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'-7+. The land which we now faw to the northward, A ugust. . , ' ’ _ - ’
feems to be the fame, which that great navigator, captain
Quiros, called Tierra Auftral del Efpiritu Santo, and which
at that time, he fuppofed to make part of a continent. It
is not improbable, that the bay o f St. Philip and St.
Jago, where he anchored, is fituated within the fmall
iflands, which lie before that great land. We really faw
the appearance of a bay within them, but did not flop to
examine it, only giving the fmall iflands the name of Bar-
rholemew Ifles, from the day on which we faw them.
We were now entertained once more with the fight of
the ifland of Lepers, and Aurora which remained at a great
diftance to the eaft of us. Our courfe continued to the
north along the eaftern fhore of Tierra del Efpiritu Santo,
where we ftill difcovered new iflands, which were not feen
by M. de Bougainville. Thefe fmall iflands, as well as the
main land, had all a very fertile afpeCt, being covered with
fine forefls, from whence numerous. fmokès afcënded,
which were fo many figns of a great population. Having
paffed the night, Handing off and on, we came abreaft of
the northernmofl iflands the next morning, and took notice
Thurfday 15, . 0
that even the large land extended no further northward. Moft
of the fmall iflands were very long, narrow, and bluff at one
end, but formed a low flat point, running out to the northward.
Their bluff part was commonly white like a chalk-
cliff, and it was remarkable that we did not obferve any coconut
■ nut trees among their forefls, which in fome places confifted
-chiefly of club-wood. As wepaffed by their northernextremity,
they formed a very beautiful prolpccf, gradually opening
from each other, and clear of the main land. Steering to
the weft ward, we paffed a projecting point on Tierra del
Efpiritu Santo, and opened a moft fpacious bay of which
the entrance could be no lefs than five leagues wide. The
depth of the bay was proportioned to the width. The
fhores on each fide feemed to run parallel for the fpace of
feven leagues, at the end of which the bay terminates. A
fine beach was feen all along the bottom o f it, and the land
from thence, for many leagues within the country, confifted
of hills of a very moderate height, and extenfive populous
vallies, which had the appearance of fertility and
plenty. We flood over to its weftern fhore where we faw
many natives, efpecially towards the evening ; and like wife
took notice of a canoe fimilar to thofe which we had
obferved at Mallicollo ; it came off, but the people in it
kept it at a diftance from the fhip, and would not come
near, though we gave them ever fo many invitations. The
hill which formed the weftern fhore was rather fteep, but
however well inhabited, and covered with woods. A low
flat point ran out from it a mile or two into the bay, and
formed a kind of cove where we wifhed to come to an
anchor, as we were becalmed, and the night was coming on.
We founded feveral times, but found no bottom with one
V ol. II. B b b hundred
*774*
A u GUSTo