Their canoes were neatly made, and of various sizes, with an out-rigger to balance them. I sent the carpenter of the Sirius on shore, to examine the different kinds of timber; he reported to me, that he found one tree which was hard, and had something like the appearance of ebony, but was not quite so black; all the others he tried were soft and spongy, like the palm or cabbage tree.
The soil I think for richness beyond any I ever saw; it exceeded Norfolk Island in that respect: I had a man with me who had been upon that island from its first settlement, and who had cleared and cultivated land there; he assured me that this was superior to any he had ever opened at that island.
On the 27th in the morning, we prepared for sailing; before we got under way, two English pointers, male and female, which had been given to the master of the ship at Port Jackson, were sent on shore, and given to a party of the natives, who seemed highly delighted with them; a cock and hen were also given to them.
At ten o'clock we sailed out of the bay. This bay was named Port Hunter; its latitude is 4° 7' 30" south, and longitude 152° 42' east; although it is not large, it is convenient and safe at this season; it lies on the north-west part of the island, and you may anchor in any part of it, from twenty-five to fifteen fathoms, but the shoal-water has the worst ground: in twenty fathoms it is soft, with loose patches of coral; the watering place is on the east side, but as the tide flows up to the place from whence the fresh water issues, it is best to fill from half ebb to half flood. The water is so exceedingly soft, that there were some amongst us who were so prejudiced against it that they believed it brackish; a quality I own which I never could discover in it; I was therefore of opinion that this prejudice could only have proceeded from knowing that the salt water was so very near it at high water time; such opinions were not however confirmed from experience, as we never felt any inconvenience from it. The tide here seemed to rise five or six feet, but the exact period of high water was not noticed, we had so much business to do.
We steered north-west by west, and west-north-west, and at eight o'clock in the morning, saw Sandwich Island, bearing north-west; at noon, our latitude was 3° 13' south, and longitude 150° 42' east; the south-west point of Sandwich Island bearing north 45° west, distant from the nearest shore six leagues. The latitude of the south-west point will be 2° 58' south, and its longitude 150° 27' east. This island is of moderate height, and well covered with wood; we passed on the south side; its general direction is about east-north-east and west-south-west, and in that direction is about seven leagues in length: it appeared to be of considerable breadth at its eastern end, and narrow towards its western, where it terminates in a narrow point, off which lies a small woody island, with a narrow passage between that and the main island, to which it appears connected by a reef. On the north side of Sandwich Island, we observed the remarkable peaked hill mentioned by Captain Carteret, and also the corresponding one on the coast of New Ireland.
As soon as we were passed Sandwich Island, we observed that the western current, which we had hitherto experienced in this strait, now took a turn more northerly, having opened the strait, or passage between New Ireland and New Hanover, which last land we saw before night. We steered during the night west by north by compass, intending to pass at a convenient distance from the Portland Islands, but at day-light we were obliged to haul up west by south, having been more to the northward than we expected: we passed them at four miles distance; they are nine in number, are low and covered with wood; the center of them is in latitude 2° 38' south, and longitude 149° 08' east.
During the night of the 30th, we had heavy dull weather, with light and variable winds, and the appearance of the wind threatened much rain, which, however, fell only in light showers. At seven the next morning, we saw an island bearing north-west by west, and at eight, saw more land from the mast-head, bearing west; those we supposed to be part of the Admiralty Islands: the wind was now at south-west, and we could not weather the southermost, on which we bore away and passed between them. The smaller, which we left to leeward, was a pretty looking spot, of moderate height, its latitude was 2° 19' south, and longitude 147° 52' east. As we had seen much land, and in different directions, before dark, we determined to bring to for the night; it then fell calm, so that we had by the morning only drifted a little with a current to the north-west.
At day-light of the 31st, we saw much land to the northward and westward. Five large canoes came off from the nearest island, in each of which were eleven men; six paddled, and five stood up in the center of the boat, who appeared to be of the better sort, being painted and ornamented, and seemed as if intended for war; but when they came near, they showed no hostile appearance: we invited them by signs to come on board, but they would not venture near the ship; they held up various articles, which they seemed desirous of exchanging; such as lines, shells, ornaments of different kinds, and bundles of darts or arrows: they were a stout well-looking people, rather darker than the natives of the Duke of York's Island; their hair appeared woolly, and and was knotted or tied upon the top of their head; they wore a wrapper round their waist. One of them made various motions for shaving, by holding up something in his hand, with which he frequently scraped his cheek and chin; this led me to conjecture, that some European ship had been lately amongst them, and I thought it not improbable, that it might have been Mons. de la Perouse, in his way to the northward from Botany-Bay.
Their canoes appeared from forty to fifty feet long, were neatly made, and turned a little up at the extremities; there was a stage which lay across the midships of the boat, and projected out some distance on one side; it was bent upwards a little at the outer end, to prevent its dipping in the water, by the motion of the boat; this stage seemed intended for the warriors to use their weapons upon: on the opposite side, was fitted in a different manner, an out-rigger to balance the boat; three of the rowers sat before and three abaft the stage, so that those intended for battle were not at all incommoded by them.
A heavy black squall coming on at this time, they all pushed for the land, otherwise I believe we might have prevailed on them to come alongside.