His Song
Was To The Full As Musical As That Of The People Of Tanna, But It
Seemed To Be Of A Droll Or Humorous Nature, From His Various Ludicrous
Postures, And From The Particular Tone Of The Whole.
The language was
utterly distinct from that of Tanna, but not harsh or ill suited to
music.
It seemed likewise to have a certain metre, but very different
from that slow and serious one which we heard this morning. It
appeared to us when he had done singing, that the people of Tanna
spoke to him in his own language, but that he was not acquainted with
theirs. Whether he came as a visitor, or had been taken prisoner, we
could not determine." - G.F.
According to this gentleman, these people had a musical instrument,
which consisted of eight reeds like the syrin of Tonga-Tabbo, with
this difference, that the reeds regularly decreased in size, and
comprehended an octave, though the single reeds were not perfectly in
tune. It is worth while noticing here, that one of these people having
one day blown with great violence into his hand several times, as a
signal, he was soon answered by the sounding of several conchs in
different places. - E.
SECTION VII.
The Survey of the Islands continued, and a more particular Description
of them.
As soon as the boats were hoisted in, we made sail, and stretched to the
eastward, with a fresh gale at S.E., in order to have a nearer view of
Erronan, and to see if there was any land in its neighbourhood. We stood on
till midnight, when, having passed the island, we tacked, and spent the
remainder of the night making two boards. At sun-rise on the 21st, we stood
S.W., in order to get to the south of Tanna, and nearer to Annatom, to
observe if any more land lay in that direction; for an extraordinary clear
morning had produced no discovery of any to the east. At noon, having
observed in latitude 20 deg. 33' 30", the situation of the lands around us was
as follows: Port Resolution bore north 86 deg. W., distant six and a half
leagues; the island of Tanna extended from S. 88 deg. W., to N. 64 deg. W.;
Traitor's Head N. 58 deg. W., distant twenty leagues; the island of Erronan N.
80 deg. E., distant five leagues; and Annatom from S. 1/2 E. to S. 1/2 W.,
distant ten leagues. We continued to stretch to the south till two o'clock
p.m. when, seeing no more land before us, we bore up round the S.E. end of
Tanna; and, with a fine gale at E.S.E., ran along the south coast at one
league from shore. It seemed a bold one, without the guard of any rocks;
and the country full as fertile as in the neighbourhood of the harbour, and
making a fine appearance. At six o'clock the high land of Erromango
appeared over the west end of Tanna in the direction of 10 deg. W.; at eight
o'clock we were past the island, and steered N.N.W. for Sandwich Island, in
order to finish the survey[1] of it, and of the isles to the N.W. On the
22d, at four o'clock p.m., we drew near the S.E. end, and ranging the south
coast, found it to trend in the direction of W. and W.N.W. for about nine
leagues. Near the middle of this length, and close to the shore, are three
or four small isles, behind which seemed to be a safe anchorage. But not
thinking I had any time to spare to visit this fine island, I continued to
range the coast to its western extremity, and then steered N.N.W, from the
S.E. end of Mallicollo, which, at half past six o'clock next morning, bore
N. 14 deg. E., distant seven or eight leagues, and Three-Hills Island S. 82 deg.
E.[2] Soon after, we saw the islands Apee, Paom, and Ambrym. What we had
comprehended under the name of Paom appeared now to be two isles, something
like a separation being seen between the hill and the land to the west of
it. We approached the S.W. side of Mallicollo to within half a league, and
ranged it at that distance. From the S.E. point, the direction of the land
is west, a little southerly, for six or seven leagues, and then N.W. by W.
three leagues, to a pretty high point or head-land, situated in latitude
16 deg. 29', and which obtained the name of South-west Cape. The coast, which
is low, seemed to be indented into creeks and projecting points; or else,
these points were small isles lying under the shore. We were sure of one,
which lies between two and three leagues east of the Cape. Close to the
west side or point of the Cape, lies, connected with it by breakers, a
round rock or islet, which helps to shelter a fine bay, formed by an elbow
in the coast, from the reigning winds.[3]
The natives appeared in troops on many parts of the shore, and some seemed
desirous to come off to us in canoes, but they did not; and, probably, our
not shortening sail, was the reason. From the South-west Cape, the
direction of the coast is N. by W.; but the most advanced land bore from it
N.W. by N., at which the land seemed to terminate. Continuing to follow the
direction of the coast, at noon it was two miles from us; and our latitude,
by observation, was 16 deg. 22' 30" S. This is nearly the parallel to Port
Sandwich, and our never-failing guide, the watch, shewed that we were 26'
west of it; a distance which the breadth of Mallicollo cannot exceed in
this parallel. The South-east Cape bore S. 26 deg.
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