, torn off the plate, and broken it in pieces.
This adventure engaged us carefully to examine all the neighbourhood of
our anchorage. We therefore ran along the coast within the isle which
covers the bay; we followed it for about two leagues, and came to a deep
bay of very little breadth, open to the S.W. at the bottom of which we
landed, near a fine river. Some trees sawed in pieces, or cut down with
hatchets, immediately struck our eyes, and shewed us that this was the
place where the English put in at. We now had little trouble to find the
spot where the inscription had been placed. It was a very large and very
apparent tree, on the right-hand shore of the river, in the middle of a
great place, where we concluded that the English had pitched their
tents; for we still saw several ends of ropes fastened to the trees, the
nails stuck in the tree; and the plate had been torn off but a few days
before; for the marks of it appeared quite fresh. In the tree itself,
there were notches cut, either by the English or the islanders. Some
fresh shoots coming up from one of the trees which was cut down, gave us
an opportunity of concluding, that the English had anchored in this bay
but about four months ago. The rope which we found, likewise
sufficiently indicated it; for though it lay in a very wet place, it was
not rotten. I make no doubt but that the ship which touched here was the
Swallow, a vessel of 14 guns, commanded by Captain Carteret, and which
sailed from Europe in August 1766, with the Dolphin, Captain Wallis.
This is a very strange chance, by which we, among so many lands, come
to the very spot where this rival nation had left a monument of an
enterprize similar to ours." The name which B. gave to this harbour was
Port Praslin.--E.]

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 Coco