early australian voyages-第26部分

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　could　not　now　stay　for　them。　　As　I　passed　by　the　south…east　point　I　sounded　several　times　within　a　mile　of　the　Sandy　Bays；　but　had　no　ground。　　About　three　leagues　to　the　northward　of　the　south…east　point　we　opened　a　large；　deep　bay；　secured　from　west…　north…west　and　south…west　winds。　　There　were　two　other　islands　that　lay　to　the　north…east　of　it；　which　secured　the　bay　from　north…east　winds；　one　was　but　small；　yet　woody；　the　other　was　a　league　long；　inhabited；　and　full　of　cocoa…nut　trees。　　I　endeavoured　to　get　into　this　bay；　but　there　came　such　flaws　off　from　the　high　land　over　it　that　I　could　not。　　Besides；　we　had　many　hard　squalls；　which　deterred　me　from　it；　and；　night　coming　on；　I　would　not　run　any　hazard；　but　bore　away　to　the　small　inhabited　island；　to　see　if　we　could　get　anchorage　on　the　east　side　of　it。　　When　we　came　there　we　found　the　island　so　narrow；　that　there　could　be　no　shelter；　therefore　I　tacked　and　stood　towards　the　greater　island　again；　and　being　more　than　midway　between　both；　I　lay　by；　designing　to　endeavour　for　anchorage　next　morning。　　Between　seven　and　eight　at　night　we　spied　a　canoe　close　by　us；　and　seeing　no　more；　suffered　her　to　come　aboard。　　She　had　three　men　in　her；　who　brought　off　five　cocoa…nuts；　for　which　I　gave　each　of　them　a　knife　and　a　string　of　beads；　to　encourage　them　to　come　off　again　in　the　morning：　　but　before　these　went　away　we　saw　two　more　canoes　coming；　therefore　we　stood　away　to　the　northward　from　them；　and　then　lay　by　again　till　day。　　We　saw　no　more　boats　this　night；　neither　designed　to　suffer　any　to　come　aboard　in　the　dark。

By　nine　o'clock　the　next　morning　we　were　got　within　a　league　of　the　great　island；　but　were　kept　off　by　violent　gusts　of　wind。　　These　squalls　gave　us　warning　of　their　approach　by　the　clouds　which　hung　over　the　mountains；　and　afterwards　descended　to　the　foot　of　them；　and　then　it　is　we　expect　them　speedily。

On　the　3rd　of　March；　being　about　five　leagues　to　leeward　of　the　great　island；　we　saw　the　mainland　ahead；　and　another　great　high　island　to　leeward　of　us；　distant　about　seven　leagues；　which　we　bore　away　for。　　It　is　called　in　the　Dutch　drafts　Garret　Dennis　Isle。　　It　is　about　fourteen　or　fifteen　leagues　round；　high　and　mountainous；　and　very　woody。　　Some　trees　appeared　very　large　and　tall；　and　the　bays　by　the　seaside　are　well　stared　with　cocoa…nut　trees；　where　we　also　saw　some　small　houses。　　The　sides　of　the　mountains　are　thick…　set　with　plantations；　and　the　mould　in　the　new…cleared　land　seemed　to　be　of　a　brown…reddish　colour。　　This　island　is　of　no　regular　figure；　but　is　full　of　points　shooting　forth　into　the　sea；　between　which　are　many　sandy　bays；　full　of　cocoa…nut　trees。　　The　middle　of　the　isle　lies　in　3　degrees　10　minutes　south　latitude。　　It　is　very　populous。　　The　natives　are　very　black；　strong；　and　well…limbed　people；　having　great　round　heads；　their　hair　naturally　curled　and　short；　which　they　shave　into　several　forms；　and　dye　it　also　of　divers　coloursviz。；　red；　white；　and　yellow。　　They　have　broad　round　faces；　with　great　bottle…noses；　yet　agreeable　enough　till　they　disfigure　them　by　painting；　and　by　wearing　great　things　through　their　noses　as　big　as　a　man's　thumb；　and　about　four　inches　long。　These　are　run　clear　through　both　nostrils；　one　end　coming　out　by　one　cheek…bone；　and　the　other　end　against　the　other；　and　their　noses　so　stretched　that　only　a　small　slip　of　them　appears　about　the　ornament。　They　have　also　great　holes　in　their　ears；　wherein　they　wear　such　stuff　as　in　their　noses。　　They　are　very　dexterous；　active　fellows　in　their　proas；　which　are　very　ingeniously　built。　　They　are　narrow　and　long；　with　outriggers　on　one　side；　the　head　and　stern　higher　than　the　rest；　and　carved　into　many　devicesviz。；　some　fowl；　fish；　or　a　man's　head　painted　or　carved；　and　though　it　is　but　rudely　done；　yet　the　resemblance　appears　plainly；　and　shows　an　ingenious　fancy。　　But　with　what　instruments　they　make　their　proas　or　carved　work　I　know　not；　for　they　seem　to　be　utterly　ignorant　of　iron。　　They　have　very　neat　paddles；　with　which　they　manage　their　proas　dexterously；　and　make　great　way　through　the　water。　　Their　weapons　are　chiefly　lances；　swords　and　slings；　and　some　bows　and　arrows。　　They　have　also　wooden　fish…spears　for　striking　fish。　　Those　that　came　to　assault　us　in　Slinger's　Bay　on　the　main　are　in　all　respects　like　these；　and　I　believe　these　are　alike　treacherous。　　Their　speech　is　clear　and　distinct。　　The　words　they　used　most　when　near　us　were　vacousee　allamais；　and　then　they　pointed　to　the　shore。　　Their　signs　of　friendship　are　either　a　great　truncheon；　or　bough　of　a　tree　full　of　leaves；　put　on　their　heads；　often　striking　their　heads　with　their　hands。

The　next　day；　having　a　fresh　gale　of　wind；　we　got　under　a　high　island；　about　four　or　five　leagues　round；　very　woody；　and　full　of　plantations　upon　the　sides　of　the　hills；　and　in　the　bays；　by　the　waterside；　are　abundance　of　cocoa…nut　trees。　　It　lies　in　the　latitude　of　3　degrees　25　minutes　south；　and　meridian　distance　from　Cape　Mabo　1；316　miles。　　On　the　south…east　part　of　it　are　three　or　four　other　small　woody　islands；　one　high　and　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　anchorin