interspersed with spots that have been cleared for plantations, groves of cocoa-nut trees, and houses of the natives, who seem to be 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 latitude is about 1 deg. 45’ S., and its longitude about 143 deg. 2’ E.; the variation here was 4 deg. 4’E. and we found a strong north-westerly current.  We had now fresh gales and squalls, with rain, the wind blowing very unsteadily from E.S.E. to E.N.E. till the 22d, when it became variable.  Our latitude was then 53’ S., longitude 140 deg. 5’ E.; the variation was 4 deg. 40’ E.