Chap. L Commodore R 
Refrefhments, t>f which his Company flood in great need •, 
for they were now fo eaten tip with the Scurvy, that not 
a Day pafied but home of them died. 
14. The very next Morning after they weighed from 
Mifcbie-vcus I (land, they haw* at the Diftance of eight 
Leagues to the Weft, a new Ifland, which they called 
Aurora , becaufe, in the Commodore’s Veffel, they dis- 
cerned it as the Day broke. The Lienhoven was nearer it, 
and, indeed, fo near it, that, if the Sun had rofe half an 
Hour later, fhe mull have had the fame Fate with the 
African Galley, fince they were but a Cannon-lhot from 
the rocky Shore, when the Danger was perceived. The 
Commodore immediately made the Signal to tack, which 
was done with great Difficulty, and the Ship, with much 
ado, efcaped. The Flight into which this put the Ma- 
riners, foon after produced a Mutiny •, in which the Sea- 
men infilled, one and all, that the Commodore fhould 
immediately return, or that, at leaft, he fhould give them 
Security to pay them their Wages, though they fhould be 
fo unlucky as to lofe their Veffel. To fay the Truth, this 
Demand of the Seamen was very juft and reafonable. 
They were every Day expofed to the molt exceffive Fa- 
tigues in thefe ftormy and unknown Seas ; and, at the 
fame time, ran the Hazard of lofing, in a Moment, all 
the Reward they were to expedt from their Labours, fince 
the Cuftom of Holland is, that the Seamen lofe their 
Wages whenever the Ship is loft. The Commodore liftened 
to their Complaints with an Humanity worthy a Man of 
Honour, and immediately took an Oath, that whatever 
happened to the Ships, they Ihould receive their Wages to 
the laft Farthing. He kept it too with the utmoft Exadl- 
nefs *, for though the African Galley was loft before, and 
both the other Ships were condemned at Batavia , yet every 
one of their refpedlive Crews had their Wages paid them 
to the full, as foon as they arrived at Amfierdam. 
The Ifland of Aurora was about four Leagues in Extent, 
the Country covered with a charming Verdure, and adorned 
Loth with high Trees, and fmaller Wood. But, as they 
found all the Coaft rocky and foul, they left this Ifland too 
without landing, after having taken only a Profpebt of it 
at a Diftance. Towards Evening, the fame Day, they 
had Sight of another Ifland, which, for that Reafon, they 
called Vefper. It was about twelve Leagues in Circuit, 
the Ground very low, but, withal, covered with line 
Grafs, and ftored with great Plenty of various Sorts of 
Trees. They continued their Courfe ftill, fleering Weft, 
to the Height of about 1 5 0 ; and the next Morning they 
difcovered another Country, which, feeing covered with 
Smoke, they concluded was inhabited, and therefore made 
all the Sail they could, in hopes of meeting with Refrefh- 
ments : and, as they approached the Country nearer, they 
faw fome of the Inhabitants diverting themfelves on the 
Coaft in their Canoes. They perceived likewife, by de- 
grees, that what they had taken for one Country, was, in 
reality, abundance of Iflands crouded clofe to each other ; 
among which they had now entered fo far, that they 
found it a very difficult thing to extricate themfelves. In this 
Situation, they fent a Man to the Top-maft Head, to dif- 
cover a Paffage out ; and, as the Weather was perfedlly 
ferene, they had the good Luck to get once more into the 
open Sea, without any Accident •, tho’, in palling by feveral 
Ranges of fteep Rocks, they had Reafon to confider this 
as a very great, as well as frefh Deliverance. There were 
fix of thefe Hands, exceedingly beautiful and pleafant to the 
Eye, and which, taken together, could not be lefs than 
thirty Leagues in Circumference. They were fituated 
twenty-five Leagues Weft of Mifchievous Ifland : The 
Dutch gave them the Name of the Labyrinth , becaufe they 
had been obliged to tack feveral times to get clear of 
them. 
As it was very dangerous to anchor on the Coaft, and 
as, befldes, none of the Inhabitants came to meet them 
in their Canoes, or on the Shore, they did not think fit to 
make any Stay. They ftill continued a Weft Courfe, and, 
in a few Days, difcovered another Ifland, which appeared 
at a great Diftance very high, and extremely beautiful j 
but, on a nearer Approach, they found no Ground for An- 
chorage, and the Coait appeared fo rocky, that they were 
afraid to venture any defer : They therefore manned each 
Numb. XIX, 
OGGEf B 1. N 
ol their Shauops with twenty -rive Men, in order to makes 
a Defcent. The Inhabitants no fooner perceived their De- 
fignj than they came down in Crouds to the Coaft, in 
01 dei to oppofe their Landing, ft hey were armed with 
very long Pikes, and gave them fpeedy Demonftrations 
ol their knowing how to ufe them to the utmoft Ad- 
vantage. When the Shallops were pretty near the Hand 
they found the Shore fo fteep, and full of Racks, that it 
was impoffible to land ; upon which, the beft Part of the 
Sailors threw themfelves into the Sea, with their Arms in 
their Hands, and fome Baubles, fit for Prefen ts, tied upon 
their Heads, while the reft kept a conftant Fire from the 
Boats, m order to clear the Shore, and facilitate their 
Landing. I his Expedient fucceeded to their Wifh and 
the Seamen got on lliore without any confiderable Re- 
iiitance from the Inhabitants, who, frighted by the Difo 
charge of their Fire-arms, quitted the Coaft, and retired 
up the Mountains, but came down again as foon as the 
Dutch ceafed firing. When thofe who were landed had ad 
vanced in Sight of the Handers, they ffiewed d" m Iht 
Looking-glaffes, Strings of Coral, CM The People came 
up to them without the leaft Fear, took their Prefents and 
iuiiered them to fearch where they pleafed for Herbs and 
Salading for the Sick : Of thefe they found fuch Plenty 
that in a very little time, they filled twelve great Sacks! 
fix for the Commodore, and as many for the T'ienhoven ; 
lor, when the People once faw what they were about, they 
not only Hewed them the beft Sorts, but affifted in ga- 
thenng them. They faw in this Ifland prodigious Quan- 
tities ol Jafmm, which was then in full Flower. They 
carried their Cargo of Greens immediately on board 
which were much more acceptable to the Sick, than if they 
had brought them fo much Gold and Silyer. 
The next Morning a greater Body of Men were ordered 
°, n as weJ1 to gather Herbs, as to try to make far- 
ther ■ Difcovencs. _ The firft thing they did, was to make a 
Prelent to the King or Chief, of a confiderable Quantity 
of all Sorts of Trinkets, which he received indeed, but 
with fuch an Air of Indifference and Difdain, as did not 
ieem to promife any great Good with refpedt to their future 
ommerce. It is true, that, in Exchange, he fent the 
Dutch a connderable Quantity of Cocoa-nuts, which were 
very agreeable to them in their prefent Circumftances. This 
Chief, or Prince, was diftinguiffied from the reft of the 
Inhabitants by the Ornaments he wore, confuting of va- 
rious Things of Pearl, to the Amount of about 600 Dutch 
Florins in Value. Their Women feemed to admire the 
wfote Men very much, and almoft ftifled them with Ca- 
mires ; but this was all a falfe Shew of Love, which thefe 
raiti effes employed to lull the Dutch into Security, that 
the Plot, laid by their Men, might fucceed more effedlu- 
aJ Jy ; and, if they had executed it with the fame Subtilty 
with which they contrived it, they had certainly cut off 
every Dutchman that came on Ihore. 
The thing happened thus : When the Dutch had filled 
twenty Sacks with Greens, they advanced farther into the 
Country, till fuch time as they came to the Top of cer- 
tam fteep Rocks, which hung over a large and deep Valley, 
the Iflanders going before and behind them, of whom the 
Dutch had not the leaft Sufpicion : But, as foon as they 
thought they had them at an Advantage, they quitted them 
on aiudaen, and Thoufands came pouring out from Caves and 
Holes in the Rocks ; the Sailors immediately formed them- 
felves, and flood upon their Defence : The Chief, or 
Pi mce, then made a Signal to the Dutch to keep off , of 
winch they took no notice, but ftill continued to advance 
in a Line : He then gave the Signal of Battle to his own 
I eopie, and it was followed by a prodigious Shower of 
Stones .- The Dutch , in Return, made a general Difcharge 
of then Fire-arms, which did great Execution ; and, 
amongft the firft that fell, was the Chief. The Iflanders 
however, were fo far from flying, that they continued 
throwing Stones with greater Fury than before, fo that 
lhtDutch were foon wounded, and, in a manner, 
difabled, which made them retire behind a Rock ; from 
whence they fired, with fuch Succefs, that great Numbers 
of the Iflanders were killed ; yet they obftinately main- 
tained. their Giound, and th t Dutch were forced to retreat 5 
having fome killed, and a great many wounded, who, 
3 z 
