VOYAGE OF THE ROEBUCK 329 



he aimed at. He was " almost weary " of the shores 

 of New Holland. The shoals seemed endless ; the coast 

 was unknown, save for Tasman's unsatisfying chart, 

 and the tides were strong, high, and dangerous. He 

 decided that the best plan was to go forward to New 

 Guinea, and steered away for Timor. 



In Timor both Portuguese and Dutch had forts. Dampier At Timor, 

 came first to the Dutch fort. The Governor took them 

 for plundering pirates, but Dampier explained that this 

 time he was in a King's ship, and only wanted water. 

 ' The Governor replied that he had orders not to supply 

 any ships but their own East India Company ; neither must 

 they allow any Europeans to come the way that we came. 

 ' You are come to inspect into our trade and strength, 

 and I will have you therefore be gone with all speed.' ' 

 On better acquaintance, however, the Governor proved 

 to be " a civil, genteel, and sensible man," asked Dampier 

 to dinner, and gave him one of the best entertainments 

 he ever had while abroad. " Our liquor," he quaintly 

 writes, " was wine, beer, toddey, or water, which we liked 

 best after dinner." Later he called at the Portuguese 

 fort, where the Deputy gave him a handsome present 

 of animals and fruit. 



Thoroughly refreshed, Dampier sailed for New Guinea New Guinea, 



on the I2th of December, 1600. He saw New Guinea Ist J an - 



1700. 



on New Year's Day 1700, rounded the Western end, and 

 then sailed on an Eastern course, wide of the coast, till 

 he came to the point of the island of New Hanover. The 

 three islands of the modern map, New Hanover, New 

 Ireland, and New Britain, were drawn by Tasman as 

 one land, and as part of New Guinea. Dampier did not 

 notice the passages that separate New Ireland from New 

 Hanover and from New Britain. But, sailing down the 

 hitherto unknown Eastern coast of New Britain, he dis- Dampier 



covered the passage that separates New Britain from New ^ rait ^, a ." d . 

 . New Britain. 



Guinea. He sailed through this passage, Dampier Strait, 

 and, having proved that " this Eastland does not join 

 to New Guinea," he named it " Nova Britannia." He 

 wrote of the island, in a passage that attracted much 



