is a Current setting to the Southward and Westward withall, as I should suppose.
Monday, 10th.—Light Airs Easterly, except in the morning, when we had it at N.; at sunset found the Variation to be 0° 2′ W., at the same time saw, or thought we saw, very high land bearing N.W., and in the Morning saw the same appearances of land in the same Quarter, which left us no room to doubt but what it was land, and must be either the Island of Timor land or Timor, but which of the 2 I cannot as yet determine.[1] At Noon we were by Observation in the Latitude of 10° 1′ S., which was 15 Miles to the Southward of that given by the Log. Longitude in per Observation 233° 27′ W.
Tuesday, 11th.—Variable light Airs and Clear weather. Steer'd N.W., in order to discover the Land plainer until 4 in the morning, at which time the wind came to N.W. and West, with which we stood to the Southward until 9 o'Clock, when we Tack'd and stood N.W., having the wind at W.S.W. At sun rise in the morning we could see the land extend from W.N.W. to N.E.; at noon we could see it extend to the Westward as far as W. by S. ½ S., but no farther to the Eastward than N. by E. We were now well assured that this was part of the Island of Timor, in consequence of which the last Island we saw must have been Timor land, the S. part of which lies in the Lat. of 8° 15′ S., Long, 228° 10′, whereas in the Charts the S. Point is laid down in Lat. 9° 30′. It is possible that the Land we saw might be some other Island; but then I cannot see how we could have miss'd seeing Timor land, soposing it to be right laid down in Latitude, as we were never to the Southward of 9° 30′; for my design was to have made that Island, and to have landed upon it to have seen what it produced, as it is (according to the Charts) a large Island, and not settled by the Dutch that I ever heard off. We were now in the Lat. of 9° 37′ W., Long. 233° 54′ W. by observation of the Sun and Moon, and Yesterday we were by Observation in 233° 27′ W. The difference is 27′, which is exactly the same as what the Log gave; this, however, is a degree of accuracy in observation that is seldom to be expected.
Wednesday, 12th.—Winds between the S. and W., a light breeze and Clear weather in the P.M.; stood in shore until 8 o'Clock, then Tack'd and stood off, being about 6 Leagues from the Land, which at dark extend from S.W. ½ W. to N.E.; at this time we sounded and had no ground with 140 fathoms of line, being not above 4 Leagues from the Land. At 12 o'Clock we Tack'd and stood in, having but little wind, and continued so until noon, at which time we were by Observation in Lat. 9° 36′ S.; the Log this 24 Hours
- ↑ This was Timor. What Cook calls Timor land is probably Timor Laut, another name for the principal island of the Tenimber Group.
