This island which I called New Britain has about 4 degrees of latitude:  the body of it lying in 4 degrees and the northermost part in 2 degrees 30 minutes and the southermost in 6 degrees 30 minutes south.  It has about 5 degrees 18 minutes longitude from east to west.  It is generally high, mountainous land, mixed with large valleys; which as well as the mountains appeared very fertile; and in most places that we saw the trees are very large, tall and thick.  It is also very well inhabited with strong well-limbed negroes, whom we found very daring and bold at several places.  As to the product of it I know no more than what I have said in my account of Port Montague:  but it is very probable this island may afford as many rich commodities as any in the world; and the natives may be easily brought to commerce, though I could not pretend to it under my present circumstances.

Sir George Rook’s island.

Being near the island to the northward of the volcano I sent my boat to sound, thinking to anchor here; but she returned and brought me word that they had no ground, till they met with a reef of coral rocks about a mile from the shore.  Then I bore away to the north side of the island where we found no anchoring neither.  We saw several people, and some coconut-trees, but could not send ashore for want of my pinnace which was out of order.  In the evening I stood off to sea to be at such a distance that I might not be driven by any current upon the shoals of this island if it should prove calm.  We had but little wind, especially the beginning of the night; but in the morning I found myself so far to the west of the island that, the wind being at east-south-east, I could not fetch it; wherefore I kept on to the southward and stemmed with the body of a high island about 11 or 12 leagues long, lying to the southward of that which I before designed for.  I named this island Sir George Rook’s Island.

Long island and crown island, discovered and described.

We also saw some other islands to the westward; which may be better seen in my chart of these lands than here described.  But, seeing a very small island lying to the north-west of the long island which was before us, and not far from it, I steered away for that; hoping to find anchoring there:  and, having but little wind, I sent my boat before to sound; which, when we were about 2 miles distance from the shore, came on board and brought me word that there was good anchoring in 30 or 40 fathom water, a mile from the isle and within a reef of the rocks which lay in a half-moon, reaching from the north part of the island to the south-east:  so at noon we got in and anchored in 36 fathom a mile from the isle.

In the afternoon I sent my boat ashore to the island to see what convenience there was to haul our vessel ashore in order to be mended, and whether we could catch any fish.  My men in the boat rowed about the island, but could not land by reason of the rocks and a great surge running in upon the shore.  We found variation here 8 degrees 25 minutes west.