very numerous. Nothing would be more easy than to
establish an amicable intercourse with them, as they would soon be
sensible that our superiority would render contest vain, and traffic
advantageous. I judge the middle of the largest to lie in latitude 2 deg.
18' S., longitude 146 deg. 44' E. and at the distance of five-and-thirty
leagues from Queen Charlotte's Foreland in New Hanover, in the direction
of W. 1/2 N. On the south side of this island, there is a small one,
which rises conically in a high peak. The latitude of this peak is 2 deg.
27' S., and it lies five degrees and a half westward of Cape Saint
George in New Ireland. As we ran along the south side of the large
island, we found it to be eighteen leagues long, in the direction, of
east and west; how far it runs to the northward, I do not know, but by
its appearance there is reason to suppose a very considerable distance.
I think it probable, in the highest degree, that these islands produce
many valuable articles of trade, particularly spices, especially as they
lie in the same climate and latitude as the Malaccas, and as I found the
nutmeg-tree in a soil comparatively rocky and barren upon the coast of
New Ireland.

Having passed these islands, we continued our course W. by N. with a
fine eastern breeze, and smooth water. On the 16th in the morning, we
found the variation, by a medium of several azimuths, to be 6 deg. 30' E.,
our latitude being 2 deg. 19' S., and our longitude 145 deg. 40' E. by
observation. I was surprised to find the variation on this side the
land of New Britain and New Ireland so much, as we had found it
gradually decreasing daring our progress to the N.W., but I recollected
that about two years before I had found nearly the same variation in
this meridian, about the island of Tinian.

On Saturday evening the 19th, we discovered two small islands, both low
land, level, and green: One of them we saw only from the
main-top-gallant-mast head; this I called _Durour's Island_. Its
latitude is about 1 deg. 14' or 16' S., its longitude 148 deg. 21' E. The other
island, which I called _Maty's Island_, we coasted during the night, and
saw the inhabitants, in great numbers, run along the beach, a-breast of
the ship, with lights: The side along which we sailed seemed to be about
six miles in length, E. by N. and W. by S. As it was dark we could see
no more of it, and having a fine breeze, which we could not afford to
lose, we kept on. Its latitu