Our Officers Observed That Grass And Other Plants Grew On The Beach Close
To High Water-Mark, Which Is Always A Sure Sign Of Pacific Anchorage, And
An Undeniable Proof That There Never Is A Great Surf On The Shore.
They
judged that the tide rose about four or five feet, and that boats and such
craft might, at
High-water, enter the river, which seemed to be pretty deep
and broad within; so that this, probably, is one of those mentioned by
Quiros; and if we were not deceived, we saw the other.
The bay hath twenty leagues sea-coast, six on the east side, which lies in
the direction of S. half W. and N. half E., two at the head, and twelve on
the west side, the direction of which is S. by E. and N. by W., from the
head down to two-thirds of its length, and then N.W. by N. to the N.W.
point. The two points which form the entrance, lie in the direction of S.
53 deg. E., and N. 53 deg. W., from each other, distant ten leagues. The bay is
every where free from danger, and of an unfathomable depth, except near the
shores, which are for the most part low. This, however, is only a very
narrow strip between the sea-shore and the foot of the hills; for the bay,
as well as the flat land at the head of it, is bounded on each side by a
ridge of hills, one of which, that to the west, is very high and double,
extending the whole length of the island. An uncommonly luxuriant
vegetation was every where to be seen; the sides of the hills were
chequered with plantations; and every valley watered by a stream. Of all
the productions of nature this country was adorned with, the cocoa-nut
trees were the most conspicuous. The columns of smoke we saw by day, and
fires by night all over the country, led us to believe that it is well
inhabited and very fertile. The east point of this bay, which I name Cape
Quiros, in memory of its first discoverer, is situated in latitude 14 deg. 56'
S., longitude 167 deg. 13' E. The N.W. point, which I named Cape Cumberland, in
honour of his Royal Highness the Duke, lies in the latitude of 14 deg. 38' 45"
S., longitude 166 deg. 49' 1/2 E., and is the N.W. extremity of this
archipelago; for, after doubling it, we found the coast to trend gradually
round to the S. and S.S.E.[6]
On the 28th and 29th, we had light airs and calms, so that we advanced but
little. In this time, we took every opportunity, when the horizon was
clearer than usual, to look out for more land, but none was seen. By
Quiros's track to the north, after leaving the bay above-mentioned, it
seems probable that there is none nearer than Queen Charlotte's Island,
discovered by Captain Carteret, which lies about ninety leagues N.N.W. from
Cape Cumberland, and I take to be the same with Quiros's Santa Cruz.
On the 30th, the calm was succeeded by a fresh breeze at S.S.E. which
enabled us to ply up the coast. At noon we observed in 15 deg. 20'; afterwards
we stretched in east, to within a mile of the shore, and then tacked in
seventy-five fathoms, before a sandy flat, on which several of the natives
made their appearance. We observed on the sides of the hills, several
plantations that were laid out by line, and fenced round.
On the 31st, at noon, the S. or S.W. point of the island bore N. 62 deg. E.,
distant four leagues. This forms the N.W. point of what I call
Bougainville's Passage; the N.E. point at this time bore N. 85 deg. E., and the
N.W. end of Mallicollo from S. 54 deg. E. to S. 72 deg. E. Latitude observed 15 deg.
45' S. In the afternoon, in stretching to the east, we weathered the S.S.W.
point of the island, from which the coast trends east, northerly. It is
low, and seemed to form some creeks or coves; and, as we got farther into
the passage, we perceived some small low isles lying along it, which seemed
to extend behind St Bartholomew Island.
Having now finished the survey of the whole archipelago, the season of the
year made it necessary for me to return to the south, while I had yet some
time left to explore any land I might meet with between this and New
Zealand; where I intended to touch, that I might refresh my people, and
recruit our stock of wood and water for another southern course. With this
view, at five p.m. we tacked, and hauled to the southward with a fresh gale
at S.E. At this time the N.W. point of the passage, or the S.W. point of
the island Tierra del Espiritu Santo, the only remains of Quiros's
continent, bore N. 82 deg. W., distant three leagues. I named it Cape Lisburne,
and its situation is in latitude 15 deg. 40', longitude 165 deg. 59' E.
The foregoing account of these islands, in the order in which we explored
them, not being particular enough either as to situation or description, it
may not be improper now to give a more accurate view of them, which will
convey to the reader a better idea of the whole groupe.
The northern islands of this archipelago were first discovered by that
great navigator Quiros in 1606; and, not without reason, were considered as
part of the southern continent, which, at that time, and until very lately,
was supposed to exist. They were next visited by M. de Bougainville, in
1768; who, besides landing on the Isle of Lepers, did no more than discover
that the land was not connected, but composed of islands, which he called
the Great Cyclades.
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