Page 10

Cook's Descriptions of Places

Table of Contents King Georges Island Index Search Contact us

Description of King Georges Island This Island is called by the Natives Otaheite and was first discover'd by Captain Wallice in His Majestys ship Dolphin on the 19th of June 1767. ^ and to the credit of him and his officers the Longd of Royl Bay was by settled ^ by them to within half a degree of the truth, and the whole figure of the Island not ill described —   It is situated between the Latitudes of 17°..29' and 17°.. 53' South and between the Longitudes of 149..10 and 149..39 West from the Meridian of Greenwich. Point Venus, so called from the Observation being made there is the northern extremety of the Island and lies in the Longitude of 149°..30' being the mean result of a great number of observations made upon the spot. The Shores of this Island are mostly guarded from the Sea by reefs of Coral rocks and these form several excellent Bays and Harbours wherein are room and depth of water sufficient for the largest Ships. Royal Bay ^ called by the natives Matavie in which we lay and the Dolphin before us is not inferior to any on the Island both in point of conveniency and situation; it may easily be known by a prodigious ^ high mountain in the middle of Voyaging Accounts © Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 79, 2004 Published by South Seas To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-010