sea in these parts yields
no other fish than sharks, sword-fishes and the like unnatural monsters,
while the birds too are as as wild and shy as the men.

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