488

DAMPIEr’s ACCOUNT OF NEW HOLLAND.

fhooting out into the fea, which make fo many fine bays: the coaft lies north-north-eaftand fouth-fouth-weft.

The gth in the morning a huge black man came off to us in a canoe, but wouldnot come aboard. He made the fame figns of friendihip to us as the reft we had metwith ; yet feemed to differ in his language, not ufing any of thofe words which theothers did. We faw neither fmoaks nor plantations near this head-land. We foundhere variation i° eaft.

In the afternoon, as we plied near the fhore, three canoes came off to us ; one hadfour men in her, the others two a-piece. That with the four men came pretty nigh,us, and fhewed us a cocoa-nut and water in a bamboo, making figns that there wasenough afhore where they lived; they pointed to the place where they would have usgo, and fo went away. We faw a fmall round pretty high ifland about a league to thenorth of this head-land, within which there was a large deep bay, whither the canoeswent; and we ftrove to get thither before night, but could not; wherefore we floodoff, and faw land to the weftward of this head-land, bearing weft-by-fouth half-fouth,diftance about ten leagues; and, as we thought, ftill more land bearing fouth-weft-by-fouth, diftance twelve or fourteen leagues j but being clouded, it difappeared, and wethought we had been deceived. Before night we opened the head-land fair, and Inamed it Cape St. George. The land from hence trends away weft-north-weft aboutten leagues, which is as far as we could fee it; and the land that we faw to the weftwardof it in the evening, which bore weft-by-fouth half-fouth, was another point about tenleagues from Cape St. George j between which there runs in a deep bay for twentyleagues or more. We faw fome high land in fpots like iflands, down in that bay at agreat diftance; but whether they are iflands, or the main doling there, we know not.The next morning we faw other land to the fouth-eaft of the weftermoft point, whichtill then was clouded; it was very high land, and the fame that we faw the day beforethat difappeared in a cloud. This Cape St. George lies in the latitude of 5 0 5' fouth jand meridian diftance from Cape Mabo 1290 miles. The ifland off this cape, I calledSt. George’s Ifle; and the bay between it and the weft point I named St. George’s Bay*Note, no Dutch drafts go fo far as this cape by ten leagues. On the 10th, in theevening, we got within a league of the weftermoft land feen, which is pretty high andvery woody, but no appearance of anchoring. I flood off again, defigning, if poffible,to ply to and fro in this bay, till I found a conveniency to wood and water. We faWno more plantations nor cocoa-nut-trees ; yet in the night we difcerned a fmall fireright againft us. The next morning we law a burning mountain in the country, ftwas round, high, and peaked at top, as moft volcanoes are, and fent forth a greatquantity of fmoak. We took up a log of drift wood, and fplit it for firing ; in whichwe found fome fmall fifh.

The day after, we paffed by the fouth-weft cape of this bay, leaving it to the north ofus : when we were abreaft or it, I called my officers together, and named it CapoOrford, in honour of my noble patron, drinking his Lordfhip’s health. This capohears from Cape St. George fouth-weft about eighteen leagues. Between them thereis a bay about twenty- five leagues deep, having pretty high land all round it, efpeciallynear the capes, though they themfelves are not high. Cape Orford lies in the latitudeof 5 0 24' fouth, by my obfervation; and meridian diftance from Cape St. George*forty-four miles weft. The land trends from this cape north-weft by weft into thebay, and on the other fide fouth-weft per compafs, which is fouth-weft 9 0 weft, allowingthe variation, which is here 9 0 eaft. The land on each fide of the cape is tnore

favannah than wood land, and is higheft on the north-weft fide. The cape itfelf 1S *

bluff*