1767. September. with nails, fo that the worms would have eaten through it; befides that our provision would Monday 7. long before that time have been totally exhausted. I therefore weighed anchor and quitted this ftation, which was much the beft that had been our lot during the whole run from the Streight of Magellan, on the 9th in the Wednef.g. morning, at break of day, with a light breeze from the land. Cocoa-nut Leigh's To this place we gave the name of CARTERET'S HARBOUR; It is about W. N. W. four leagues from English Cove, and formed by two islands and the main; the largeft, which is to the N. W. we called CocoA-NUT ISLAND, and the other, which is to the S. E. we called LEIGH'S ISLAND. Between these two islands there is fhoal water, and each of them forms an entrance into the harbour; the fouth eaft or weather entrance is formed by Leigh's Ifland, and in this there is a rock that appears above water, to which we gave the name of BOOBY Rock; the paffage is between the rock and the island, nor is the rock dangerous, there being deep water close to it. The north-west, or lee entrance, is formed by Cocoa-nut Island, and this is the best, because there is good anchorage in it, the water in the other being too deep: we entered the harbour by the fouth-eaft paffage, and went out of it by the north-weft. At the fouth-eaft end of the harbour there is a large 1767. September. large cove, which is fecure from all winds, and fit to haul a fhip into. Into this cove a river seemed to empty itself, but our boats did Wedn‹ L. 9. not examine it. In the north-weft part of the harbour there is another cove, which our boat did examine, and from which she brought us very good water: this alfo is fit for a ship to haul into, and very convenient for wooding and watering: she may lie in any depth from thirty to five fathom, and at any distance from the fhore, with a bottom of foft mud. The harbour runs about S. E. by S. and N. W. by N. and is about three miles long, and four cables' length broad. We anchored in thirty fathom, near the north-west entrance, and a-breaft of the trees on Cocoa-nut Island. VOL. II. H CHAP. 1767. September, CHAP. VI. Difcovery of a Streight dividing the Land called Nova Britannia into two Ilands, with a Defcription of feveral fmall Islands that lie in the Paffage, and the Land on each Side, with the Inhabitants. W HEN we got about four leagues off the land, after leaving this harbour, we met Wednef. 9. with a strong gale at E. S. E. a direction just contrary to that which would have favoured our getting round the land, and doubling Cape Saint Maria. We found at the fame time a ftrong current, fetting us to the N. W. into a deep bay or gulph, which Dampier calls Saint George's Bay, and which lies between Cape Saint George and Cape Orford. As it was impoffible to get round the land, against both the wind and current, and follow the track of Dampier, I was under the neceffity of attempting a paffage to the weftward by this gulph, and the current gave me hopes that I fhould fucceed. When I had got, therefore, about five miles to the fouth-west of Cocoa-nut Ifland, I fteered to the N. W. and the N. N. W. as the land trends, and had foon good reafon to believe that what has been 1767. September. n been called Saint George's Bay, and thought to be formed by two points of the fame ifland, was indeed a channel between two islands, and fo the Wednef. 9.. event proved it to be. Before it was dark, we found this channel divided by a pretty large ifland which I called the DUKE OF YORK'S ISLAND, and some smaller iflands that were fcattered about it. On the fouthermoft fide of the main, or the largest of the two islands that are divided by the channel or ftreight, which I left in poffeffion of its ancient name, New Britain, there is fome high land, and three remarkable hills clofe to each other, which I called the MOTHER AND DAUGHTERS. The Mother is the middlemoft and largest, and behind them we saw a vast column of smoke, fo that probably one of them is a volcano: they are easily seen in clear weather at the distance of twenty leagues, and will then, by those who do not know them, be taken for islands: they seem to lie far inland, and the Mother bears about west from the Duke of York's Ifland. To the east of these hills there is a point making like a cape land, which I called CAPE PALLISER; and another to the weftward, which I called CAPE STEPHENS. Cape Stephens is the northermoft part of New Britain. North of this Cape is an island, which I called the ISLE OF MAN. Cape Isle of Man Pallifer and Cape Stephens bear about N. W. and S. E. of each other; and between them is a September. 1767. bay, the land of which near the water-fide is low, pleasant, and level, and gradually rifes, as Wednef. 9. it retires towards the Mother and Daughters, into very lofty hills, in general covered with vaft woods, but having many clear spots like plantations intermixed. Upon this part of the country we faw many fires in the night, and have therefore reafon to fuppofe that it is well inhabited. The Duke of York's Inland lies between the two points, Cape Pallifer and Cape Stephens. As it was not safe to attempt either of the pasfages into which the Streight was divided by this island in the dark, we brought to for the night, and kept founding, but had no ground with one hundred and forty fathom. The Streight here, including the two paffages, is about fifteen leagues broad. The land of the Duke of York's Inland is level, and has a delightful appearance: inland it is covered with lofty woods, and near the water-fide are the houses of the. natives, which ftand not far from each other, among groves of cocoa-nut trees, fo that the whole forms a prospect the most beautiful and romantic that can be imagined. We faw many of their canoes, which are very neatly made, Thursd. so. and in the morning, foon after I made fail, some of them came off towards the fhip; but as we had a fresh gale at that time, we could not stay for them. The latitude of this island is 4° 9′ S., longitude 151° 20' E.; and it is five and twenty 6 leagues |