Pa l m e k s t o n
Greenw
o 'i -W? a Greeny^
A N D R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 3
At four o’clock in the afternoon we left this ifle and re-
fumed our courfe to the W. by S. with a fine fteady gale eafter- <—-v— -
, . , _ , . , . _ 0 Monday 20,
ly, till noon on the 20th, at which time, being in latitude i«°
50', longitude 1680 52', we thought we faw land to S. S. W.,
and hauled up for it accordingly.. But two hours after, we
difcovered our miftake, and refumed our courfe W. by S.
Soon after we faw land from the maft-head in the fame direction
; and, as we drew nearer, found it to be an ifland
which, at five o’clock, bore Weft, diftant five leagues. Here
we fpent the night plying under the top-fails; and, at daybreak
next morning, bore away, fleering for the northern
point, and ranging the Weft coaft at the diftance of one mile,
till near noon. Then perceiving fome people on the fliore,
and landing feeming to be eafy, we brought to, and hoifted
out two boats, with which I put off to the land, accompanied
by fome of the officers and gentlemen. As we drew near the
fhore, fome of the inhabitants, who were on the rocks, retired
to the woods, to meet us, as we fuppofed; and we afterwards
found our conjectures right. We landed with eafe in a fmall
creek, and took poll on a high rock to prevent a furprife. Here
we difplayed our colours, and Mr. Forfter and his party began
to colleCt plants, &c. The coaft was fo over-run with woods,
buffies, plants, ftones, &c. that we could not fee forty
yards round us. I took two men, and with them entered a
kind of chafm, which.opened away into the woods. We
had not gone far before we heard the natives approaching;
upon which I called to Mr. Forfter to retire to the party, as I
did likewife. We had no fooner joined, than the iflanders appeared
at the entrance of a chafm not a ftone’s throw from
us. We began to fpeak, and make all the friendly figns we
could think of, to them, which they anfwered by menaces ;
and one of two men, who were advanced before the reft,
B 2 . threw