1767. Auguft. Saturd, 22. Monday 24. it would have been impoffible for us to have About eight o'clock in the morning of the In the night of Monday the 24th, we fell in Auguft. fore. There is certainly much land in this part 1767. of the ocean not yet known, One of these islands is of confiderable extent, the other eight are scarcely better than large rocks; but though they are low and flat, they are well covered with wood, and abound with inhabitants. The people are black, and woollyheaded, like the negroes of Africa: their weapons are bows and arrows; and they have large canoes which they navigate with a fail, one of which came near us, but would not venture on board. Monday 24. We went to the northward of these islands, and steered W. by S. with a strong southwefterly current. At eleven o'clock at night, we fell in with another ifland of a confiderable extent, flat, green, and of a pleasant appear ance; we saw none of its inhabitants, but it appeared by the many fires which we faw in the night to be well peopled. It lies in latitude 4° 50 S. and bears weft fifteen leagues from the northermoft of the Nine Iflands, and we called it Hardy's SIR CHARLES HARDY'S ISLAND. Sir Charles Inland. At day-break the next morning, we difcover- Tuesday 25. ed another large high ifland, which, rifing in three confiderable hills, had, at a diftance, the appearance of three inlands. We gave it the name of WINCHELSEA'S ISLAND; it is diftant Winchelfea's Inland.i from Sir Charles Hardy's Ifland about ten leagues, in the direction of S. by E. We had 1767. Auguft. Wednef. 26. here the wind fqually, with unfettled weather, and a very strong wefterly current. About ten o'clock in the morning of the 26th, we faw another large island to the northward, which I fuppofed to be the fame that was discovered by Schouten, and called the island of Saint John. Soon after we faw high land to the weftward, which proved to be Nova Britannia, and as we approached it we found a very strong S. S. wefterly current, fetting at the rate of no Thurfd. 27. less than thirty-two miles a day. The next day, having only light winds, a north-westerly current fet us into a deep bay or gulph, which proved to be that which Dampier has diftinguished by the name of Saint George's Bay. Friday 28, Wallis's 3 On the 28th, we anchored in a bay near a little inland at the diftance of about three leagues to the N. W. of Cape Saint George, which was called WALLIS'S ISLAND. I found Mand. the latitude of this Cape to be about 5o S. and its longitude by account 152° 19' E. which is about two thoufand five hundred leagues due west from the continent of America, and about one degree and an half more to the eastward than its place in the French chart which has been juft mentioned. In the afternoon I fent the cutter to examine the coaft, and the other boat to get fome cocoa-nuts, and haul the seine. The people in this boat caught no fish, but they brought on board about an hundred and fifty Cocoa Cocoa-nuts, which were diftributed to the men at the furgeon's difcretion. We had feen fome turtle 1767. Auguft. as we were coming into the bay, and hoping Friday 28. that fome of them might repair to the island in the night, especially as it was fandy, barren, and uninhabited, like the places these animals most frequent, I fent a few men on shore to watch for them, but they returned in the morning without Saturd. 29. fuccefs. We anchored here only to wait till the boats could find a fit place for our purpose, and feveral very good harbours being discovered not far diftant, we now endeavoured to weigh anchor, but, with the united strength of our whole company, were not able: this was an alarming proof of our debility, fand with heavy hearts we had recourse to an additional purchase; with this affiftance, and our utmost efforts, we got the anchor just clear of the bottom, but the ship cafting in fhore, it almoft immediately hooked again in foul ground. Our task was now to begin again, and though all hands that were able to move applied their utmost force, the whole remaining part of the day, with the greatest purchase we could make, we were not able to ftir it we were very unwilling to cut the cable, for though it was much worn, we could at this time ill fuftain the lofs of it, as we intended to make small cord, which we much wanted, of the best part of it. We therefore, 1767. Auguft. with whatever reluctance, defifted for the night, and the next day, having a little recruited our Sunday 30. ftrength, we were more fuccefsful; we got the anchor up, but we found it fo much injured as to be wholly unferviceable, the palm being broken. From this place we failed to a little cove about three or four miles diftant, to which we gave the name of ENGLISH COVE: here we anchored, and immediately began to get wood and water, which we found in great plenty, besides ballaft; I also fent the boat out every day to different places with the feine, but though there was plenty of fifh, we were able to catch very little, a misfortune which was probably owing in part to the clearness of the water, in part to the rockinefs of the beach, and perhaps in fome degree also to our want of fkill: we plied this la bour day and night, notwithstanding the want of fuccefs, and at the fame time had recourfe to the hook and line, but to our great mortification not a fingle fish would take the bait. We saw a few turtle, but they were fo fhy that we could not catch one of them; here therefore we were condemned to the curfe of Tantalus, perpetually in the fight of what our appetites most importunately craved, and perpetually disappointed in our attempts to reach it. We got, however, from the rocks at low water, a few rock oysters, and cockles of a very large fize; and from the fhore |