well inhabited and well cultivated, abounding with flesh, fowl, fish,
fruit, and other refreshments. The inhabitants made use of canoes of all
sizes, were armed with slings, darts, and wooden swords, wore necklaces
and bracelets of pearl, and rings in their noses. They were, however,
very intractable, notwithstanding all the pains that could be taken to
engage them in a fair correspondence, so that Captain Schovten was at
last obliged to fire upon them to prevent them from making themselves
masters of his vessel, which they attacked with a great deal of vigour;
and very probably this was the reason that Captain Tasman did not attempt
to land or make any farther discovery. On April 1st, we were in the
latitude of 4 degrees 30 minutes south, and in the longitude of 171
degrees 2 minutes, the variation being 8 degrees 45 minutes to the east,
having now sight of the coast of New Guinea; and endeavouring to double
the cape which the Spaniards call Cobo Santa Maria, we continued to sail
along the coast which lies north-west. We afterwards passed the islands
of Antony Caens, Gardeners Island, and Fishers Island, advancing towards
the promontory called Struis Hoek, where the coast runs south and south-
east. We resolved to pursue the same route, and to continue steering
south till we should either discover land or a passage on that side.

It is necessary to observe, that all this time they continued on the
coast, not of New Guinea but of New Britain, for that cape which the
Spaniards called Santa Maria is the very same that Captain Dampier called
Cape St. George, and Caens, Gardeners, and Fishers Islands all lie upon
the same coast. They had been discovered by Schovten and Le Maire, who
found them to be well inhabited, but by a very base and treacherous
people, who, after making signs of peace, attempted to surprise their
ships; and these islanders managed their slings with such force and
dexterity, as to drive the Dutch sailors from their decks; which account
of Le Maire's agree perfectly well with what Captain Dampier tells us of