James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 338

From New Guinea to Batavia

Septr. 1770
Smoakes ashore in the PM & fires in the night, both upon the Low land & up in the Mountains.

Saturday 15th  In the PM had the Sea breezes at SSW & S with which we stood to the Westwd. until 8 o'Clock when being about 3 Leags. from the Land & had a very little wind wwe tack'd & lay her Head off Shore. at 11 o'Clock we got the Land wind at NbW with which we steer'd SWbW along shore keeping about 4 or 5 Miles from the land on which in the morning we saw several Houses, Plantations &ct. at 9 o'Clock we got the wind at NEbE a light breeze. at Noon we were about 2 Leags. from the Land which extended as far to the Southward as SWbW our Latde. by observation was 10:1S. Course & Distance sail'd since Yesterday at Noon S78:45W 36 Miles ~ 

Sunday 16th  Light breezes from the NEbE with clear wear. except in the morning when we had it cloudy with a few small Showers of Rain. Steer'd alongshore SW & SWbW until 6 o'Clock in the morning when we steer'd WSW & at 9 W, at which time we saw the Island Rotte right ahead. At Noon we were in the Latde. of 10:39 Longde. 235:57 the S end of Timor bore NNW distt. 5 or 6 Leags. the Island of Rotte extendg. from S75W to N67W & the Island of Anaboa as Dampier calls it or Seman as it is called in the Charts which lies of the S end of Timor, bore NW. Course & Distance sail'd since yesterday noon S55:15W 6 Miles ~ 
Dampier who has given us a large & so far as I know an Accurate description of the Island of Timor, says that it is 70 Leags. long & 16 Broad & that it lies nearly NE & SW. I found the East side to be nearest NEbE & SWbW & the S endto lie in the Latde. 10:23S  Longde. 236:5W from Greenwich. We run about 45 Leags. along the E side which I observed to be free from Danger & excepting near the S end the Land which bounds the Sea is low for 2, 3, or 4 Miles inland & seem'd in many places to be intersected with Salt Creeks, behind the low land are Mountains which rise one above another to a considerable height. We continualy saw upon it smoakes by day & fires by night & in many places houses & plantations. I was strongly importuned by some of my Officers to go to the Dutch settlement at Concordia on this Island for refreshments but this I refused to comply with, knowing that the Dutch look upon all Europeans with a Jealous Eye & that come among these Islands & our necessities were not so great to oblige me to put into a place where I might expect to be but indifferently treated ~ 

Rotta & Anaboa [in margin]
Monday 17th   Winds Easterly with which we steer'd WNW until 2 o'Clock when being pretty near the N End of Rotte we hauld up NNW in order to go between it & Anaboa after steering 3 Leags. upon this Course we wedged away NW & W & by 6 we were clear of it all the Islands, at this time the S part of Anaboa which lies in the Latde. of 10:15S bore NE distt. 4 Leags. & the Island of Rotte extendg. as far to the Southward as S36W. The N End of this Island & the S end of Timor lies