with a much more dreadful found than it had ever had
before, when u neon netted with the ideas of immediate
danger ; at laft we fortunately drifted clear of the point at!
a Ihort diftance.
The next morning a gentle breeze fprung up, with which
we advanced towards the land again. We now ran within
the eaftermoft ifland, which, though it was not. above eight
or nine miles in circuit, was however inhabited, many of
the people running along flrore to gaze at us, with bows,
arrows, and darts in their hands. This ille had a hill
of moderate height in its centre, which appeared to be
deftitute of woods in moft parts, the cultivated lands and
groves lying at its foot and on its firft Hope. They confided
of coco-palms, bananas, and various other trees ; amongft
which we difeerned a number of fmall huts, and on the
beach, feveral canoes hauled afliore. The land oppofite to
the weft was about four or five leagues diftant from it, and
now likewife appeared to confift of two iflands. One of
thefe to the north, the fame on which we were near being
loft, was fmall, not above twelve or fifteen miles in circumference,
but of moderate height, like the former, and with
much the fame afpett. To the fouth of it, the main ifland
appeared, which extended no lefs than ten leagues from N. W.
to S. E. It was of a moderate height, like the two others
near it, but very gently Hoping in all parts, and prefented
to the eye many beautiful profpetts. Thick groves, and
extenfive
extenfive tratts of clear ground, were very agreeably varied,
and the latter had a rich yellowifli colour, which exattly
refembled the golden corn-fields of Europe. We all agreed
that this ifland was one of the fineft we had hitherto feen
in the new group, and feemed to be well fituated for the
purpofe of an European fettlement. We kept at a con-
fiderable diftance from i t ; but it appeared to us to be more
thinly inhabited than thofe which we had left to the northward.
This circumftance would facilitate the eftablifh-
ment of a colony; and if the fpirit of philanthropy could
ever animate the planters, they would here have an opportunity
to become the benefattors of the natives. From
what we obferved at Mallicollo, this race of men is very
intelligent, and would readily receive the improvements of
civilization. There appeared to be a bay towards the N.
W. end of the ifland, which we did not examine, on account
-of feveral fmall iflands and reefs lying before it to the eaft-
ward. It appeared to form a deep indenture on the
fliore, and to be more acceflible from the weftward. Captain
Cook named this extenfive ifland Sandwich, that to the
north Hinchinbrook, and the other to the eaft Montagu.
The middle of Sandwich Ifland lies in 1 70 40' S. lat. and
1 6 8° 3 o' E. long.
We ran to the fduth-eaftward all the afternoon and wtdnem. ,7.
night; but at day^break, the next morning, another ifland
w.as feen ahead, about fourteen leagues diftant, Sandwich
I i 2 being