^774^ but two of our people were wounded. On the 4th we anchored before the iiland of Tanna,- in 19 deg. 30 min. S. lat. Clofe by the harbour there was a volcano, which ihowered aihes upon us every day. The fmoke, flame, and loud thunder proceeding from this mountain, afforded a beautiful and fublime fpectacle. The inhabitants fpoke a peculiar language* of which we had riot the leaft knowledge ; and ihewed us much friendihip, though not Without committing fome hoftilities, which drove us to the dif- agreeable neceflityof flaining this otherwife hofpitable fhoie, with the blood of fome of the inhabitants. On the 2.0th we fleered again for the northern ifles of this Archipelago, but at length quitted "them entirely, after having fpent iri thh inveftigation of them forty-fix" days; a period of time, in which we alternately experiericed pleafure, difguft, and danger. More than once we were expofed to the poifoned weapons of the natives, from the flighted: wound arifing from which, we had every reafon to dread as painful and terrible a death, accompanied with madnefs, as happened to fome of Captain Cart ere fs crew, when they were wounded on the coaft of New Guinea. At one time our fhip had run aground; at another fhe was in danger of dafhing againft the rocks; and at another time, viz. on the ift of Auguft, o f being confumed by fire in the open fea; when it would have been our wretched fate, either to be blown up in the air, or to have fought for death in the briny ocean. On the 4th of September, after three days fail, we dif- covered the largeft iiland, next to New Zealand, in the whole Pacific Qcean, which by Captain C ook was called New Caledonia, and feemed with refpeft to its foil and ve- ’3 getables getables to refemble New Holland. The inhabitants were . >774- /© September. civil and hofpitable, but poor, and fpoke a language pecu- v<rO liar to themfelves. At this place, by great good fortune, I avoided eating the liver of a poifonous fifh, in company with the captain and Meflrs. Forjler, who were extremely ill for fome days afterwards. On the 15th, for want of wind, we Were near being driven oil the rocks; and on the 28th at night were in the moft dangerous fituation, being furrounded by a coral reef. That evening, when I went to bed, there was the greateft probability that I fhould never wake again, but at my very laft gafp: I however had the good fortune to go to fleep diredtly, and flept very found, and the next morning to find that I had efcaped the moft imminent danger that could well be imagined. On the xoth of Odlober we faw Norfolk iiland, in 29 deg. 2 min. S. lat. the firft difcovery the Engliih made beyond the tropics. We landed upon it, and found it uninhabited. On the 1 8th we came for the third time to anchor in Hueen Charlotte's Sound in New Zealand. V o l . I. O S E C T.
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