I was still confined to my bed, and it was with infinite regret that I gave up the hopes of obtaining refreshments at this place, especially as our people told me they saw hogs and poultry in great plenty as we sailed along the shore, with cocoa-nut trees, plantains, bananas, and a variety of other vegetable productions, which would soon have restored to us the health and vigour we had lost, by the fatigue and hardships of a long voyage; but no friendly intercourse with the natives could now be expected, and I was not in a situation to obtain what I wanted by force.  I was myself dangerously ill, great part of my crew, as I have already observed, was disabled, and the rest dispirited by disappointment and vexation, and if the men had been all in health and spirits, I had not officers to lead them on or direct them in any enterprise, nor even to superintend the duties that were to be performed on board the ship.  These disadvantages, which prevented my obtaining refreshments at this island, prevented me also from examining the rest that were near it.  Our little strength was every minute becoming less; I was not in a condition to pursue the voyage to the southward, and was in danger of losing the monsoon, so that no time was now to be lost; I therefore gave orders to steer northward, hoping to refresh at the country which Dampier has called Nora Britannia.  I shall, however, give the best account I can of the appearance and situation of the islands that I left behind me.

I gave the general name of Queen Charlotte’s Islands to the whole cluster, as well to those I did not see distinctly, as to those that I did; and I gave several of them particular names as I approached them.

To the southermost of the two, which when we first discovered land were right a-head, I gave the name of Lord Howe’s Island, and the other was Egmont Island, of which some account has already been given.  The latitude of Lord Howe’s Island is 11 deg. 10’ S. longitude 164 deg. 43’ E. The latitude of Cape Byron, the north-east point of Egmont Island, is 10 deg. 40’ S. longitude 164 deg. 49’ E. The east sides of these two islands, which lie exactly in a line with each other, about N. by W. and S. by E. including the passage between them, extend about eleven leagues, and the passage is about four miles broad; both of them appear to be fertile, and have a pleasant appearance, being covered with tall trees, of a beautiful verdure.  Lord Howe’s Island, though more flat and even than the other, is notwithstanding high land.  About thirteen leagues W.N.W. 1/2 N. by compass, from Cape Byron, there is an island of a stupendous height, and a conical figure.  The top of it is shaped like a funnel, from which we saw smoke issue, though no flame; it is, however, certainly a volcano, and therefore I called it Volcano Island.  To a long flat island that, when Howe’s and Egmont’s islands were right a-head, bore N.W.  I gave the name of Keppel’s Island.  It lies