early australian voyages-第27部分

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e　that　I　might　not　be　driven　by　any　current　upon　the　shoals　of　this　island；　if　it　should　prove　calm。　　We　had　but　little　wind；　especially　the　beginning　of　the　night；　but　in　the　morning　I　found　myself　so　far　to　the　west　of　the　island；　that　the　wind　being　at　east…south…east；　I　could　not　fetch　it；　wherefore　I　kept　on　to　the　southward；　and　stemmed　with　the　body　of　a　high　island　about　eleven　or　twelve　leagues　long；　lying　to　the　southward　of　that　which　I　before　designed　for。　　I　named　this　island　Sir　George　Rook's　Island。

We　also　saw　some　other　islands　to　the　westward；　which　may　be　better　seen　in　my　draft　of　these　lands　than　here　described；　but　seeing　a　very　small　island　lying　to　the　north…west　of　the　long　island　which　was　before　us；　and　not　far　from　it。　　I　steered　away　for　that；　hoping　to　find　anchoring　there；　and　having　but　little　wind；　I　sent　my　boat　before　to　sound；　which；　when　we　were　about　two　miles'　distance　from　the　shore；　came　on　board　and　brought　me　word　that　there　was　good　anchoring　in　thirty　or　forty　fathom　water；　a　mile　from　the　isle；　and　within　a　reef　of　the　rocks　which　lay　in　a　half…moon；　reaching　from　the　north　part　of　the　island　to　the　south…east；　so　at　noon　we　got　in　and　anchored　in　thirty…six　fathom；　a　mile　from　the　isle。

In　the　afternoon　I　sent　my　boat　ashore　to　the　island；　to　see　what　convenience　there　was　to　haul　our　vessel　ashore　in　order　to　be　mended；　and　whether　we　could　catch　any　fish。　　My　men　in　the　boat　rowed　about　the　island；　but　could　not　land　by　reason　of　the　rocks　and　a　great　surge　running　in　upon　the　shore。　　We　found　variation　here；　8　degrees　25　minutes　west。

I　designed　to　have　stayed　among　these　islands　till　I　got　my　pinnace　refitted；　but　having　no　more　than　one　man　who　had　skill　to　work　upon　her；　I　saw　she　would　be　a　long　time　in　repairing　（which　was　one　great　reason　why　I　could　not　prosecute　my　discoveries　further）；　and　the　easterly　winds　being　set　in；　I　found　I　should　scarce　be　able　to　hold　my　ground。

The　31st；　in　the　forenoon；　we　shot　in　between　two　islands；　lying　about　four　leagues　asunder；　with　intention　to　pass　between　them。　The　southernmost　is　a　long　island；　with　a　high　hill　at　each　end；　this　I　named　Long　Island。　　The　northernmost　is　a　round　high　island　towering　up　with　several　heads　or　tops；　something　resembling　a　crown；　this　I　named　Crown　Isle　from　its　form。　　Both　these　islands　appeared　very　pleasant；　having　spots　of　green　savannahs　mixed　among　the　wood…land：　　the　trees　appeared　very　green　and　flourishing；　and　some　of　them　looked　white　and　full　of　blossoms。　　We　passed　close　by　Crown　Isle；　saw　many　cocoa…nut　trees　on　the　bays　and　sides　of　the　hills；　and　one　boat　was　coming　off　from　the　shore；　but　returned　again。　　We　saw　no　smoke　on　either　of　the　islands；　neither　did　we　see　any　plantations；　and　it　is　probable　they　are　not　very　well　peopled。　We　saw　many　shoals　near　Crown　Island；　and　reefs　of　rocks　running　off　from　the　points　a　mile　or　more　into　the　sea：　　my　boat　was　once　overboard；　with　design　to　have　sent　her　ashore；　but　having　little　wind；　and　seeing　some　shoals；　I　hoisted　her　in　again；　and　stood　off　out　of　danger。

In　the　afternoon；　seeing　an　island　bearing　north…west…by…west；　we　steered　away　north…west…by…north；　to　be　to　the　northward　of　it。　　The　next　morning；　being　about　midway　from　the　islands　we　left　yesterday；　and　having　this　to　the　westward　of　us；　the　land　of　the　main　of　New　Guinea　within　us　to　the　southward；　appeared　very　high。　　When　we　came　within　four　or　five　leagues　of　this　island　to　the　west　of　us；　four　boats　came　off　to　view　us；　one　came　within　call；　but　returned　with　the　other　three　without　speaking　to　us；　so　we　kept　on　for　the　island；　which　I　named　Sir　R。　Rich's　Island。　　It　was　pretty　high；　woody；　and　mixed　with　savannahs　like　those　formerly　mentioned。　Being　to　the　north　of　it；　we　saw　an　opening　between　it　and　another　island　two　leagues　to　the　west　of　it；　which　before　appeared　all　in　one。　　The　main　seemed　to　be　high　land；　trending　to　the　westward。

On　Tuesday；　the　2nd　of　April；　about　eight　in　the　morning；　we　discovered　a　high…peaked　island　to　the　westward；　which　seemed　to　smoke　at　its　top：　　the　next　day　we　passed　by　the　north　side　of　the　Burning　Island；　and　saw　smoke　again　at　its　top；　but　the　vent　lying　on　the　south　side　of　the　peak；　we　could　not　observe　it　distinctly；　nor　see　the　fire。　　We　afterwards　opened　three　more　islands；　and　some　land　to　the　southward；　which　we　could　not　well　tell　whether　it　were　islands　or　part　of　the　main。　　These　islands　are　all　high；　full　of　fair　trees　and　spots　of　great　savannahs；　as　well　the　Burning　Isle　as　the　rest；　but　the　Burning　Isle　was　more　round　and　peaked　at　top；　very　fine　land　near　the　sea；　and　for　two…thirds　up　it：　　we　also　saw　another　isle　sending　forth　a　great　smoke　at　once；　but　it　soon　vanished；　and　we　saw　it　no　more；　we　saw　also　among　these　islands　three　small　vessels　with　sails；　which　the　people　of　Nova　Britannia　seem　wholly　ignorant　of。

The　11th；　at　noon；　having　a　very　good　observation；　I　found　myself　to　the　northward　of　my　reckoning；　and　thence　concluded　that　we　had　a　current　setting　north…west；　or　rather　more　westerly；　as　the　land　lies。　　From　that　time　to　the　next　morning　we　had　fair　clear　weather；　and　a　fine　moderate　gale　from　south…east　to　east…by…north：　　but　at　daybreak　the　clouds　began　to　fly；　and　it　lightened　very　much　in　the　east；　south…east；　and　north…east。　　At　sun…rising；　the　sky　looked　very　red　in　the　east　near　the　horizon；　and　there　were　many　black　clouds　both　to　the　south　and　north　of　it。　　About　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　the　sun　was　up；　there　was　a　squall　to　the　windward　of　us；　when　on　sudden　one　of　our　men　on　the　forecastle　called　out　that　he　saw　something　astern；　but　could　not　tell　what：　　I　looked　out　for　it；　and　immediately　saw　a　spout　beginning　to　work　within　a　quarter　of　a　mile　of　us；　exactly　in　the　wind：　　we　presently　put　right　before　it。　It　came　very　swiftly；　whirling　the　water　up　in　a　pillar　about　six　or　seven　yards　high。　　As　yet　I　could　not　see　any　pendulous　cloud；　from　whence　it　might　come；　and　was　in　hopes　it　would　soon　lose　its　force。　In　four　or　five　minutes'　time　it　came　within　a　cable's　length　of　us；　and　passed　away　to　leeward；　and　then　I　saw　a　long　pale　stream　coming　down　to　the　whirling　water。　　This　stream　was　about　the　bigness　of　a　rainbow：　　the　upper　end　seemed　vastly　high；　not　descending　from　any　dark　cloud；　and　therefore　the　more　strange　to　me；　I　never　having　seen　the　like　before。　　It　passed　about　a　mile　to　leeward　of　us；　and　then　broke。　　This　was　but　a　small　spout；　not　strong　nor　lasting；　yet　I　perceived　much　wind　in　it　as　it　passed　by　us。　　The　current　still　continued　at　north…west　a　little　westerly；　which　I　allowed　to　run　a　mile　per　hour。

By　an　observation　the　13th；　at　noon；　I　found　myself　25　minutes　to　the　northward　of　my　reckoning；　whether　occasioned　by　bad　steerage；　a　bad　account；　or　a　current；　I　could　not　determine；　but　was　apt　to　judge　it　might　be　a　complication　of　all；　for　I　could　not　think　it　was　wholly　the　current；　the　land　here　lying　east…by…south；　and　west…　by…north；　or　a　little　more　northerly　and　southerly。　　We　had　kept　so　nigh　as　to　see　it；　and　at　farthest　had　not　been　above　twenty　leagues　from　it；　but　sometimes　much　nearer；　and　it　is　not　probable　that　any　current　should　set　directly　off　from　a　land。　　A　tide　indeed　may；　but　then　the　flood　has　the　same　force　to　strike　in　upon　the　shore；　as　the　ebb　to　strike　off　from　it：　　but　a　current　must　have　set　nearly　along　shore；　either　easterly　or　westerly；　and　if　anything　northerly　or　southerly；　it　could　be　but　very　little　in　comparison　of　its　east　or　west　course；　on　a　coast　lying　as　this　doth；　which　yet　we　did　not　perceive。　　If　therefore　we　were　deceived　by　a　current；　it　is　very　probable　that　the　land　is　here　disjoined；　and　that　there　is　a　passage　through　to　the　southward；　and　that　the　land　from　King　William's　Cape　to　this　place　is　an　island；　separated　from　New　Guinea　by　some　strait；　as　Nova　Britannia　is　by　that　which　we　came　through。　But　this　being　at　best　but　a　probable　conjecture；　I　shall　insist　no　farther　upon　it。

The　14th　we　passed　by　Scouten's　Island；　and　Providence　Island；　and　found　still　a　very　strong　current　setting　to　the　north…west。　　On　the　17th　we　saw　a　high　mountain　on　the　main；　that　sent　forth　great　quantities　of　smoke　from　its　top：　　this　volcano　we　did　not　see　in　our　voyage　out。　　In　the　afternoon　we　discovered　King　William's　Island；　and　crowded　all　the　sail　we　could　to　get　near　it　before　night；　thinking　to　lie　to　the　eastward　of　it　till　day；　for　fear　of　some　shoals　that　lie　at　the　west　end　of　it。　　Before　night　we　got　within　two　leagues　of　it；　and　having　a　fine　gale　of　wind　and　a　light　moon；　I　resolved　to　pass　through　in　the　night；　which　I　hoped　to　do　before　twelve　o'clock；　if　the　gale　continued；　but　when　we　came　within　two　miles　of　it；　it　fell　calm：　　yet　afterwards　by　the　help　of　the　current；　a　small　gale；　and　our　boat；　we　got　through　before　day。　In　the　night　we　had　a　very　fragrant　smell　from　the　island。　　By　morning　light　we　were　got　two　leagues　to　the　westward　of　it；　and　then　were　becalmed　all　the　morning；　and　met　such　whirling　tides；　that　when　we　came　into　them；　the　ship　turned　quite　round：　　and　though　sometimes　we　had　a　small　gale　of　wind；　yet　she　could　not　feel　the　helm　when　she　came　into　these　whirlpools：　　neither　could　we　get　from　amongst　them；　till　a　brisk　gale　sprang　up：　　yet　we　drove　not　much　any　way；　but　whirled　round　like　a　top。　　And　those　whirlpools　were　not　constant　to　one　place　but　drove　about　strangely：　　and　sometimes　we　saw　among　them　large　ripplings　of　the　water；　like　great　over…falls　making　a　fearful　noise。　　I　sent　my　boat　to　sound；　but　found　no　ground。

The　18th　Cape　Mabo　bore　south；　distance　nine　leagues；　by　which　account　it　lies　in　the　latitude　of　50　minutes　south；　and　meridian　distance　from　Cape　St。　George　one　thousand　two　hundred　and　forty…　three　miles。　　St。　John's　Isle　lies　forty…eight　miles　to　the　east　of　Cape　St。　George；　which　being　added　to　the　distance　between　Cape　St。　George　and　Cape　Mabo；　makes　one　thousand　two　hundred　and　ninety…one　meridional　parts；　which　was　the　furthest　that　I　was　to　the　east。　　In　my　outward…bound　voyage　I　made　meridian　distance　between　Cape　Mabo　and　Cape　St。　George；　one　thousand　two　hundred　and　ninety　miles；　and　now　in　my　return；　but　one　thousand　two　hundred　and　forty…t