From Egmont Island to Nova Britannia
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To this place we gave the name of CARTERET' S HARBOUR; it is about W.N.W. four leagues from English Cove, and formed by two islands and the main; the largest, which is to the N.W. we called COCOA-NUT ISLAND, and the other, which is to the S.E. we called LEIGH' S ISLAND. Between these two islands there is shoal water, and each of them forms an entrance into the harbour; the south east or weather entrance is formed by Leigh' S Island, and in this there is a rock that appears above water, to which we gave the name of BOOBY ROCK; the passage is between the rock and the island, nor is the rock dangerous, there being deep water close to it. The north west, or lee entrance, is formed by Cocoa-nut Island, and this is the best, because there is good anchorage in it, the water in the other being too deep: we entered the harbour by the south east passage, and went out of it by the north west. At the south east end of the harbour there is a large cove, which is secure from all winds, and fit to haul a ship into. Into this cove a river seemed to empty itself, but our boats did not examine it. In the north west part of the harbour there is another cove, which our boat did examine, and from which she brought us very good water: this also is fit for a ship to haul into, and very convenient for wooding and watering; she may lie in any depth from thirty to five fathom, and at any distance from the shore, with a bottom of soft mud. The harbour runs about S.E. by S. and N.W. by N. and is about three miles long, and four cables' length broad. We anchored in thirty fathom, near the north west entrance, and abreast of the trees on Cocoa-nut Island.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page 593, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/594.html