Derde reys, gedaan voor de Engelsche Maatschappy na Oost-Indien, met drie scheepen, de Draak, Hector, en ...

Description of the roadstead.

On the 20th, we had 17 vadem of water by our ship, and a soft bottom. The land lay to the West of us towards the South, and towards the North. On the North side were some shallows, and towards the North-West lay a sandbank, so that there were only five points on the compass from which we could expect the wind. But the roadstead has a very bad bottom, and has deep water, as a strong current constantly comes down the river. How they found them on land. Captain Hawkins came aboard my ship, whom I sent to land well-manned with both shallops, as I myself was not feeling well. He came back aboard towards evening without having seen any person, although they found fresh footprints in several places. They left some Corallen beads/coral and other trinkets in a boat they found there, to lure the natives with them. He also said that it was likely that not much refreshment could be obtained there. But my fishermen, coming from the other side, told me they had found many bones of beasts, and where there are bones, there had also been meat. Georg Evans, one of the Hector's crew, was miserably bitten by an Alegarta alligator/crocodile. I gave orders to fill the water casks in all haste, and meanwhile intended to look for some refreshment. The current here was almost entirely Eastward, and brought much high water.

On the 21st, we became aware of four inhabitants of that land, to whom I let some beads and the like be given; upon which they indicated by signs that they would bring us enough cattle the next day.

On the 22nd, I saw people, and went to land, where I found a loose sort of people. They were strong and well-made, went naked, except that they covered their private parts somewhat with a cloth made of tree bark. And traded with the inhabitants. We bought from them a calf, a sheep, and a lamb, but they would not trade anything except for silver. After the afternoon, I rowed up the river,