The natives appeared in troops on many parts of the shore, and some seemed desirous to come off to us in canoes, but they did not; and, probably, our not shortening sail, was the reason.  From the South-west Cape, the direction of the coast is N. by W.; but the most advanced land bore from it N.W. by N., at which the land seemed to terminate.  Continuing to follow the direction of the coast, at noon it was two miles from us; and our latitude, by observation, was 16 deg. 22’ 30” S. This is nearly the parallel to Port Sandwich, and our never-failing guide, the watch, shewed that we were 26’ west of it; a distance which the breadth of Mallicollo cannot exceed in this parallel.  The South-east Cape bore S. 26 deg.  E., distant seven miles; and the most advanced point of land, for which we steered, bore N.W. by N. At three o’clock, we were the length of it, and found the land continued, and trending more and more to the north.  We coasted it to its northern extremity, which we did not reach till after dark, at which time we were near enough to the shore to hear the voices of people, who were assembled round a fire they had made on the beach.  There we sounded, and found twenty fathoms and a bottom of sand; but, on edging off from the shore, we soon got out of sounding, and then made a trip back to the south till the moon got up.  After this we stood again to the north, hauled round the point, and spent the night in Bougainville’s passage; being assured of our situation before sun-set, by seeing the land, on the north side of the passage, extending as far as N.W. 1/2 W.

The south coast of Mallicollo, from the S.E. end to the S.W.  Cape, is luxuriantly clothed with wood, 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.[4]

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