494

DAMPIEr’s ACCOUNT OF NEW HOLLAND.

feveral places. As to the product of it, I know no more than what I have faid inmy account of Port Mountague; but it is very probable this ifland may affordas many rich commodities as any in the world; and the natives may be eafilybrought to commerce, though I could not pretend to it under my prefent cir-cumftances.

Being near the ifland to the northward of the Volcano , I fent my boat to found,thinking to anchor here, but fhe returned and brought me word that they had noground, till they met with a riff of coral rocks' about a mile from the fhore ; then Ibore away to the north fide of the ifland, where we found no anchoring neither. Wefaw feveral people, and fome cocoa-nut-trees, but could not fend afhore for want of mypinnace, which was out of order. In the evening I flood off to fea, to be at fuch a dis-tance that I might not be driven by any currunt upon the fhoals of this ifland, if itfhould prove calm. We had but little wind, efpecially the beginning of the night;but in the morning I found myfelf fo far to the weft of the ifland, that the wind beingat eafl-fouth-eaft, I could not fetch it, wherefore I kept on to the fouthward, anaHemmed with the body of a high ifland about eleven or twelve leagues long, lying tothe fouthward of that which I before defigned for. I named this ifland Sir GeorgeRook’s Ifland.

We alfo faw fome other iflands to the weflward, which may be better feen in mydraft of thefe lands than here defcribed ; but feeing a very finall ifland lying to thenorth-weft of the long ifland which was before us, and not far from it, I fleered awayfor that, hoping to find anchoring there; and having but little wind, I fent my boatbefore to found, which, when we were about two miles diftance from the fhore, cameon board and brought me word that there was good anchoring in thirty or forty fathomwater, a mile from the ifle, and within a reeff of the rocks which lay in a half-moon,reaching from the north part of the ifland to the fouth-eaft j fo at noon we got in andanchored in thirty-fix fathom, a mile from the ifle.

In the afternoon I fent my boat afhore to the ifland, to fee what convenience therewas to haul our vefiel afhore in order to be mended, and whether we could catch anyfifh. My men in the boat rowed about the ifland, but could not land by reafon ofthe rocks and a great furge running in upon the fhore. We found variation here,"8° 25' weft.

I defigned to have ftaid among thefe iflands till I had got my pinnace refitted ; buthaving no more than one man who had fkill to work upon her, I faw fhe would be along time in repairing (which was one great reafon why I could not profecute my dis-coveries further) ; and the eaflerly winds being fet in, I found I fhould fcarce be ableto hold my ground.

The 31ft, in the forenoon, we fhot in between two iflands, lying about four leagu eSafunder, with intention to pafs between them. The fouthernmoft is a Jong ifland, witha high hill at each end ; this I named Long Ifland. The northernmoft is a round highifland’ towering up with feveral heads or tops, fomething refembling a crown ; this Inamed Crown Ifle, from its form. Both thefe iflands appeared very pleafant, havingfpots of green favannahs mixed among the wood-land : the trees appeared very greenand flourifhing, and fome of them looked white and full of bloffoms. We pafled clofeby Crown Ifle, faw many cocoa-nut trees on the bays and fides of the hills; and oneboat was coming off from the fhore, but returned again. We faw no fmoaks on eitherof the iflands, neither did we fee any plantations, and it is probable they are not verywell peopled. We faw many fhoals near Crown Ifland, and reefs of rocks running °nfrom the points a mile or more into the fea : my boat was once over-board, with defig n

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