DAMPIEr's ACCOUNT OF NEW HOLLAND.

487

one of the canoes. I fhewed them nutmegs, and by their figns I gueffed they hadfome on the ifland. I alfo fhewed them fome gold-duft, which they feemed to know,and called out Manned, Manned, and pointed towards the land. A while after thefemen were gone, two or three canoes came from the flat ifland, and by figns invited usto their ifland, at which the others feemed difpleafed, and ufed very menacing gefturesand (I believe) fpeeches to each other. Night coming on, we flood off to fea, andhaving but little wind all night, were driven away to the north-weft. We faw manygreat fires on the flat ifland. The laft men that came off to us were all black, as thofewe had feen before, with frizzled hair ; they were very tall, lufty, well-fhaped men,they wear great things in their nofes, and paint as the others, but not much ; theymake the fame figns of friendfhip, and their language feems to be one ; but the othershad proes, and thefe canoes. On the fides of fome of thefe we faw the figures of fe-veral fifh neatly cut; and thefe laft were not fo fliy as the others.

Steering away from Cave’s Ifland fouth-fouth-eaft, we found a ftrong current again!!:Us, which fet only in fome places in ftreams, and in them we faw many trees and logsof wood, which drove by us. We had but little wood aboard ; wherefore I hoifted'outthe pinnace, and fent her to take up fome of this drift-wood. In a little time fhe cameaboard with a great tree in a tow, which we could hardly hoift in with all our tackles.We cut up the tree and fplit it for fire-wood. It was much worm-eaten, and had init fome live worms above an inch long, and about the bignefs of a goofe-quill, andhaving their heads crufted over with a thin fhell.

After this we paffed by an ifland, called by the Dutch St. John’s Ifland, leaving itto the north of us. It is about nine or ten leagues round, and very well adorned withlofty trees. We faw many plantations on the fides of the hills, and abundance of cocoa-nut trees about them, as alfo thick groves on the bays by the fea-fide. As we camenear it, three canoes came off to us, but would not come aboardj they were fuch asvre had feen about the other iflands; they fpoke the fame language, and made the famefigns of peace, and their canoes were fuch as at Cave’s Ifland.

We ftood along by St. John’s Ifland, till we came almoft to the fouth-eaft point,and then feeing no more iflands to the eaftward of us, nor any likelihood of anchoringunder this, I fleered away for the main of New Guinea , we being now, as I fuppofed,to the eaft of it, on this north-fide. My defign of feeing thefe iflands as I paffed along,Was to get wood and water, but could find no anchor ground, and therefore could notdo as I purpofed : befides, thefe iflands are all fo populous, that I dared not fend myboat aftiore, unlefs I could have anchored pretty nigh ; wherefore I rather chofe toptofecute my defign on the main, the feafon of the year being now at hand, for Ijudged the wefterly winds were nigh fpent.

On the 8th of March we faw fome fmoaks on the main, being diftant from it fourfive leagues : it is very high, woody land, with fome fpots of favannah. About ten111 the morning fix or feven canoes came off to us; moft of them had no more than0n e man in them; they were all black, with fhort curled hair, having the fame orna-ments in their nofes, and their heads fo ftiaved and painted, and fpeaking the fame"Words as the inhabitants of Cave’s Ifland before mentioned.

1 here was a head-land to the fouthward of us, beyond which feeing no land, I fupipofed that from thence the land trends awav more wefterly. This head-land lies inme latitude of 5° %' fouth, and meridian diftance from Cape Mabo 1290 miles. Inme night we lay by, for fear of over-fhooting this head-land, between which anda P e St. Maries the land is high, mountainous and woody, having many points of land

1 fhooting