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Gerrit Jans to share with our Pinnace and the two boats / taking with them one of these Natives who was to show them the Watering-Place / we gave them a knife a little looking-glass / and a little Flag along in token of Peace and also to show that we did not desired their water without Recompense or payment / about 2 Hours before Sunset our Pinnace returned with the skipper and the Pilot-Major Reporting that on coming ashore they had found about 60 or 70 Persons seated on the beach / which group / they believed included almost all the men of this Island / they had not arms but seemed to be a Great Peaceable People for they found among them many Women and children they led our men inland by a good Path these people are very thievish they stole whatever they could reach or approach the Women as well as the men our men followed them for about 2/3 mile inland where they came to a Fresh water which was fully 14 mile in circumference and fully 1 ½ or two Fathom above the common Salt water level but they did not know that it was so near the Seashore as they were going along the said water they found it to be on the northside of the Island at about a musket-shot’s distance from the Sea where there was a good Sandy Bay for the boats to land the water also being sooth for Embarking the casks as there was out sea before the said sandy bay a Coral Reef / on which the surf broke with great force said coral reef being open on the Western extremity / one could Row into it a long the shore at low tide / into the smooth water but in order to come to the sandy beach the water must have risen about 1 ½ or 2 Feet higher this was on the northside of the Island and our Ships lying on the northwest side / had to Row for about a mile or more along the shore About this finding of Water/ they were very glad About 3 Hours after noon say after sunset our two Boats returned with water they had not been able to get back earlier because the water was falling / the water rises but falls here about 8 Feet up and down In the said Fresh Water they had seen many wild Ducks swimming around / which were not at all shy or afraid of men / these natives brought several Cocoa-nuts and Gourds filled with water
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