in latitude 15 degrees 37 minutes. We had 26 fathom coarse sand; and we
saw one whale. We found them lying most commonly near the shore or in
shoal water. This day we also saw some small white clouds; the first that
we had seen since we came out of Shark's Bay. This was one sign of the
approach of the north-north-west monsoon. Another sign was the shifting
of the winds; for from the time of our coming to our last anchoring
place, the seabreezes which before were easterly and very strong had been
whiffling about and changing gradually from the east to the north, and
thence to the west, blowing but faintly, and now hanging mostly in some
point of the west. This day the winds were at south-west by west, blowing
very faint; and the 9th day we had the wind at north-west by north, but
then pretty fresh; and we saw the clouds rising more and thicker in the
north-west. This night at 12 we lay by for a small low sandy island which
I reckoned myself not far from. The next morning at sun-rising we saw it
from the top-masthead, right ahead of us; and at noon were up within a
mile of it: when by a good observation I found it to lie in 13 degrees 55
minutes. I have mentioned it in my first volume, but my account then made
it to lie in 13 degrees 50 minutes. We had abundance of boobies and
man-of-war-birds flying about us all the day; especially when we came
near the island; which had also abundance of them upon it; though it was
but a little spot of sand, scarce a mile round.

I did not anchor here nor send my boat ashore; there being no appearance
of getting anything on that spot of sand besides birds that were good for
little: though had I not been in haste I would have taken some of them.
So I made the best of my way to Timor; and on the 11th in the afternoon
we saw 10 small land-birds, about the bigness of larks, that flew away
north-west. The 13th we saw a great many sea-snakes. One of these, of
which I saw great numbers and variety in this voyage, was large, and all
black: I never saw such another for his colour.