A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

and seemed to form some creeks or coves; and, as we got farther into the passage, we perceived somesmall low isles lying along it, which seemed to extend behind St Bartholomew Island.Having now finished the survey of the whole archipelago, the season of the year made it necessary for meto return to the south, while I had yet some time left to explore any land I might meet with between thisand New Zealand; where I intended to touch, that I might refresh my people, and recruit our stock of woodand water for another southern course. With this view, at five p.m. we tacked, and hauled to the southwardwith a fresh gale at S.E. At this time the N.W. point of the passage, or the S.W. point of the island Tierradel Espiritu Santo, the only remains of Quiros's continent, bore N. 82° W., distant three leagues. I named itCape Lisburne, and its situation is in latitude 15° 40', longitude 165° 59' E.The foregoing account of these islands, in the order in which we explored them, not being particularenough either as to situation or description, it may not be improper now to give a more accurate view ofthem, which will convey to the reader a better idea of the whole groupe.The northern islands of this archipelago were first discovered by that great navigator Quiros in 1606; and,not without reason, were considered as part of the southern continent, which, at that time, and until verylately, was supposed to exist. They were next visited by M. de Bougainville, in 1768; who, besides landingon the Isle of Lepers, did no more than discover that the land was not connected, but composed of islands,which he called the Great Cyclades. But as, besides ascertaining the extent and situation of these islands,we added to them several new ones which were not known before, and explored the whole, I think we haveobtained a right to name them; and shall in future distinguish them by the name of the New Hebrides. Theyare situated between the latitude of 14° 29' and 20° 4' S., and between 166° 41' and 170° 21' E. longitude,and extend an hundred and twenty-five leagues in the direction of N.N.W. 1/2 W. and S.S.E. 1/2 E.The most northern island is that called by M. de Bougainville, Peak of the Etoile; it is situated, accordingto his account, in latitude, 14° 29', longitude 168° 9'; and N. by W., eight leagues from Aurora.The next island, which lies farthest north, is that of Tierra del Espiritu Santo. It is the most western andlargest of all the Hebrides, being twenty-two leagues long, in the direction of N.N.W. 1/2 W. and S.S.E.1/2 E., twelve in breadth, and sixty in circuit. We have obtained the true figure of this island veryaccurately. The land of it, especially the west side, is exceedingly high and mountainous; and, in manyplaces the hills rise directly from the sea. Except the cliffs and beaches, every other part is covered withwood, or laid out in plantations. Besides the bay of St Philip and St Jago, the isles which lie along the southand east coast, cannot, in my opinion, fail of forming some good bays or harbours.The next considerable island is that of Mallicollo. To the S.E. it extends N.W. and S.E., and is eighteenleagues long in that direction. Its greatest breadth, which is at the S.E, end, is eight leagues. The N.W. endis two- thirds this breadth, and near the middle, one-third. This contraction is occasioned by a wide andpretty deep bay on the S.W. side. To judge of this island from what we saw of it, it must be very fertile andwell inhabited. The land on the sea-coast is rather low, and lies with a gentle slope from the hills which arein the middle of the island. Two-thirds of the N.E. coast was only seen at a great distance; therefore thedelineations of it can have no pretensions to accuracy; but the other parts, I apprehend, are without anymaterial errors.St Bartholomew lies between the S.E. end of Tierra del Espiritu Santo, and the north end of Mallicollo; andthe distance between it and the latter is eight miles. This is the passage through which M. de Bougainville