early australian voyages-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　peaked；　the　others　low　and　flat；　all　bedecked　with　cocoa…nut　trees　and　other　wood。　　On　the　north　there　is　another　island　of　an　indifferent　height　and　of　a　somewhat　larger　circumference　than　the　great　high　island　last　mentioned。　　We　passed　between　this　and　the　high　island。　　The　high　island　is　called　in　the　Dutch　drafts　Anthony　Cave's　Island。　　As　for　the　flat；　low　island；　and　the　other　small　one；　it　is　probable　they　were　never　seen　by　the　Dutch；　nor　the　islands　to　the　north　of　Garret　Dennis's　Island。　　As　soon　as　we　came　near　Cave's　Island　some　canoes　came　about　us；　and　made　signs　for　us　to　come　ashore；　as　all　the　rest　had　done　before；　probably　thinking　we　could　run　the　ship　aground　anywhere；　as　they　did　their　proas；　for　we　saw　neither　sail　nor　anchor　among　any　of　them；　though　most　Eastern　Indians　have　both。　These　had　proas　made　of　one　tree；　well　dug；　with　outriggers　on　one　side；　they　were　but　small；　yet　well　shaped。　　We　endeavoured　to　anchor；　but　found　no　ground　within　a　mile　of　the　shore。　　We　kept　close　along　the　north　side；　still　sounding　till　we　came　to　the　north…east　end；　but　found　no　ground；　the　canoes　still　accompanying　us；　and　the　bays　were　covered　with　men　going　along　as　we　sailed。　Many　of　them　strove　to　swim　off　to　us；　but　we　left　them　astern。　Being　at　the　north…east　point；　we　found　a　strong　current　setting　to　the　north…west；　so　that　though　we　had　steered　to　keep　under　the　high　island；　yet　we　were　driven　towards　the　flat　one。　　At　this　time　three　of　the　natives　came　on　board。　　I　gave　each　of　them　a　knife；　a　looking…glass；　and　a　string　of　beads。　　I　showed　them　pumpkins　and　cocoa…nut　shells；　and　made　signs　to　them　to　bring　some　aboard；　and　had　presently　three　cocoa…nuts　out　of　one　of　the　canoes。　　I　showed　them　nutmegs；　and　by　their　signs　I　guessed　they　had　some　on　the　island。　　I　also　showed　them　some　gold　dust；　which　they　seemed　to　know；　and　called　out　〃Manneel；　Manneel；〃　and　pointed　towards　the　land。　　A　while　after　these　men　were　gone；　two　or　three　canoes　came　from　the　flat　island；　and　by　signs　invited　us　to　their　island；　at　which　the　others　seemed　displeased；　and　used　very　menacing　gestures　and；　I　believe；　speeches　to　each　other。　　Night　coming　on；　we　stood　off　to　sea；　and　having　but　little　wind　all　night；　were　driven　away　to　the　north…west。　　We　saw　many　great　fires　on　the　flat　island。　　The　last　men　that　came　off　to　us　were　all　black　as　those　we　had　seen　before；　with　frizzled　hair。　　They　were　very　tall；　lusty；　well…shaped　men。　　They　wear　great　things　in　their　noses；　and　paint　as　the　others；　but　not　much。　　They　make　the　same　signs　of　friendship；　and　their　language　seems　to　be　one；　but　the　others　had　proas；　and　these　canoes。　　On　the　sides　of　some　of　these　we　saw　the　figures　of　several　fish　neatly　cut；　and　these　last　were　not　so　shy　as　the　others。

Steering　away　from　Cave's　Island　south…south…east；　we　found　a　strong　current　against　us；　which　set　only　in　some　places　in　streams；　and　in　them　we　saw　many　trees　and　logs　of　wood；　which　drove　by　us。　　We　had　but　little　wood　aboard；　wherefore　I　hoisted　out　the　pinnace；　and　sent　her　to　take　up　some　of　this　drift…wood。　　In　a　little　time　she　came　aboard　with　a　great　tree　in　tow；　which　we　could　hardly　hoist　in　with　all　our　tackles。　　We　cut　up　the　tree　and　split　it　for　firewood。　It　was　much　worm…eaten；　and　had　in　it　some　live　worms　above　an　inch　long；　and　about　the　bigness　of　a　goose…quill；　and　having　their　heads　crusted　over　with　a　thin　shell。

After　this　we　passed　by　an　island；　called　by　the　Dutch　St。　John's　Island；　leaving　it　to　the　north　of　us。　　It　is　about　nine　or　ten　leagues　round；　and　very　well　adorned　with　lofty　trees。　　We　saw　many　plantations　on　the　sides　of　the　hills；　and　abundance　of　cocoa…nut　trees　about　them；　as　also　thick　groves　on　the　bays　by　the　seaside。　As　we　came　near　it　three　canoes　came　off　to　us；　but　would　not　come　aboard。　　They　were　such　as　we　had　seen　about　the　other　islands。　They　spoke　the　same　language；　and　made　the　same　signs　of　peace；　and　their　canoes　were　such　as　at　Cave's　Island。

We　stood　along　by　St。　John's　Island　till　we　came　almost　to　the　south…east　point；　and　then；　seeing　no　more　islands　to　the　eastward　of　us；　nor　any　likelihood　of　anchoring　under　this；　I　steered　away　for　the　main　of　New　Guinea；　we　being　now；　as　I　supposed；　to　the　east　of　it；　on　this　north　side。　　My　design　of　seeing　these　islands　as　I　passed　along　was　to　get　wood　and　water；　but　could　find　no　anchor　ground；　and　therefore　could　not　do　as　I　purposed；　besides；　these　islands　are　all　so　populous；　that　I　dared　not　send　my　boat　ashore；　unless　I　could　have　anchored　pretty　nigh；　wherefore　I　rather　chose　to　prosecute　my　design　on　the　main；　the　season　of　the　year　being　now　at　hand；　for　I　judged　the　westerly　winds　were　nigh　spent。

On　the　8th　of　March　we　saw　some　smoke　on　the　main；　being　distant　from　it　four　or　five　leagues。　　It　is　very　high；　woody　land；　with　some　spots　of　savannah。　　About　ten　in　the　morning　six　or　seven　canoes　came　off　to　us。　　Most　of　them　had　no　more　than　one　man　in　them。　　They　were　all　black；　with　short　curled　hair；　having　the　same　ornaments　in　their　noses；　and　their　heads　so　shaved　and　painted；　and　speaking　the　same　words　as　the　inhabitants　of　Cave's　Island　before　mentioned。

There　was　a　headland　to　the　southward　of　us；　beyond　which；　seeing　no　land；　I　supposed　that　from　thence　the　land　trends　away　more　westerly。　　This　headland　lies　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　2　minutes　south；　and　meridian　distance　from　Cape　Mabo　1；290　miles。　　In　the　night　we　lay　by；　for　fear　of　overshooting　this　headland；　between　which　and　Cape　St。　Manes　the　land　is　high；　mountainous　and　woody；　having　many　points　of　land　shooting　out　into　the　sea；　which　make　so　many　fine　bays；　the　coast　lies　north…north…east　and　south…south…　west。

The　9th；　in　the　morning　a　huge　black　man　came　off　to　us　in　a　canoe；　but　would　not　come　aboard。　　He　made　the　same　signs　of　friendship　to　us　as　the　rest　we　had　met　with；　yet　seemed　to　differ　in　his　language；　not　using　any　of　those　words　which　the　others　did。　　We　saw

neither　smoke　nor　plantations　near　this　headland。　　We　found　here　variation　1　degree　east。

In　the　afternoon；　as　we　plied　near　the　shore；　three　canoes　came　off　to　us；　one　had　four　men　in　her；　the　others　two　apiece。　　That　with　the　four　men　came　pretty　nigh　us；　and　showed　us　a　cocoa…nut　and　water　in　a　bamboo；　making　signs　that　there　was　enough　ashore　where　they　lived；　they　pointed　to　the　place　where　they　would　have　us　go；　and　so　went　away。　　We　saw　a　small　round　pretty　high　island　about　a　league　to　the　north　of　this　headland；　within　which　there　was　a　large　deep　bay；　whither　the　canoes　went；　and　we　strove　to　get　thither　before　night；　but　could　not；　wherefore　we　stood　off；　and　saw　land　to　the　westward　of　this　headland；　bearing　west…by…south…half…south　distance　about　ten　leagues；　and；　as　we　thought；　still　more　land　bearing　south…west…by…south；　distance　twelve　or　fourteen　leagues；　but　being　clouded；　it　disappeared；　and　we　thought　we　had　been　deceived。　　Before　night　we　opened　the　headland　fair；　and　I　named　it　Cape　St。　George。　　The　land　from　hence　trends　away　west…north…west　about　ten　leagues；　which　is　as　far　as　we　could　see　it；　and　the　land　that　we　saw　to　the　westward　of　it　in　the　evening；　which　bore　west…　by…south…half…south；　was　another　point　about　ten　leagues　from　Cape　St。　George；　between　which　there　runs　in　a　deep　bay　for　twenty　leagues　or　more。　　We　saw　some　high　land　in　spots　like　islands；　down　in　that　bay　at　a　great　distance；　but　whether　they　are　islands；　or　the　main　closing　there　we　know　not。　　The　next　morning　we　saw　other　land　to　the　south…east　of　the　westernmost　point；　which　till　then　was　clouded；　it　was　very　high　land；　and　the　same　that　we　saw　the　day　before；　that　disappeared　in　a　cloud。　　This　Cape　St。　George　lies　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　5　minutes　south；　and　meridian　distance　from　Cape　Mabo　1；290　miles。　　The　island　off　this　cape　I　called　St。　George's　Isle；　and　the　bay　between　it　and　the　west　point　I　named　St。　George's　Bay。　　＇Note：…　No　Dutch　drafts　go　so　far　as　this　cape　by　ten　leagues。＇　　On　the　10th；　in　the　evening；　we　got　within　a　league　of　the　westernmost　land　seen；　which　is　pretty　high　and　very　woody；　but　no　appearance　of　anchoring。　　I　stood　off　again；　designing；　if　possible；　to　ply　to　and　fro　in　this　bay　till　I　found　a　conveniency　to　wood　and　water。　　We　saw　no　more　plantations　nor　cocoa…nut　trees；　yet　in　the　night　we　discerned　a　small　fire　right　against　us。　　The　next　morning　we　saw　a　burning　mountain　in　the　country。　　It　was　round；　high；　and　peaked　at　top；　as　most　volcanoes　are；　and　sent　forth　a　great　quantity　of　smoke。　　We　took　up　a　log　of　driftwood；　and　split　it　for　firing；　in　which　we　found　some　small　fish。

The　day　after　we　passed　by　the　south…west　cape　of　this　bay；　leaving　it　to　the　north　of　us。　　When　we　were　abreast　of　it　I　called　my　officers　together；　and　named　it　Cape　Orford；　in　honour　of　my　noble　patron；　drinking　his　Lordship's　health。　　This　cape　bears　from　Cape　St。　George　south…west　about　eighteen　leagues。　　Between　them　there　is　a　bay　about　twenty…five　leagues　deep；　having　pretty　high　land　all　round　it；　especially　near　the　capes；　though　they　themselves　are　not　high。　　Cape　Orford　lies　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　24　minutes　south；　by　my　observation；　and　meridian　distance　from　Cape　St。　George；　forty…four　miles　west。　　The　land　trends　from　this　cape　north…west　by　west　into　the　bay；　and　on　the　other　side　south…west　per　compass；　which　is　south…west　9　degrees　west；　allowing　the　variation；　which　is　here　9　degrees　east。　　The　land　on　each　side　of　the　cape　is　more　savannah　than　woodland；　and　is　highest　on　the　north…west　side。　　The　cape　itself　is　a　bluff…point；　of　an　indifferent　height；　with　a　flat　tableland　at　top。　　When　we　were　to　the　south…west　of　the　cape；　it　appeared　to　be　a　low　point　shooting　out；　which　you　cannot　see　when　abreast　of　it。　　This　morning　we　struck　a　log　of　driftwood　with　our　turtle…irons；　hoisted　it　in；　and　split　it　for　firewood。　　Afterwards　we　struck　another；　but　could　not　get　it　in。　　There　were　many　fish　about　it。

We　steered　along　south…west　as　the　land　lies；　keeping　about　six　leagues　off　the　shore；　and；　being　desirous　to　cut　wood　and　fill　water；　if　I　saw　any　conveniency；　I　lay　by　in　the　night；　because　I　would　not　miss　any　place　proper　for　those　ends；　for　fear　of　wanting　such　necessaries　as