A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12

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SECTION VI.

_Discovery of a Strait dividing the Land called Nova Britannia into two
Islands, with a Description of several small Islands that lie in the
Passage, and the Land on each Side, with the Inhabitants._

When we got about four leagues off the land, after leaving this harbour,
we met with a strong gale at E.S.E. a direction just contrary to that
which would have favoured our getting round the land, and doubling Cape
Saint Maria. We found at the same time a strong current, setting us to
the N.W. into a deep bay or gulph, which Dumpier calls St George's Bay,
and which lies between Cape St George and Cape Orford. As it was
impossible to get round the land, against both the wind and current, and
follow the track of Dampier, I was under the necessity of attempting a
passage to the westward by this gulph, and the current gave me hopes
that I should succeed. When I had got, therefore, about five miles to
the south-west of Cocoa-nut Island, I steered to the N.W. and the N.N.W.
as the land trends, and had soon good reason to believe that what has
been called St George's Bay, and thought to be formed by two points of
the same island, was indeed a channel between two islands, and so the
event proved it to be.

Before it was dark, we found this channel divided by a pretty large
island which I called the _Duke of York's Island_, and some smaller
islands that were scattered about it. On the southermost side of the
main, or the largest of the two islands that are divided by the channel
or strait, which I left in possession of its ancient name, New Britain,
there is some high land, and three remarkable hills close to each other,
which I called the _Mother and Daughters_. The Mother is the middlemost
and largest, and behind them we saw a vast column of smoke, so that
probably one of them is a volcano: They are easily seen in clear weather
at the distance of twenty leagues, and will then, by those who do not
know them, be taken for islands; they seem to lie far inland, and the
Mother bears about west from the Duke of York's Island. To the east of
these hills there is a point making like a cape land, which I called
_Cape Palliser_; and another to the westward, which I called _Cape
Stephens_. Cape Stephens is the northernmost part of New Britain. North
of this Cape is an island, which I called the _Isle of Man_. Cape
Palliser and Cape Stephens bear about N.W. and S.E. of each other; and
between them is a bay, the land of which near the water-side is low,
pleasant, and level, and gradually rises, as it retires towards the
Mother and Daughters, into very lofty hills, in general covered with
vast woods, but having many clear spots like plantations intermixed.
Upon this part of the country we saw many fires in the night, and have
therefore reason to suppose that it is well inhabited. The Duke of
York's Island lies between the two points, Cape Palliser and Cape
Stephens. As it was not safe to attempt either of the passages into
which the strait was divided by this island in the dark, we brought to
for the night, and kept sounding, but had no ground with one hundred and
forty fathom. The strait here, including the two passages, is about
fifteen leagues broad. The land of the Duke of York's Island is level,
and has a delightful appearance: Inland it is covered with lofty woods,
and near the water-side are the houses of the natives, which stand not
far from each other, among groves of cocoa-nut trees, so that the whole
forms a prospect the most beautiful and romantic that can be imagined.
We saw many of their canoes, which are very neatly made, and in the
morning, soon after I made sail, some of them came off towards the ship;
but as we had a fresh gale at that time, we could not stay for them. The
latitude of this island is 4 deg. 9' S., longitude 151 deg. 20' E.; and it is
five-and-twenty leagues distant from Cape George. As I coasted not New
Britain, but the northermost coast of the strait, I passed through the
passage that is formed by that coast, and the corresponding side of the
Duke of York's Island, which is about eight leagues broad, and may be
considered as the first narrow of the strait, and then steering N.W. by
W. all night, we found at day-break that we had lost sight of the
southermost island, or New Britain, and having now ascertained the
supposed bay to be a strait, I called it _St George's Channel_, and to
the northern island I gave the name of _Nova Hibernia_, or _New
Ireland_. The weather being hazy, with a strong gale and sudden gusts, I
continued to steer, along the coast of New Ireland at about the
distance of six leagues from the shore, till I came off the west end of
it, and then, altering our course, I steered W.N.W. I could plainly
perceive, that we were set along the shore by a strong westerly current.
At noon, we found, by observation, that we were much to the northward of
the log; but as it was impossible the current could set due north, as
that would be right against the land, I was obliged, for the correction
of my account, to allow no less than four-and-twenty miles W.N.W. which
is nearly as the land lies along the shore. At this time we had about
half a point east variation; and at night we discovered a fine large
island, forming a strait or passage with New Ireland. As it was very
dark and squally, with rain, we brought-to, not knowing to what danger
the navigation of this strait might expose us. The night was
tempestuous, with much thunder and lightning, but about two in the
morning the weather cleared; the gusts settled into a little breeze, and
the moon shone very bright. At this time therefore we made sail again,
and found a strong current setting us to the westward, through the
passage of the second narrow, which is about five leagues wide. The
island, which has a pleasant appearance, and is very populous, I called
_Sandwich Island_, in honour of the earl, then first lord of the
admiralty: It is larger than the Duke of York's Island, and there seems
to be some good bays and harbours upon the coast. On the north part of
it there is a remarkable peak, like a sugar-loaf; and opposite to it,
upon the coast of New Ireland, there is just such another: They are
distant about five leagues, in the direction of S. by E. 1/2 E. and N.
by W. 1/2 W. All the while we lay-to off this island, we heard an
incessant noise in the night, like the beating of a drum: And being
becalmed just as we got through the strait, ten canoes put off from New
Ireland, with about one hundred and fifty men on board, and rowed
towards the ship; they came near enough to exchange some trifles with
us, which were conveyed at the end of a long stick, but none of them
would venture on board. They seemed to prefer such iron as we gave them
to every thing else, though none of it was manufactured except nails;
for, as I observed before, we had no cutlery ware on board. The canoes
were very long and very narrow, with an outrigger, and some of them were
very neatly made: One of them could not be less than ninety feet long,
for it was very little shorter than the ship; it was, notwithstanding,
formed of a single tree; it had some carved ornaments about it, and was
rowed or paddled by three-and-thirty men: We saw no appearance of sails.
The people are black, and woolly-headed, like Negroes, but have not the
flat nose and thick lips; and we thought them much the same people as
the inhabitants of Egmont's Island: Like them, they were all stark
naked, except a few ornaments made of shells upon their arms and legs.
They had, however, adopted a practice without which none of our belles
and beaux are supposed to be completely drest, for the hair, or rather
the wool, upon their heads, was very abundantly powdered with white
powder; the fashion of wearing powder, therefore, is probably of higher
antiquity than it is generally supposed to be, as well as of more
extensive influence; it is indeed carried farther among these people
than among any of the inhabitants of Europe, for they powder not only
their heads but their beards too. Their heads however were decorated
with more showy ornaments, for I observed that most of them had, just
above one ear, stuck a feather, which appeared to have been taken from
the tail of the common dunghill cock; so that these gentlemen are not
without poultry for their table. They were armed with spears, and long
sticks or poles, like the quarter-staff; but we did not see any bows and
arrows among them: Possibly they might have them on board, and think
proper to keep them out of sight. On my part, I kept every body at their
quarters while they were hovering about the ship, and I observed that
they had a very watchful eye upon our guns, as if they apprehended
danger from them; so that possibly they are not wholly unacquainted with
the effect of firearms. They had fishing nets with them, which, as well
as their cordage, seemed to be very well made. After they had been some
time with us, a breeze sprung up, and they returned to the shore.

The peak upon Sandwich Island lies in latitude 2 deg. 53' S., longitude 149 deg.
17' E. After the Indians had left us, we steered nearly west, and soon
after saw a point of land, which proved to be the south-west extremity
of New Ireland, to which I gave the name of _Cape Byron_: It lies in
latitude 2 deg. 30' S., longitude 149 deg. 2' E. Over-against the coast of New
Ireland, to the westward of Cape Byron, lies a fine, large island, to
which I gave the name of _New Hanover_. Between this island and New
Ireland, there is a strait or passage, which turns away to the N.E. In
this passage lie several small islands, upon one of which there is a
remarkable peak: This island I called _Byron's Island_, and the passage,
or strait, I called _Byron's Strait_. The land of New Hanover is high;
it is finely covered with trees, among which are many plantations, and
the whole has a most beautiful appearance. The south-west point of it,
which is a high bluff point, I called _Queen Charlotte's Foreland_, in
honour of her majesty. This foreland, and the land about it, is
remarkable for a great number of little hummocks or hills, but night
coming on, with thick weather, hard squalls, and much rain, we could not
see more of it distinctly enough to describe its appearance.

We steered westward all night, and in the morning, the weather being
still thick, our view of New Hanover was very imperfect; but we saw,
about eight leagues to the westward of it, six or seven small islands,
which I called the _Duke of Portland's Islands_, two of which are pretty
large. I now perceived by the swell of the sea that we were clear of all
the land, and I found Saint George's Channel to be a much better and
shorter passage, whether from the eastward or the westward, than round
all the land and islands to the northward; the distress, therefore,
which pushed me upon this discovery, may probably be, in its
consequences, of great advantage to future navigators, especially as
there can be no doubt but that refreshments of every kind may easily be
procured from the natives who inhabit either of the coasts of the
channel, or the islands that lie near them, for beads, ribbands,
looking-glasses, and especially iron tools and cutlery-ware, of which
they are immoderately fond, and with which, to our great misfortune, we
were not furnished.

Queen Charlotte's Foreland, the south-west part of New Hanover, lies in
latitude 2 deg. 29' S., longitude 148 deg. 27' E.; and the middle of Portland's
Islands in latitude 2 deg. 27' S., longitude 148 deg. 3' E. The length of this,
streight or channel, from Cape Saint George to Cape Byron, the southwest
extremity of New Ireland, is above eighty leagues; the distance from
Cape Byron to Queen Charlotte's Foreland is about twelve leagues, and
from the foreland to Portland's Islands about eight leagues; so that the
whole length of Saint George's Channel is about one hundred leagues, or
three hundred miles.

Though we cleared the streight in the morning of Sunday the 13th of
September, we had no observation of the sun till the 15th, which I could
not but greatly regret, as it prevented my being so exact in my latitude
and longitude as might be expected. The description also of the country,
its productions and people, would have been much more full and
circumstantial, if I had not been so much enfeebled and dispirited by
sickness, as almost to sink under the duty that for want of officers
devolved upon me, being obliged, when I was scarcely able to crawl, to
keep watch and watch, and share other duties with my lieutenant, whose
health also was, greatly impaired.

SECTION VII.

_The Passage from Saint George's Channel to the Island of Mindanao, with
an Account of many Islands that were seen, and Incidents that happened
by the Way._

As soon as we had cleared Saint George's Channel, we steered westward,
and the next day we discovered land bearing W.N.W. and hauled up for it;
it proved to be an island of considerable extent, and soon afterwards we
saw another to the north-east of it, but this appeared to be little more
than a large rock above water. As I had here strong currents, and for
several days had not been able to get an observation of the sun, I
cannot so exactly ascertain the situation of these islands as I might
otherwise have done. As we proceeded to the westward, we discovered more
land, consisting of many islands lying to the southward of the large one
which we had first discovered. As the nights were now moonlight, we kept
on till eleven o'clock, and the lieutenant, who was then officer of the
watch, finding that the course we were steering would carry us among
them, and not being willing to awaken me till it was my turn to watch,
hauled off S. by E. and S.S.E. I came upon deck about midnight, and at
one in the morning, perceiving that we were clear of them, I bore away
again to the westward with an easy sail: The islands, however, were not
far distant, and about six o'clock, a considerable number of canoes,
with several hundred people on board, came off, and paddled toward the
ship: One of them, with seven men on board, came near enough to hail us,
and made us several signs which we could not perfectly understand, but
repeated, as near as we could, to shew that whatever they meant to us we
meant to them; however, the better to bespeak their good-will, and
invite them on board, we held up to them several of the few trifles we
had: Upon this they drew nearer to the ship, and I flattered myself that
they were coming on board; but on the contrary, as soon as they came
within reach of us they threw their lances, with great force, where we
stood thickest upon the deck. As I thought it better to prevent than to
repress a general attack, in which as the number would be more, the
mischief would be greater, and having now no doubt of their hostile
intentions, I fired some muskets, and one of the swivel guns, upon which
some of them being killed or wounded, they rowed off and joined the
other canoes, of which there were twelve or fourteen, with several
hundred men on board. I then brought-to, waiting for the issue, and had
the satisfaction to see, that, after having long consulted together,
they made for the shore: That I might still farther intimidate them, and
more effectually prevent their return, I fired a round shot from one of
my six-pounders, so as to fall into the water beyond them: This seemed
to have a good effect, for they not only used their paddles more nimbly,
but hoisted sail, still standing towards the shore. Soon after, however,
several more canoes put off from another part of the island, and came
towards us very fast: They stopped at about the same distance as the
other had done, and one of them also in the same manner came forward: To
the people on board this vessel we made all the signs of friendship we
could devise, shewing them every thing we had which we thought would
please them, opening our arms, and inviting them on board: But our
rhetoric was to no effect, for as soon as they came within a cast of the
ship, they poured in a shower of darts and lances, which, however, did
us no harm. We returned the assault by firing some muskets, and one man
being killed, the rest precipitately leaped into the sea, and swimming
to the others, who waited at a distance, all returned together from
whence they came. As soon as the canoe was deserted, we got out our boat
and brought it on board: It was full fifty feet long, though one of the
smallest that came against us; it was very rudely made out of one tree,
but had an out-rigger. We found in it six fine fish, and a turtle, some
yams, one cocoa-nut, and a bag full of a small kind of apple or plum, of
a sweetish taste and farinaceous substance; it had a flatfish kernel,
and was wholly different from every thing we have seen either before or
since; it was eatable raw, but much better boiled, or roasted in the
embers: We found also two large earthen pots, shaped somewhat like a
jug, with a wide mouth, but without handles, and a considerable quantity
of matting, which these people use both for sails and awning, spreading
it over bent sticks, much in the same manner as the tilts of the London
wherries. From the contents of this vessel we judged that it had been
fishing, and we observed that the people had a fire on board, with one
of their pots on it, in which they were boiling their provision. When we
had satisfied our curiosity by examining it, we cut it up for fire-wood.

These Indians were the same kind of people that we had seen before on
the coast of New Ireland, and at Egmont Island: They were of a very dark
copper colour, nearly black, with woolly heads. They chew beetle-nut,
and go quite naked, except the rude ornaments of shells strung together,
which they wear round their legs and arms: They were also powdered like
our last visitors, and had, besides, their faces painted with white
streaks: But I did not observe that they had any beards. Their lances
were pointed with a kind of bluish flint.

Having disengaged ourselves from this fierce and unfriendly people, we
pursued our course along the other islands, which are between twenty and
thirty in number, and of considerable extent; one in particular would
alone make a large kingdom. I called them the _Admiralty Islands_, and
should have been glad to have examined them, if my ship had been in a
better condition, and I had been provided with such articles as are
proper for an Indian trade, especially as their appearance is very
inviting: They are clothed with the most beautiful verdure; the woods
are lofty and luxuriant, interspersed with spots that have been cleared
for plantations, groves of cocoa-nut trees, and houses of the natives,
who seem to be very numerous. Nothing would be more easy than to
establish an amicable intercourse with them, as they would soon be
sensible that our superiority would render contest vain, and traffic
advantageous. I judge the middle of the largest to lie in latitude 2 deg.
18' S., longitude 146 deg. 44' E. and at the distance of five-and-thirty
leagues from Queen Charlotte's Foreland in New Hanover, in the direction
of W. 1/2 N. On the south side of this island, there is a small one,
which rises conically in a high peak. The latitude of this peak is 2 deg.
27' S., and it lies five degrees and a half westward of Cape Saint
George in New Ireland. As we ran along the south side of the large
island, we found it to be eighteen leagues long, in the direction, of
east and west; how far it runs to the northward, I do not know, but by
its appearance there is reason to suppose a very considerable distance.
I think it probable, in the highest degree, that these islands produce
many valuable articles of trade, particularly spices, especially as they
lie in the same climate and latitude as the Malaccas, and as I found the
nutmeg-tree in a soil comparatively rocky and barren upon the coast of
New Ireland.

Having passed these islands, we continued our course W. by N. with a
fine eastern breeze, and smooth water. On the 16th in the morning, we
found the variation, by a medium of several azimuths, to be 6 deg. 30' E.,
our latitude being 2 deg. 19' S., and our longitude 145 deg. 40' E. by
observation. I was surprised to find the variation on this side the
land of New Britain and New Ireland so much, as we had found it
gradually decreasing daring our progress to the N.W., but I recollected
that about two years before I had found nearly the same variation in
this meridian, about the island of Tinian.

On Saturday evening the 19th, we discovered two small islands, both low
land, level, and green: One of them we saw only from the
main-top-gallant-mast head; this I called _Durour's Island_. Its
latitude is about 1 deg. 14' or 16' S., its longitude 148 deg. 21' E. The other
island, which I called _Maty's Island_, we coasted during the night, and
saw the inhabitants, in great numbers, run along the beach, a-breast of
the ship, with lights: The side along which we sailed seemed to be about
six miles in length, E. by N. and W. by S. As it was dark we could see
no more of it, and having a fine breeze, which we could not afford to
lose, we kept on. Its latitude is about 1 deg. 45' S., and its longitude
about 143 deg. 2' E.; the variation here was 4 deg. 4'E. and we found a strong
north-westerly current. We had now fresh gales and squalls, with rain,
the wind blowing very unsteadily from E.S.E. to E.N.E. till the 22d,
when it became variable. Our latitude was then 53' S., longitude 140 deg. 5'
E.; the variation was 4 deg. 40' E.

On the 24th, we saw two small islands to the south-west, but it being
calm, with light airs, and a strong westerly current, we could not get
nearer to them than four or five leagues: They had a green, pleasant
appearance, and were well covered with trees; but whether they are
inhabited I do not know. They run about N.W. by W.S.E. by E. One is
about three miles long, and the other about six: The passage between
them appeared to be about two miles broad. They lie in latitude 22' S.,
longitude 138 deg. 39 E. and I gave them the name of _Stephens's Islands_.
We kept steering N.W. by W. with a light variable wind, and a strong
north-west current.

On the 25th, we saw land a-head, which proved to be three small islands;
and before it was dark we got pretty near them. Several canoes soon came
off, filled with the natives, who, after making signs of peace, came on
board without the least appearance of fear or distrust: They had
nothing with them but a few cocoa-nuts, which they sold with great joy
for a few pieces of an iron hoop. We soon found that they were not
unacquainted with that metal, which they called _parram_; and they made
us understand, by signs, that a ship like ours sometimes touched at
their islands for refreshment. I gave one of them three pieces of an old
iron hoop, each about four inches long, which threw him into an extacy
little short of distinction. I could not but sympathise in his joy, nor
observe, without great pleasure, the changes of countenance, and
extravagance of gesture, by which it was expressed. All these people,
indeed, appeared to be more fond of iron than any we had seen before;
and I am sure, that for iron tools we might have purchased every thing
upon the islands which we could have brought away. They are of the
Indian copper colour; the first of that complexion that we had seen in
these parts, with fine long black hair, and little beards, for we
observed that they were continually plucking the hair from their chin
and upper-lip by the roots. Their features are pleasing, and their teeth
remarkably white and even: They were of the common stature, but nimble,
vigorous, and active, in a surprising degree, running up to the
mast-head much faster than our own people. Their disposition was free
and open; they eat and drank whatever was given them; went without
hesitation into every part of the ship, and were as familiar and merry
with the crew as if they had been of long and intimate acquaintance.
They were not, like the people on all the other islands that we had
visited, quite naked, though they had only a slight covering for the
waist, which consisted of a narrow piece of fine matting. Their canoes
were very well and neatly made, having a hollow tree for the bottom, and
planks for the sides, with a sail of fine matting, and an outrigger;
their ropes and netting were also very good. They urged us strongly to
go on shore, offering to leave an equal number of their own people
behind, as a pledge of their safe return; and indeed I would gladly have
consented if it had been in my power; but a strong westerly current
hurried me to so great a distance, that I had no opportunity to seek for
anchorage, and night coming on we pursued our course. When our visitors
perceived this, one of them insisted upon going with us, and,
notwithstanding all that I and his companions could say or do,
obstinately refused to go on shore. As I thought it possible that this
man might be the means of our making some useful discovery, I did not
put him ashore by force, but indulged him in his desire. We learned
from him that there were other islands to the northward, the inhabitants
of which, he said, had iron, and always killed his countrymen when they
could catch them out at sea. It was with great concern that I perceived
this poor fellow, whom I called Joseph Freewill, from his readiness to
go with us, become gradually sickly after he had been some time at sea.
He lived till I got to the island of Celebes, and there died. As the
islands from which I had taken him were very small and low, the largest
being not more than five miles in compass, I was surprised to see with
how many of the productions of Celebes he was acquainted; beside the
cocoa-nut and palm, he knew the beetle-nut and the lime, and the moment
he got a bread-fruit, he went to the fire and roasted it in the embers.
He made us understand also, that in his country they had plenty of fish,
and turtle in their season. It is, however, very probable,
notwithstanding the number of people who subsist upon these islands,
that they have no fresh water but what falls in rain: How they catch and
preserve it, I had no opportunity to learn, but I never met with a
spring in a spot so small and low, and in such a spot I believe no
spring was ever found. The largest of these islands, which the natives
call Pegan, and to which I gave the name of _Freewill Island_, lies
fifty minutes north of the Line, and in 137 deg. 51' east longitude. They
are all surrounded by a reef of rocks. The chart of these islands I drew
from the Indian's description, who delineated them with chalk upon the
deck, and ascertained the depth of water by stretching-his arms as a
fathom.