to be very well made. After they had been some
time with us, a breeze sprung up, and they returned to the shore.

The peak upon Sandwich Island lies in latitude 2 deg. 53' S., longitude 149 deg.
17' E. After the Indians had left us, we steered nearly west, and soon
after saw a point of land, which proved to be the south-west extremity
of New Ireland, to which I gave the name of _Cape Byron_: It lies in
latitude 2 deg. 30' S., longitude 149 deg. 2' E. Over-against the coast of New
Ireland, to the westward of Cape Byron, lies a fine, large island, to
which I gave the name of _New Hanover_. Between this island and New
Ireland, there is a strait or passage, which turns away to the N.E. In
this passage lie several small islands, upon one of which there is a
remarkable peak: This island I called _Byron's Island_, and the passage,
or strait, I called _Byron's Strait_. The land of New Hanover is high;
it is finely covered with trees, among which are many plantations, and
the whole has a most beautiful appearance. The south-west point of it,
which is a high bluff point, I called _Queen Charlotte's Foreland_, in
honour of her majesty. This foreland, and the land about it, is
remarkable for a great number of little hummocks or hills, but night
coming on, with thick weather, hard squalls, and much rain, we could not
see more of it distinctly enough to describe its appearance.

We steered westward all night, and in the morning, the weather being
still thick, our view of New Hanover was very imperfect; but we saw,
about eight leagues to the westward of it, six or seven small islands,
which I called the _Duke of Portland's Islands_, two of which are pretty
large. I now perceived by the swell of the sea that we were clear of all
the land, and I found Saint George's Channel to be a much better and
shorter passage, whether from the eastward or the westward, than round
all the land and islands to the northward; the distress, therefore,
which pushed me upon this discovery, may probably be, in its
consequences, of great advantage to future navigators, especially as
there can be no doubt but that refreshments of every kind may easily be
procured from the natives who inhabit either of the coasts of the
channel, or the islands that lie near them, for beads, ribbands,
looking-glasses, and especially iron tools and cutlery-ware, of which
they are immoderately fond, and with which, to our great misfortune, we
were not furnished.

Queen Charlot