water; nor was it likely that there should be hereabouts any European
settlement, since there was no sign of a harbour.

FAULT OF THE CHARTS.

The land appeared pleasant enough to the eye: for the sides and tops of
the mountains were clothed with woods mixed with savannahs; and there was
a plantation of the Indian natives, where we saw the coconuts growing,
and could have been glad to have come at some of them. In the chart I had
with me a shoal was laid down hereabouts; but I saw nothing of it, going,
or coming; and so have taken no notice of it in my map.

Weary of running thus fruitlessly along the south side of the island to
the eastward I resolved to return the way I came; and compassing the west
end of the island, make a search along the north side of it. The rather,
because the north-north-west monsoon, which I had designed to be
sheltered from by coming the way I did, did not seem to be near at hand,
as the ordinary season of them required; but on the contrary I found the
winds returning again to the south-eastward; and the weather was fair,
and seemed likely to hold so; and consequently the north-north-west
monsoon was not like to come in yet. I considered therefore that by going
to the north side of the island I should there have the smooth water, as
being the lee side as the winds now were; and hoped to have better riding
at anchor or landing on that side, than I could expect here, where the
shore was so lined with mangroves.

Accordingly the 18th about noon I altered my course and steered back
again towards the south-west end of the island. This day we struck a
dolphin; and the next day saw two more but struck none: we also saw a
whale.