15th September 1770

[Off South Coast of Timor]

In the P.M. had the Sea breezes at South-South-West and South, with which we stood to the Westward until 8 o'Clock, when being about 3 Leagues from the Land, and having very little wind, we tack'd and lay her Head off Shore. At 11 o'Clock we got the Land wind at North by West, with which we steer'd South-West by West along shore, keeping about 4 or 5 Miles from the Land on which in the morning we saw several Houses, Plantations, etc. At 9 o'Clock we got the wind at North-East by East, a light breeze; at Noon we were about 2 Leagues from the Land, which extended as far to the Southward as South-West by West; our Latitude by observation was 10 degrees 1 minute South. Course and Distance sail'd since Yesterday at Noon South 78 degrees 45 minutes West, 36 Miles.

Joseph Banks Journal

Wind came fair today and left our melancholy ones to search for some new occasion of sorrow. There was much less of it than we could have wishd and yet enough to alter the appearance of the countrey very sensibly. The Island was now Hilly tho not near so high as it had been; the Hills in general came quite down to the sea and where they did not, instead of flats and mangrovy land, were immense groves of Cocoa nut trees; about a mile up from the Beach began the plantations and houses almost innumerable standing under the shade of large groves of Palms appearing like Fan Palm (Borassus); the Plantations which were in general enclosd with some kind of Fence reach'd almost to the tops of the Hills, but near the Beach were no certain marks of habitations seen. But what surpr[i]zd us most was that notwithstanding all these indisputable marks of Populous countrey we saw neither people nor any kind of cattle stirring all the day, tho our glasses were almost continualy employ'd.

Sydney Parkinson Journal

After having been troubled several days with light breezes from the S. W. we had the wind N. E. and E. and stood southward to weather it. The land, this day, appeared very scabby to the naked eye, but, viewed through our glasses, we discovered these to be clear places, many of which were fenced about, and had houses upon them, the eaves of which reached to the ground. We saw also a great many palm-trees on the beach, as well as on the hills, some parts of which were cultivated. We had a bold shore, with hardly any beach. Toward evening the land near the shore appeared much flatter and more level; behind which, at a great distance, we discovered many high hills. Latitude 10° 1’.