o 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 _Howe's Point_. The distance from
Hanway's Point to Howe'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
Howe'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 temerit