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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-east passage, and went out of it by the north-west. At the fouth-east end of the harbour there is a large cove, which is secure from all winds, and fit to haul a fhip into. Into this cove a river seemed to empty itself, but our boat did not examine it. In the north-weft part of the harbour there is another cove, which our boat did examine, and from which the brought us very good water. this alfo is fit for a fhip to haul into, and very convenient for wooding and watering: fhe may lie in any depth from thirty to five fathoms, and 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 fathoms, near the north-west entrance, and a-breaft of the trees on Cocoa-nut Ifland.

CHAP. VI

Difcovery of a Streight dividing the Land called Nova
Britannia into two Iflands, with a Defcription of fe-
veral fmall Islands that lie in the Paffage, and the
Land on each Side, with the Inhabitants.

WH

HEN we got about four leagues off the land, after leaving this harbour, we met with a ftrong 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 strong 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 westward by this gulph, and the current gave me hopes that I should fucceed. When I had got, therefore, about five miles to the fouth-weft of Cocoa-nut Ifland, I fteered to the N. W. and the N. N. W. as the land trends, and had foon good reason to believe that what has been called Saint George's Bay, and thought to be formed by two

points

1767. September.

1767 points of the fame island, was indeed a channel beSeptember. tween two islands, and fo the event proved it to be.

Ifle of
Man.

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 islands that were fcattered about it. On the southermoft fide of the main, or the largest of the two iflands 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 close 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 feen 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 weft 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 westward, 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 Pallifer and Cape Stephens bear about N. W. and S. E. of each other; and between them is a bay, the land of which near the water-fide is low, pleasant, and level, and gradually rifes, as it retires towards the Mother and Daughters, into very lofty hills, in general covered with vaft woods, but having many clear fpots like plantations intermixed. Upon this part of the country we faw many fires in the night, and have therefore reason to fuppofe that it is well inhabited. The Duke of York's Ifland lies between the two points, Cape Pallifer and Cape Stephens. As it was not fafe to attempt either of the paffages into which the Streight was divided by this ifland in the dark, we brought to for the night, and kept founding, but had no ground with one hundred and forty fathoms. The Streight here, including the two paffages, is about fifteen leagues broad. The land of the Duke of York's Ifland is level, and has a delightful appearance: inland it is covered with lofty woods, and near the water-fide are the houfes of the natives, which stand

not

1

not far from each other, among groves of cocoa-nut 1767; September. trees, so that the whole forms a profpect the most beautiful and romantic that can be imagined. We faw many of their canoes, which are very neatly made, and in the morning, foon after I made fail, fome of them came off towards the fhip; but as we had a fresh gale at that time, we could not stay for them. Thurid. 10. The latitude of this ifland is 4° 9' S. longitude. 151° 20′ E. and it is five and twenty leagues diftant from Cape George. As I coafted not New Britain, but the northermost coast of the Streight, I paffed through the paffage that is formed by that coaft, and the correfponding fide of the Duke of York's Ifland, which is about eight leagues broad, and may be confidered as the First Narrow of the Streight and then fteering N. W. by W. all night, we found at day-break Fridaý 11. that we had loft fight of the fouthermoft ifland, or New Britain, and having now ascertained the fuppofed bay to be a ftreight, I called it SAINT GEORGE's St. Geor. CHANNEL, and to the northern island I gave the Channel. name of NOVA HIBERNIA, or NEW IRELAND. New The weather being hazy, with a strong gale and fud- Ireland. den gufts, I continued to steer along the coaft of New Ireland, at about the distance of fix leagues from the fhore, till I came off the weft end of it, and then, altering our course, I steered W. N. W. I could plainly perceive, that we were fet along the shore by a strong wefterly current. At noon, we found by observation that we were much to the northward of the log; but as it was impoffible the current could fet due north, as that would be right against the land, I was obliged, for the correction of my account, to allow no less than four and twenty miles W. N. W. which is nearly as the land lies along the fhore. At this time we had about half a point east variation; and at night we difcovered a fine large ifland, forming a ftreight or paffage with New Ireland. As it was very dark and fqually, with rain, we brought to, not knowing to what danger the navigation of this Streight might expofe us. The night was tempeftuous, with much thunder and lightning, but about two in the morning Saturd. 12. the weather cleared: the gufts fettled into a light

breeze, and the moon fhone very bright. At this time

VOL. I.

X

therefore

1767.

September.

Ifland.

:

therefore we made fail again, and found a strong current setting us to the weftward, through the paffage of the Second Narrow, which is about five leagues wide. The island, which has a pleasant appearance, and is Sandwich very populous, I called SANDWICH ISLAND, in honour of the Earl, now firft Lord of the Admiralty: it is larger than the Duke of York's Ifland, and there feem to be fome good bays and harbours upon the coaft. On the north part of it there is a remarkable peak, like a fugar loaf; and oppofite to it, upon the coaft of New Ireland, there is juft fuch another: they are diftant about five leagues, in the direction of S. by E. E. and N. by W. W. All the while we lay to off this ifland, we heard an inceffant noife in the night, like the beating of a drum and being becalmed just as we got through the Streight, ten canoes put off from New Ireland, with about one hundred and fifty men on board, and rowed towards the fhip; they came near enough to exchange fome trifles with us, which were conveyed at the end of a long stick, but none of them would venture on board. They seemed to prefer fuch iron as we gave them to every thing else, though none of it was manufactured except nails; for, as I obferved before, we had no cutlery ware on board. The canoes were very long and very narrow, with an outrigger, and some of them were very neatly made: one of them could not be lefs than ninety feet long, for it was very little fhorter than the fhip; it was, notwithstanding, formed of a fingle tree; it had fome carved ornaments about it, and was rowed or paddled by three and thirty men we faw no appearance of fails. The people are black, and woolly-headed, like Negroes, but have not the flat nose and thick lips; and we thought them much the fame people as the inhabitants of Egmont's Ifland: like them, they were all stark naked, except a few ornaments made of fhells upon their arms and legs. They had, however, adopted a practice without which none of our belles and beaus are fuppofed to be completely dreft, for the hair, or rather the wool upon their heads, was very abundantly powdered with white powder: the fashion of wearing powder, therefore, is probably of higher antiquity than it is generally fuppofed to be, as well as of more extenfive influence; it

is indeed carried farther among thefe people than among any of the inhabitants of Europe, for they powder not only their heads but their beards too. Their heads however were decorated with more fhowy ornaments, for I obferved that most of them had, juft above one ear, stuck a feather, which appeared to have been taken from the tail of the common dunghill cock; fo that these gentlemen are not without poultry for their table. They were armed with fpears, and long fticks or poles, like the quarter-staff; but we did not fee any bows and arrows among them: poffibly they might have them on board, and think proper to keep them out of fight. On my part, I kept every body at their quarters while they were hovering about the ship, and I obferved that they had a very watchful eye upon our guns, as if they apprehended danger from them; fo that poffibly they are not wholly unacquainted with the effects of fire-arms. They had fishing nets with them, which, as well as their cordage, feemed to be very well made. After they had been fome time with us, a breeze fprung up, and they returned to the shore.

1767.

September.

ver.

The peak upon Sandwich Island lies in latitude 2° 53' S. longitude 149° 17' E. After the Indians had left us, we fteered nearly weft, and soon after saw a point of land, which proved to be the south-west extremity of New Ireland, to which I gave the name of CAPE BYRON it lies in latitude 2o 30' S. longitude Cape Byron. 149° 2' E. Over-against the coaft of New Ireland, to the westward of Cape Byron, lies a fine large ifland, to which I gave the name of NEW HANOVER. Be-New Hanotween this island and New Ireland there is a freight or paffage, which turns away to the N. E. In this paffage lie feveral small islands, upon one of which there is a remarkable peak: this ifland. I called BYRON'S Byron's ISLAND, and the paffage, or ftreight, I called BYRON's Island. STREIGHT. The land of New Hanover is high; it is finely covered with trees, among which are many plantations, and the whole has a most beautiful pearance. The fouth-weft point of it, which is a high bluff point, I called QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S FORELAND, in honour of her majefty. This foreland, and the land about it, is remarkable for a great number of little hummocks or hills, but night coming on, X 2 with

ap

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