On the 21st we set sail again in the morning with a N.N.W. wind, keeping a N.E. course for 4 miles in 4 fathom; in the afternoon we went over to eastward sailing 8 miles; in the evening we came to anchor in 7 fathom, near an island situated a mile or upwards South and North of the mainland; a quarter of a mile N. by E. and S. by W. of the island there is a rock with two dry trees on it. On the 22nd, the council having been convened, it has finally been resolved to land with two pinnaces properly manned and armed, seeing that the coast is covered with cocoa-inut trees here, and the land seems to be higher, better and more fertile than any we have seen before; and since we could not get ashore on account of the shallowness of the water, the muddy bottom and other inconveniencies, we rowed to the small island aforementioned; while we were making inspection of it, the yacht Aernem got adrift owing to the violent current and the strong gale, and ran foul of the bows of the Pera, causing grievous damage to both the ships; this accident detained our yachts for some days, and without God's special providence they would both them have run aground. On the 23rd, the weather being good, and the council having once more been convened, I proposed to try every possible means to get the Aernem into sailing trim again, in the first place by constructing another rudder. This we found impossible since there were no new square rudders in either of the yachts; we were accordingly compelled to try some makeshift, and in order to be able to continue our voyage and avoid abandoning the yacht, it was finally resolved that with the available materials there should be constructed a rudder after the manner of the Chinese and Javanese; for this purpose the Pera will have to give up her main-top mast, the rest of the required wood to be cut on the land, and we shall tarry here until the rudder has been replaced. On the 24th while our men were engaged on the rudder, the subcargo rowed to the small island aforesaid with the two pinnaces, in order to get fresh water for the Aernem, which was very poorly supplied with the same, and in the evening he returned on board again with four casks of water, which he had got filled with extreme difficulty. {Page 32} On the 25th, the yacht Aernem being in sailing trim again, for which God be thanked, we set sail again with good weather and a favourable wind, holding our course along the land in 5Ω, 6, and 6Ω fathom; in the evening we cast anchor in 2Ω fathom about 2 miles from the land, having sailed 10 miles this day. * * * NOTE (The Vleermuys-Eylandt is in 8 degrees 8 minutes Lat., 40 miles east of the Valsch Caep.)