eard; they are great archers and
hurlers of darts; the vessels in which they sail are large, and can go a
great way. They informed us of more than forty islands, great and small,
all peopled, naming them, and telling us they were at war with many of
them. They also gave us intelligence of Santa Cruz Island, and of what
happened when Mendana was there.

The people of this island are of ordinary stature. They have amongst them
people white and red, some in color like those of the Indies, others
woolly-headed, blacks and mulattoes. Slavery is in use amongst them.
Their food is yams, fish, cocoanuts, and they have pigs and fowls. The
name of the chief is Tomai.

QUEIROZ AND TORRES LEAVE TAUMACO FOR THE SOUTH.

We departed from Taumaco with four natives of the place, whom we took, at
which they were not much pleased; and as we here got wood and water,
there was no necessity for us to go to Santa Cruz Island; which is, in
this parallel* sixty leagues further on.

[* It is not exactly in the same parallel.]

So we sailed from hence, steering S.S.E. to 12 deg. 30' S. latitude, where we
found an island like that of Taumaco, and with the same kind of people,
named Tucopia. There is only one small anchoring place; and passing in
the offing, a small canoe with only two men came to me to make peace, and
presented me with some bark of a tree, which appeared like a very fine
handkerchief, four yards long and three palms wide; on this I parted from
them.

From hence we steered south. We had a hard gale of wind from the north,
which obliged us to lie to for two days: at the end of that time it was
thought, as it was winter, that we could not exceed the latitude of 14 deg.
S., in which we were, though my opinion was always directly contrary,
thinking we should search for the islands named by the chiefs of Taumaco.

Wherefore, sailing from this place we steered west, and in one day's sail
we discovered a volcano, very high and large [Star, or Merlav Island],
above three leagues in circuit, full of trees, and of black people with
much beard.

To the westward, and in sight of this volcano, was an island not very
high, and pleasant in appearance. There are few anchoring places, and
those very close to the shore; it was very full of black people.

Here we caught two in some canoes, whom we clothed and gave presents to,
and the next day we put them ashore. In return for this they shot a
flight of arrows at a Spaniard, though in truth