Discovery of Queen Charlotte's Island
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Hitherto, though I had been long ill of an inflammatory and bilious disorder, I had been able to keep the deck; but this evening, the symptoms became so much more threatening that I could keep up no longer, and I was for some time afterwards confined to my bed. The Master was dying of the wounds he received in his quarrel with the Indians, the Lieutenant also was very ill, the Gunner and thirty of my men incapable of duty, among whom were seven of the most vigorous and healthy, that had been wounded with the Master, and three of them mortally, and there was no hope of obtaining such refreshments as we most needed in this place. These were discouraging circumstances, and not only put an end to my hopes of prosecuting the voyage farther to the southward, but greatly dispirited the people; except myself, the Master, and the Lieutenant, there was no body on board capable of navigating the ship home; the Master was known to be a dying man, and the recovery of myself and the Lieutenant was very doubtful. I would however have made a further effort to obtain refreshments here, if I had been furnished with any toys, iron tools, or cutlery-ware, which might have enabled me to recover the goodwill of the natives, and establish a traffic with them for such necessaries as they could have furnished us with; but I had no such articles, and but very few others sit for an Indian trade, and not being in a condition to risk the loss of any more of the few men who were capable of doing duty, I weighed anchor at day-break on Monday the 17th, and stood along the shore for that part of the island to which I had sent the cutter. To the island I had given the name of EGMONT ISLAND, in honour of the Earl: it certainly is the same to which the Spaniards have given the name of Santa Cruz, as appears by the accounts which their writers have given of it, and I called the place in which we had lain, SWALLOW BAY. From the eastermost point of this bay, which I called SWALLOW POINT, to the north east point of the island which I called CAPE BYRON, is about seven miles east, and from the westermost point of the bay, which I called HANWAY' S POINT, to Cape Byron, is about ten or eleven miles. Between Swallow Point and Hanway's Point, in the bottom of the bay, there is a third point, which does not run out so far; and a little to the westward of this point is the best anchoring-place, but it is necessary to give it birth, as the ground near it is shoaly. When we were at anchor in this bay, Swallow Point bore E. by N. and Hanway's Point W.N.W. From this Point there runs a reef, on which the sea breaks very high: the outer part of this reef bore N.W. by W. and an island which has the appearance of a volcano, was just over the breakers. Soon after we had passed Hanway's Point, we saw a small village, which stands upon the beach, and is surrounded by cocoa-nut trees. It is situated in a bay between Hanway's Point and another, to which I gave the name of HOW' S POINT. The distance from Hanway's Point to How' S Point is between four and five miles: close to the shore there is about thirty fathom of water, but in crossing the bay at the distance of about two miles, we had no bottom. Having passed How' s Point, we opened another bay, or harbour, which had the appearance of a deep lagoon, and which we called CARLISLE HARBOUR. Over-against the entrance of Carlisle Harbour, and north of the coast, we found a small island, which we called PORTLAND' S ISLAND. On the west side of this island there is a reef of rocks that runs to the main, the passage into the harbour therefore is on the east side of it, and runs in and out E.N.E. and W.S.W.: it is about two cables' length wide, and has about eight fathom water. I believe the harbour within it to be good, but a ship would be obliged to warp both in and out, and would after all be in danger of an attack by the natives, who are bold even to temerity, and have a perseverance which is not common among undisciplined savages. When the ship was a mile from the shore, we had no ground with fifty fathom. About four or five miles west from Portland's Island, is a fine, small, round harbour, just big enough to receive three ships, which we called BYRON' S HARBOUR. When we were abreast of the entrance of it, it bore from us S. by E. ½ E. and the Volcano Island bore N.W. ½ W. Our boat entered it, and found two runs of water, one fresh and the other salt; by the run of salt water we judged that it had a communication with Carlisle Harbour. When we had proceeded about three leagues from the harbour, we opened the bay where the cutter had been attacked by the Indians, to which, for that reason, we gave the name of BLOODY BAY. In this Bay is a small rivulet of fresh water, and here we saw many houses regularly built: close to the water-side stood one much longer than any of the rest, which seemed to be a kind of common-hall, or council-house, and was neatly built and thatched. This was the building in which our people had been received who were on shore here with the Master, and they told me that both the sides and floor were lined with a kind of fine matting, and a great number of arrows, made up into bundles, were hung up in it ready for use. They told me also, that at this place there were many gardens, or plantations, which were enclosed by a fence of stone, and planted with cocoa-nut trees, bananas, plantains, yams, and other vegetables: the cocoa-nut trees we saw from the ship, in great numbers, among the houses of the village. About three miles to the westward of this town, we saw another of considerable extent, in the front of which, next to the water-side, there was a breast-work of stone, about four feet fix inches high, not in a strait line, but in angles, like a fortification; and there is great reason to suppose, from the weapons of these people, and their military courage, which must in great measure be the effect of habit, that they have frequent wars among themselves. As we proceeded westward from this place, we found, at the distance of two or three miles, a small bight, forming a kind of bay, in which a river empties itself. Upon taking a view of this river from the mast-head, it appeared to run very far into the country, and at the entrance, at least, to be navigable for small vessels. This river we called GRANVILLE' S RIVER, and to the westward of it is a point, to which we gave the name of FERRERS' S POINT. From this point the land forms a large bay, and near it is a town of great extent, which seemed to swarm like a bee-hive: an incredible multitude came out of it as the ship passed by, holding something in their hands which looked like a whisp of green grass, with which they seemed to stroke each other, at the same time dancing, or running in a ring. About seven miles to the westward of Point Ferrers, is another, that was called CARTERET POINT, from which a reef of rocks, that appears above water, runs out to the distance of about a cable' S length. Upon this point we saw a large canoe, with an awning or shade built over it; and a little to the westward, another large town, fronted, and probably surrounded, with a breast-work of stone like the last: here also the people thronged to the beach as the ship was passing, and performed the same kind of circular dance. After a little time they launched several canoes, and made towards us; upon which we lay to, that they might have time to come up, and we conceived great hopes that we should prevail upon them to come on board, but when they came near enough to have a more distinct view of us, they lay upon their paddles and gazed at us, but seemed to have no design of advancing farther, and therefore we made sail, and left them behind us. About half a mile from Carteret Point, we had sixty fathom, with a bottom of sand and coral. From this point the land trends away W.S.W. and S.W. forming a deep lagoon, at the mouth of which lies an island, that with the main forms two entrances into it: the island we called TREVANION' S ISLAND. This entrance is about two miles wide, and the lagoon, if there is anchorage in it, is certainly a fine harbour for shipping. After crossing the first entrance, and coming off the north west part of Trevanion's Island, which we called CAPE TREVANION, we saw a great rippling, and therefore sent the boat off to sound; we had, however, no bottom with fifty fathom, the rippling being caused only by the meeting of the tides. Having hauled round this Cape, we found the land trend to the southward, and we continued to stand along the shore, till we opened the western passage into the lagoon between Trevanion's Island and the main. In this place, both the main and the island appeared to be one continued town, and the inhabitants were innumerable. We sent a boat to examine this entrance or passage, and found the bottom to be coral and rock, with very irregular soundings over it. As soon as the natives saw the boat leave the ship, they sent off several armed canoes to attack her: the first that came within bow-shot discharged her arrows at the people on board, who being ready, fired a volley, by which one of the Indians was killed, and another wounded; at the same time we fired a great gun from the ship, loaded with grape-shot, among them, upon which they all pulled back to the shore with great precipitation, except the canoe which began the attack, and that being secured by the boat's crew, with the wounded man in her, was brought to the ship. I immediately ordered the Indian to be taken on board, and the Surgeon to examine his wounds: it appeared that one shot had gone through his head, and that his arm was broken by another: the Surgeon was of opinion that the wound in his head was mortal, I therefore ordered him to be put again into his canoe, and, notwithstanding his condition, he paddled away towards the shore. He was a young man, with a woolly head, like that of the negroes, and a small beard, but he was well-featured, and not so black as the natives of Guinea: he was of the common stature, and, like all the rest of the people whom we had seen upon this island, quite naked. His canoe was very small, and of rude workmanship, being nothing more than part of the trunk of a tree made hollow; it had, however, an outrigger, but none of them had sails.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, pages 575 - 581, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/576.html