[Anchor at Savu.]
Winds Easterly, with which we steer'd West-North-West until 2 o'Clock, when being pretty near the North end of Rotte, we hauled up North-North-West, in order to go between it and Anaboa. After steering 3 Leagues upon this Course we edged away North-West by West, and by 6 we were clear of all the Islands; at this time the South part of Anaboa, which lies in the Latitude of 10 degrees 15 minutes South, bore North-East, distant 4 Leagues, and the Island of Rotte extending as far to the Southward as South 36 degrees West. The North End of this Island and the South end of Timor lies North 1/2 East and 1/2 West, distant about 3 or 4 Leagues from each other. At the West end of the Passage between Rotte and Anaboa are two Small Islands; the one lays near the Rotte shore and the other off the South-West point of Anaboa; there is a good Channel between the 2 of 5 or 6 Miles broad, which we came thro'. Being now clear of the Islands we steer'd a West course all night until 6 a.m., when we unexpectedly saw an Island* bearing West-South-West, for by most of the Maps we had on board we were to the Southward of all the Islands that lay between Timor and Java; at least there were none laid down so near Timor in this Latitude by almost one half, which made me at first think it a new discovery; but in this I was mistaken. We now steer'd directly for it, and by 10 o'Clock were close in with the North side, where we saw Houses, Cocoa Nutt Trees, and a Flock of Cattle grazing; these were Temptations hardly to be withstood by people in our situation, especially such as were but in a very indifferent State of Health, and I may say mind too, for in some this last was worse than the other, since I refused to touch at the Island of Timor, whereupon I thought I could not do less than to try to procure some refreshments here, as there appeared to be plenty.** With this View we hoisted out the Pinnace, in which I sent Lieutenant Gore in shore to see if there were any Convenient place to land, sending some trifles along with him to give to the Natives in case he saw any. Mr. Gore landed in a small sandy cove near to some Houses, and was met on the beach by 8 or 10 of the people, who from both their behaviour and what they had about them shew'd that they had Commerce with Europeans; upon Mr. Gore's returning with this report, and likewise that there was No Anchorage for the Ship, I sent him away with both money and goods to try to purchase some refreshments, while we keept standing on and off with the Ship. At Noon we were about a Mile from the Shore of the Island, which extends from South-East to West-North-West, Latitude 10 degrees 27 minutes, Longitude 237 degrees 31 minutes West.
* Savu. An island about twenty miles in length. It is but little visited or known by others than the Dutch to this day.
** Cook's utter indifference as to what he eat or drank made him regard privations in the matter of food with an equanimity which was not shared by the rest of his companions.
Winds Easterly, with which we steer'd West-North-West until 2 o'Clock, when being pretty near the North end of Rotte, we hauled up North-North-West, in order to go between it and Anaboa. After steering 3 Leagues upon this Course we edged away North-West by West, and by 6 we were clear of all the Islands; at this time the South part of Anaboa, which lies in the Latitude of 10 degrees 15 minutes South, bore North-East, distant 4 Leagues, and the Island of Rotte extending as far to the Southward as South 36 degrees West. The North End of this Island and the South end of Timor lies North 1/2 East and 1/2 West, distant about 3 or 4 Leagues from each other. At the West end of the Passage between Rotte and Anaboa are two Small Islands; the one lays near the Rotte shore and the other off the South-West point of Anaboa; there is a good Channel between the 2 of 5 or 6 Miles broad, which we came thro'. Being now clear of the Islands we steer'd a West course all night until 6 a.m., when we unexpectedly saw an Island* bearing West-South-West, for by most of the Maps we had on board we were to the Southward of all the Islands that lay between Timor and Java; at least there were none laid down so near Timor in this Latitude by almost one half, which made me at first think it a new discovery; but in this I was mistaken. We now steer'd directly for it, and by 10 o'Clock were close in with the North side, where we saw Houses, Cocoa Nutt Trees, and a Flock of Cattle grazing; these were Temptations hardly to be withstood by people in our situation, especially such as were but in a very indifferent State of Health, and I may say mind too, for in some this last was worse than the other, since I refused to touch at the Island of Timor, whereupon I thought I could not do less than to try to procure some refreshments here, as there appeared to be plenty.** With this View we hoisted out the Pinnace, in which I sent Lieutenant Gore in shore to see if there were any Convenient place to land, sending some trifles along with him to give to the Natives in case he saw any. Mr. Gore landed in a small sandy cove near to some Houses, and was met on the beach by 8 or 10 of the people, who from both their behaviour and what they had about them shew'd that they had Commerce with Europeans; upon Mr. Gore's returning with this report, and likewise that there was No Anchorage for the Ship, I sent him away with both money and goods to try to purchase some refreshments, while we keept standing on and off with the Ship. At Noon we were about a Mile from the Shore of the Island, which extends from South-East to West-North-West, Latitude 10 degrees 27 minutes, Longitude 237 degrees 31 minutes West.
* Savu. An island about twenty miles in length. It is but little visited or known by others than the Dutch to this day.
** Cook's utter indifference as to what he eat or drank made him regard privations in the matter of food with an equanimity which was not shared by the rest of his companions.
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