■ 774- proper now to give a more accurate view of them, which,
■ AuE“n' , with the annexed chart, will convey to the reader a better
Wedner. 31. j j ea 0f ttle whole groupe.
The northern iflands of this Archipelago were firft difco-
vered by that great navigator Quiros in 1606 ; and, not without
reafon, were confidered as part of the fouthern continent,
which, at that time, and until very la'tely, was fuppofed to
exift. They were next vifited by M. de Bougainville, in
1768; who, befides landing on the Ifle of Lepers, did no
more than difcover that the land was not conne&ed, but
compofed of iflands, which he called the Great Cydades.
But as, befides afcertaining the extent and fituation of thefe
iflands, we added to them Several new ones which were not
known before, and explored the whole, I think we have
obtained a right to name them ; and fhall in future diftin-
guilh them by the name of the New Hebrides. They are
fituated between the latitude- of 140 29' and 20° 4' South,
and between 1660 41' and 170° 21' Eaft longitude, and extend
an hundred and twenty-five leagues in the direction of
N. N- W. 4 W. and S. S. E. a E..
The moft northern ifland is that called by M. de Bougainville
Peak of the Etoile. It is fituated, according to his account,
in latitude 140 29', longitude 168° 9'; and, N. by W-, eight
leagues from Aurora.
The next ifland, which lies fartheft North, is that o.f
Tierra del Efpiritu Santo. It is the moft weftern and
largeft of all the Hebrides, being twenty-two leagues
long, in the direffion of N. N. W. 4. W. and S, S. E. ttj E ,
twelve in breadth, and fixty in circuit. We have obtained
the true figure of this ifland, very accurately. The land
of it, efpecially the weft fide, is exceedingly, high and
mountainous; and, in many places, the hills rife diredtly
from
from the Tea. Except the cliffs and beaches, every other
part is covered with wood, or laid out in plantations. Be-
fides the bay of St. Philip and St. Jago, the ifles which lie
along the fouth and eaft coaft, cannot, in my opinion, fail of
forming fome good bays or harbours.
The next confiderable ifland is that of Mallicollo. To the
S. E. it extends N. W. and S. E„ and is eighteen leagues long
in that direction. Its greateft breadth, which is at the S. E.
end, is eight leagues. The N. W. end is two-thirds this
breadth ; and nearer the middle, one-third. This contraction
is occafioned by a wide and pretty deep bay on the S. W.
fide. To judge of this ifland from what we faw of it, it
muft be very fertile and well inhabited. The land on the
fea-coaft is rather low, and lies with a gentle Hope from the
hills which are in the middle of the ifland. Two-thirds of
the N. E. coaft was only feen at a great diftance; therefore
the delineations of it on the chart can have no pretenfions
to accuracy; but the other parts, I apprehend, are without
any material errors.
St. Bartholomew lies between the S. E. end of Tierra del
Efpiritu Santo, and the north end of Mallicollo; and the
diftance between it and the latter is eight miles. This is
the paffage through whichM.de Bougainville went; and
the middle of it is in latitude 150 48'.
The Ifle of Lepers lies between Efpiritu Santo and Aurora
Ifland, eight leagues from the former, and three from the
latter, in latitude 15? 22', and nearly under the fame meridian
as the S. E. end of Mallicollo. It is of an egg-like
figure, very high, and eighteen'or twenty leagues in circuit.
Its limits were determined by feveral bearings; but the lines
V ol. II. O of