The 9th in the morning a huge black man came off to us in a canoe but would not come aboard.  He made the same signs of friendship to us as the rest we had met with; yet seemed to differ in his language, not using any of those words which the others did.  We saw neither smokes nor plantations near this headland.  We found here variation 1 degree east.

Cape and bay st. George.

In the afternoon, as we plied near the shore, 3 canoes came off to us; one had 4 men in her, the others 2 apiece.  That with the 4 men came pretty nigh us, and showed us a coconut and water in a bamboo, making signs that there was enough ashore where they lived; they pointed to the place where they would have us go, and so went away.  We saw a small round pretty high island, about a league to the north of this headland, within which there was a large deep bay, whither the canoes went; and we strove to get thither before night, but could not; wherefore we stood off, and saw land to the westward of this headland, bearing west by south half south, distance about 10 leagues; and, as we thought, still more land bearing south-west by south, distance 12 or 14 leagues:  but, being clouded, it disappeared and we thought we had been deceived.  Before night we opened the headland fair and I named it Cape St. George.  The land from hence trends away west-north-west about 10 leagues, which is as far as we could see it; and the land that we saw to the westward of it in the evening, which bore west by south half south, was another point about 10 leagues from Cape St. George; between which there runs in a deep bay for 20 leagues or more.  We saw some high land in spots like islands down in that bay at a great distance; but whether they are islands or the main closing there we know not.  The next morning we saw other land to the south-east of the westermost point, which till then was clouded; it was very high land, and the same that we saw the day before, that disappeared in a cloud.  This Cape St. George lies in the latitude of 5 degrees 5 minutes south; and meridian distance from Cape Mabo 1290 miles.  The island off this cape I called St. George’s Isle; and the bay between it and the west point I named St. George’s Bay.  Note:  no Dutch charts go so far as this cape, by 10 leagues.  On the 10th in the evening we got within a league of the westermost land seen, which is pretty high and very woody, but no appearance of anchoring.  I stood off again, designing (if possible) to ply to and fro in this bay till I found a conveniency to wood and water.  We saw no more plantations, nor coconut-trees; yet in the night we discerned a small fire right against us.  The next morning we saw a burning mountain in the country.  It was round, high, and peaked at top (as most volcanoes are) and sent forth a great quantity of smoke.  We took up a log of driftwood and split it for firing; in which we found some small fish.

Cape Orford.