rly winds
being set in, I found I should scarce be able to hold my ground.

The 31st, in the forenoon, we shot in between two islands, lying about
four leagues asunder, with intention to pass between them. The
southernmost is a long island, with a high hill at each end; this I named
Long Island. The northernmost is a round high island towering up with
several heads or tops, something resembling a crown; this I named Crown
Isle from its form. Both these islands appeared very pleasant, having
spots of green savannahs mixed among the woodland: the trees appeared
very green and flourishing, and some of them looked white and full of
blossoms. We passed close by Crown Isle, saw many cocoa-nut trees on the
bays and sides of the hills; and one boat was coming off from the shore,
but returned again. We saw no smoke on either of the islands, neither
did we see any plantations, and it is probable they are not very well
peopled. We saw many shoals near Crown Island, and reefs of rocks
running off from the points a mile or more into the sea: my boat was once
overboard, with design to have sent her ashore, but having little wind,
and seeing some shoals, I hoisted her in again, and stood off out of
danger.

In the afternoon, seeing an island bearing north-west-by-west, we steered
away north-west-by-north, to be to the northward of it. The next
morning, being about midway from the islands we left yesterday, and
having this to the westward of us, the land of the main of New Guinea
within us to the southward, appeared very high. When we came within four
or five leagues of this island to the west of us, four boats came off to
view us, one came within call, but returned with the other three without
speaking to us; so we kept on for the island, which I named Sir R. Rich's
Island. It was pretty high, woody, and mixed with savannahs like those
formerly mentioned. Being to the north of it, we saw an opening between
it and another island two leagues to the west of it, which before
appeared all in one. The main seemed to be high land, trending to the
westward.

On Tuesday, the 2nd of April, about eight in the morning, we discovered a
high-peaked island to the westward, which seemed to smoke at its top: the
next day we passed by the north side of the Burning Island, and saw smoke
again at its top, but the vent lying on the south side of the peak, we
could not observe it distinctly, nor see the fire. We afterwards opened
three more