ood, and other productions of nature, from the
sea-shore to the very summits of the hills. To the N.W. of the Cape the
country is less woody, but more agreeably interspersed with lawns, some of
which appeared to be cultivated. The summits of the hills seemed barren;
and the highest lies between Port Sandwich and the S.W. Cape. Farther north
the land falls insensibly lower, and is less covered with wood. I believe
it is a very fertile island, and well inhabited; for we saw smoke by day
and fire by night, in all parts of it.

Next morning at sun-rise, we found ourselves nearly in the middle of the
passage, the N.W. end of Mallicollo extending from S. 30 deg. E., to S. 58 deg. W.;
the land to the north from N. 70 deg. W. to N. 4 deg. E.; and the Isle of Lepers
bearing N. 30 deg. E., distant eleven or twelve leagues. We now made sail, and
steered N. by E., and afterwards north, along the east coast of the
northern land, with a fine breeze at S.E. We found that this coast, which
at first appeared to be continued, was composed of several low woody isles,
the most of them of small extent, except the southernmost, which, on
account of the day, I named St Bartholomew. It is six or seven leagues in
circuit, and makes the N.E. point of Bougainville's Passage. At noon the
breeze began to slacken. We were at this time between two and three miles
from the land, and observed in latitude 15 deg. 23' the Isle of Lepers bearing
from E. by N. to S., distance seven leagues; and a high bluff-head, at
which the coast we were upon seemed to terminate, N.N.W. 1/2 W., distant
ten or eleven leagues; but from the mast-head we could see land to the
east. This we judged to be an island, and it bore N. by W. 1/2 W.

As we advanced to N.N.W., along a fine coast covered with woods, we
perceived low land that extended off from the bluff-head towards the island
above mentioned, but did not seem to join it. It was my intention to have
gone through the channel, but the approach of night made me lay it aside,
and steer without the island. During the afternoon, we passed some small
isles lying under the shore; and observed some projecting points of unequal
height, but were not able to determine whether or no they were connected
with the main land. Behind them was a ridge of hills which terminated at
the bluff-head. There were cliffs, in some places of the coast, and white
patches, which we judged to be chalk. At ten o'clock, being the length of
the isle whic