>>«■ A calm, which happened after noon, entirely flopped o u p -
progrefs towards the land, to which we were now near-
enough to difcern feveral fmokes, fufficient to prove that it
was inhabited. An officer at the maft-head like wife entertained
us with the hope of feeing another volcano, of which,
he faid he had. feen the fmoEe burfting out. He muff,,
however, have been deceived, by appearances, as we never
afterwards law any volcanic production upon this *ifland..
The point which had firft been feen, was- named after the
midfliipman, Cape Calnett, and is fituated in 200 3° fouth,,
and 165° 2'eaft. The whole land, appearing to be very
extenfi-ve, was honoured with the appellation of Nona Caledonia.
We could not wait the moment which fhould bring;
us acquainted with the inhabitants of' this land, but formed.,
feveral conjectures relative to them. As we had found the-
inhabitants of the New Hebrides not only entirely diftindb
from the New Zeelanders, but alfo different amongft them-
felves, this new country offered itfelf to our eyes very opportunely
in order to account for the population of New.
Zeeland; but the fequel convinced us. that our ideas were
very premature on this fubjeffc, and that the hiftory of the
human fpecies in the South Seas cannot yet be unravelled,
with any degree of precifion.
Before it was dark, three failing canoes were feen coming
off from the fliore. Perhaps the natives had taken our
fliip to be a canoe, and upon this fuppofition had miftaken
t h e
;the diftance, for foon after they put about and returned.
The land to the weftward feemed to be divided into feveral
dflands, and a-head of the (hip we obferved fome breakers,
which gave us reafon to conclude that a reef of coral furrounded
the land at a confiderable diftance from it.
Early-the next morning, having a fine breeze, we ftood vu^ s-
towards the fbore, and foon difcovered the reef, which ran
parallel to the coaft, at the diftance of three leagues. Within
it we few feveral canoes, each provided with two large
fails one behind the other, a n d fome natives on board of
them employed in fiibing. A few other canoes put off
from the 'fliore fome time after, and, paffing the reef, came
towards the (hip. We called to them as foon as we could
he heard, but they only looked at us, and foon returned the
way they came, making however n o unfriendly geftures.
Having obferved an entrance into the reef we boifted two
-boats out, which we feat to found. In a little time- they
made the fignal of having found a convenient and fare paff-
,acre into the foaooth water within the reef, and we cou
obferve them converfing upon very amicable terms with
a can0e full of the natives. Our fhip flood into this fmooth
bafon through a gap in the reef, which was about a mile
in breadth. The natives laid fome of their canoes on both
fides of the paflage, in a place where it was narrow, and
beckoned to us to keep in the middle between, which gave
us a very high opinion of their friendly and open difpofi-
C c c a tioft