early australian voyages-第29部分

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laced　the　things　to　the　best　advantage　in　her；　and　came　off　in　the　pinnace　which　I　sent　to　guard　them；　and　now；　being　well…stocked　with　wood　and　all　my　water…casks　full；　I　resolved　to　sail　the　next　morning。　All　the　time　of　our　stay　here　we　had　very　fair　weather；　only　sometimes　in　the　afternoon　we　had　a　shower　of　rain；　which　lasted　not　above　an　hour　at　most；　also　some　thunder　and　lightning；　with　very　little　wind；　we　had　sea　and　land　breezes；　the　former　between　the　south…south…east；　and　the　latter　from　north…east　to　north…west。

This　place　I　named　Port　Montague　in　honour　of　my　noble　patron：　　it　lies　in　the　latitude　of　6　degrees　10　minutes　south；　and　meridian　distance　from　Cape　St。　George　151　miles　west。　　The　country　hereabouts　is　mountainous　and　woody；　full　of　rich　valleys　and　pleasant　fresh…water　brooks。　　The　mould　in　the　valleys　is　deep　and　yellowish；　that　on　the　sides　of　the　hill　of　a　very　brown　colour；　and　not　very　deep；　but　rocky　underneath；　yet　excellent　planting　land。　The　trees　in　general　are　neither　very　straight；　thick；　nor　tall；　yet　appear　green　and　pleasant　enough；　some　of　them　bore　flowers；　some　berries；　and　others　big　fruits；　but　all　unknown　to　any　of　us；　cocoa…　nut　trees　thrive　very　well　here；　as　well　on　the　bays　by　the　sea…　side；　as　more　remote　among　the　plantations；　the　nuts　are　of　an　indifferent　size；　the　milk　and　kernel　very　thick　and　pleasant。　　Here　is　ginger；　yams；　and　other　very　good　roots　for　the　pot；　that　our　men　saw　and　tasted；　what　other　fruits　or　roots　the　country　affords　I　know　not。　　Here　are　hogs　and　dogs；　other　land　animals　we　saw　none。　The　fowls　we　saw　and　knew　were　pigeons；　parrots；　cockatoos；　and　crows　like　those　in　England；　a　sort　of　birds　about　the　bigness　of　a　blackbird；　and　smaller　birds　many。　　The　sea　and　rivers　have　plenty　of　fish；　we　saw　abundance；　though　we　caught　but　few；　and　these　were　cavallies；　yellow…tails；　and　whip…rays。

We　departed　from　hence　on　the　22nd　of　March；　and　on　the　24th；　in　the　evening；　we　saw　some　high　land　bearing　north…west　half…west；　to　the　west　of　which　we　could　see　no　land；　though　there　appeared　something　like　land　bearing　west　a　little　southerly；　but　not　being　sure　of　it；　I　steered　west…north…west　all　night；　and　kept　going　on　with　an　easy　sail；　intending　to　coast　along　the　shore　at　a　distance。　　At　ten　o'clock　I　saw　a　great　fire　bearing　north…west…by…west；　blazing　up　in　a　pillar；　sometimes　very　high　for　three　or　four　minutes；　then　falling　quite　down　for　an　equal　space　of　time；　sometimes　hardly　visible；　till　it　blazed　up　again。　　I　had　laid　me　down；　having　been　indisposed　these　three　days；　but　upon　a　sight　of　this；　my　chief　mate　called　me；　I　got　up　and　viewed　it　for　about　half　an　hour；　and　knew　it　to　be　a　burning　hill　by　its　intervals：　　I　charged　them　to　look　well　out；　having　bright　moonlight。　　In　the　morning　I　found　that　the　fire　we　had　seen　the　night　before　was　a　burning　island；　and　steered　for　it。　　We　saw　many　other　islands；　one　large　high　island；　and　another　smaller　but　pretty　high。　　I　stood　near　the　volcano；　and　many　small　low　islands；　with　some　shoals。

March　the　25th；　1700；　in　the　evening　we　came　within　three　leagues　of　this　burning　hill；　being　at　the　same　time　two　leagues　from　the　main；　I　found　a　good　channel　to　pass　between　them；　and　kept　nearer　the　main　than　the　island。　　At　seven　in　the　evening　I　sounded；　and　had　fifty…two　fathom　fine　sand　and　ooze。　　I　stood　to　the　northward　to　get　clear　of　this　strait；　having　but　little　wind　and　fair　weather。　The　island　all　night　vomited　fire　and　smoke　very　amazingly；　and　at　every　belch　we　heard　a　dreadful　noise　like　thunder；　and　saw　a　flame　of　fire　after　it　the　most　terrifying　that　ever　I　saw；　the　intervals　between　its　belches　were　about　half　a　minute；　some　more；　others　less；　neither　were　these　pulses　or　eruptions　alike；　for　some　were　but　faint　convulsions；　in　comparison　of　the　more　vigorous；　yet　even　the　weakest　vented　a　great　deal　of　fire；　but　the　largest　made　a　roaring　noise；　and　sent　up　a　large　flame；　twenty　or　thirty　yards　high；　and　then　might　be　seen　a　great　stream　of　fire　running　down　to　the　foot　of　the　island；　even　to　the　shore。　　From　the　furrows　made　by　this　descending　fire；　we　could；　in　the　day　time；　see　great　smoke　arise；　which　probably　were　made　by　the　sulphurous　matter　thrown　out　of　the　funnel　at　the　top；　which　tumbling　down　to　the　bottom；　and　there　lying　in　a　heap；　burned　till　either　consumed　or　extinguished；　and　as　long　as　it　burned　and　kept　its　heat；　so　long　the　smoke　ascended　from　it；　which　we　perceived　to　increase　or　decrease；　according　to　the　quantity　of　matter　discharged　from　the　funnel：　　but　the　next　night；　being　shot　to　the　westward　of　the　burning　island；　and　the　funnel　of　it　lying　on　the　south　side；　we　could　not　discern　the　fire　there；　as　we　did　the　smoke　in　the　day　when　we　were　to　the　southward　of　it。　　This　volcano　lies　in　the　latitude　of　5　degrees　33　minutes　south；　and　meridian　distance　from　Cape　St。　George；　three　hundred　and　thirty…two　miles　west。

The　easternmost　part　of　New　Guinea　lies　forty　miles　to　the　westward　of　this　tract　of　land；　and　by　hydrographers　they　are　made　joining　together；　but　here　I　found　an　opening　and　passage　between；　with　many　islands；　the　largest　of　which　lie　on　the　north　side　of　this　passage　or　strait。　　The　channel　is　very　good；　between　the　islands　and　the　land　to　the　eastward。　　The　east　part　of　New　Guinea　is　high　and　mountainous；　ending　on　the　north…east　with　a　large　promontory；　which　I　named　King　William's　Cape；　in　honour　of　his　present　Majesty。　　We　saw　some　smoke　on　it；　and　leaving　it　on　our　larboard　side；　steered　away　near　the　east　land；　which　ends　with　two　remarkable　capes　or　heads；　distant　from　each　other　about　six　or　seven　leagues：　　within　each　head　were　two　very　remarkable　mountains；　ascending　very　gradually　from　the　sea…side；　which　afforded　a　very　pleasant　and　agreeable　prospect。　　The　mountains　and　the　lower　land　were　pleasantly　mixed　with　woodland　and　savannahs；　the　trees　appeared　very　green　and　flourishing；　and　the　savannahs　seemed　to　be　very　smooth　and　even；　no　meadow　in　England　appears　more　green　in　the　spring　than　these。　　We　saw　smoke；　but　did　not　strive　to　anchor　here；　but　rather　chose　to　get　under　one　of　the　islands　（where　I　thought　I　should　find　few　or　no　inhabitants）；　that　I　might　repair　my　pinnace；　which　was　so　crazy　that　I　could　not　venture　ashore　anywhere　with　her。　　As　we　stood　over　to　the　islands；　we　looked　out　very　well　to　the　north；　but　could　see　no　land　that　way；　by　which　I　was　well　assured　that　we　were　got　through；　and　that　this　east　land　does　not　join　to　New　Guinea；　therefore　I　named　it　Nova　Britannia。　　The　north…　west　cape　I　called　Cape　Gloucester；　and　the　south…west…point　Cape　Anne；　and　the　north…west　mountain；　which　is　very　remarkable；　I　called　Mount　Gloucester。

This　island　which　I　called　Nova　Britannia；　has　about　4　degrees　of　latitude：　　the　body　of　it　lying　in　4　degrees；　and　the　northernmost　part　in　2　degrees　32　minutes；　and　the　southernmost　in　6　degrees　30　minutes　south。　　It　has　about　5　degrees　18　minutes　longitude　from　east　to　west。　　It　is　generally　high　mountainous　land；　mixed　with　large　valleys；　which；　as　well　as　the　mountains　appeared　very　fertile；　and　in　most　places　that　we　saw；　the　trees　are　very　large；　tall　and　thick。　　It　is　also　very　well　inhabited　with　strong　well…　limbed　negroes；　whom　we　found　very　daring　and　bold　at　several　places。　　As　to　the　product　of　it；　I　know　no　more　than　what　I　have　said　in　my　account　of　Port　Montague；　but　it　is　very　probable　this　island　may　afford　as　many　rich　commodities　as　any　in　the　world：　　and　the　natives　may　be　easily　brought　to　commerce；　though　I　could　not　pretend　to　it　under　my　present　circumstances。

Being　near　the　island　to　the　northward　of　the　volcano；　I　sent　my　boat　to　sound；　thinking　to　anchor　here；　but　she　returned　and　brought　me　word；　that　they　had　no　ground　till　they　met　with　a　reef　of　coral　rocks　about　a　mile　from　the　shore；　then　I　bore　away　to　the　north　side　of　the　island；　where　we　found　no　anchoring　neither。　　We　saw　several　people；　and　some　cocoa…nut　trees；　but　could　not　send　ashore　for　want　of　my　pinnace；　which　was　out　of　order。　　In　the　evening　I　stood　off　to　sea；　to　be　at　such　a　distance　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