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 Cocoa-nut Island, and this is the best, because there is good anchorage in it, the water in the other being too deep:  We entered the harbour by the south-east passage, and went out of it by the north-west.  At the south-east end of the harbour there is a large cove, which is secure from all winds, and fit to haul a ship into.  Into this cove a river seemed to empty itself, but our boats did not examine it.  In the north-west part of the harbour there is another cove, which our boat did examine, and from which she brought us very good water; this also is fit for a ship to haul into, and very convenient for wooding and watering:  She may lie in any depth from thirty to five fathom, and at any distance from the shore, with a bottom of soft mud.  The harbour runs about S.E. by S. and N.W. by N. and is about three miles long, and four cables’ length broad.  We anchored in thirty fathom, near the north-west entrance, and a-breast of the trees on Cocoa-nut Island.

SECTION VI.

Discovery of a Strait dividing the Land called Nova Britannia into two Islands, with a Description of several small Islands that lie in the Passage, and the Land on each Side, with the Inhabitants.

When we got about four leagues off the land, after leaving this harbour, we met with a strong gale at E.S.E. a direction just contrary to that which would have favoured our getting round the land, and doubling Cape Saint Maria.  We found at the same time a strong current, setting us to the N.W. into a deep bay or gulph, which Dumpier calls St George’s Bay, and which lies between Cape St George and Cape Orford.  As it was impossible to get round the land, against both the wind and current, and follow the track of Dampier, I was under the necessity of