1767.

September.

better and shorter paffage, whether from the eastward or the weftward, than round all the land Sunday 13 and islands to the northward; the distress therefore which pushed me upon this discovery, may probably be, in its confequences, of great advantage to future navigators, efpecially as there can be no doubt but that refreshments of every kind may easily be procured from the natives. who inhabit either of the coafts of the channel, or the islands that lie near them, for beads, ribands, looking-glaffes, and especially iron tools and cutlery-ware, of which they are immoderately fond, and with which, to our great misfortune, we were not furnished.

Queen Charlotte's Foreland, the south-west part of New Hanover, lies in latitude 2° 29' S., longitude 148° 27′ E.; and the middle of Portland's Inlands in latitude 2° 27′ S., longitude 148° 3 E. The length of this streight or channel, from Cape Saint George to Cape Byron, the fouth-west extremity of New Ireland, is above eighty leagues; the distance from Cape Byron to Queen Charlotte's Foreland is about twelve leagues, and from the Foreland to Portland's Islands about eight leagues; fo that the whole length of Saint George's Channel is about one hundred leagues, or three hundred miles.

Though we cleared the Streight in the morning of Sunday the 13th of September, we had no obfervation of the fun till the 15th, which I could

1767. September.

could not but greatly regret, as it prevented my
being fo exact in my latitude and longitude as
might be expected. The defcription alfo of the Sunday 13.
country, its productions and people, would have
been much more full and circumstantial, if I
had not been so much enfeebled and dispirited
by fickness, as almoft to fink under the duty that
for want of officers devolved upon me, being
obliged, when I was fcarcely able to crawl, to
keep watch and watch, and share other duties
with my lieutenant, whose health also was great-
ly impaired.

СНАР.

1767. September.

CHAP. VII.

The Paffage from Saint George's Channel to the Ifland of Mindanao, with an Account of many Ilands that were feen, and Incidents that happened by the Way.

S foon as we had cleared Saint George's Channel, we steered weftward, and the Sunday 13. next day we discovered land bearing W. N. W. and hauled up for it; it proved to be an island of confiderable extent, and foon afterwards we faw another to the north-eaft of it, but this appeared to be little more than a large rock above water. As I had here ftrong currents, and for several days had not been able to get an observation of the fun, I cannot fo exactly ascertain the fituation of these islands as I might otherwise have done. As we proceeded to the weftward, we discovered more land, confifting of many islands lying to the fouthward of the large one which we had first discovered. As the nights were now moonlight, we kept on till eleven o'clock, and the lieutenant, who was then officer of the watch, finding that the course we were fteering would carry us among them, and not being willing to awaken me till it was my turn to

watch,

watch, hauled off S. by E. and S. S. E. I came 1767. September. upon deck about midnight, and at one in the morning, perceiving that we were clear of them, Tuesday 25. I bore away again to the westward with an easy fail: the islands, however, were not far distant, and about fix o'clock, a considerable number of canoes, with feveral hundred people on board, came off, and paddled toward the ship: one of them, with seven men on board, came near enough to hail us, and made us feveral figns which we could not perfectly understand, but repeated, as near as we could, to fhew that whatever they meant to us we meant to them ; however, the better to bespeak their good-will, and invite them on board, we held up to them feveral of the few trifles we had upon this they drew nearer to the fhip, and I flattered myself that they were coming on board, but on the contrary, as foon as they came within reach of us they threw their lances, with great force, where we stood thickest upon the deck. As I thought it better to prevent than to reprefs a general attack, in which, as the number would. be more, the mischief would be greater, and having now no doubt of their hoftile intentions, I fired some muskets, and one of the swivel guns, upon which fome of them being killed or wounded, they rowed off and joined the other canoes, of which there were twelve or fourteen, with feveral hundred men on board. I then

brought

1767.

September.

brought to, waiting for the iffue, and had the fatisfaction to fee, that, after having long conTuesday 15 fulted together, they made for the fhore: that I might ftill farther intimidate them, and more effectually prevent their return, I fired a round fhot from one of my fix-pounders, fo as to fall into the water beyond them: this seemed to have a good effect, for they not only used their paddles more nimbly, but hoifted fail, still standing towards the shore. Soon after, however, several more canoes put off from another part of the island, and came towards us very fast: they stopped at about the fame diftance as the other had done, and one of them alfo in the fame manner came forward: to the people on board this veffel we made all the figns of friendfhip we could devife, fhewing them every thing we had which we thought would please them, opening our arms, and inviting them on board : but our rhetoric was to no effect, for as foon as they came within a caft of the ship, they poured in a shower of darts and lances, which, however, did us no harm. We returned the affault by firing fome muskets, and one man being killed, the rest precipitately leaped into the sea, and fwimming to the others, who waited at a diftance, all returned together from whence they came. As foon as the canoe was deserted, we got out our boat and brought it on board: it was full fifty feet long, though one of the

smallest