the people could paddle without showing themselves; but afterwards rallied at a greater distance, until a shot, which passed over their heads, made them disperse, and give up all idea of any further attack.
In passing the deserted canoe, one native was observed still sitting in it. The other canoes afterwards returned to him; and, with glasses, signals were perceived to be made by the Indians, to their friends on Dungeness Island, expressive, as was thought, of grief and consternation.
No arrows fell on board the Providence; but three men were wounded in the Assistant, and one of them afterwards died: The depth to which the arrows penetrated into the decks and sides of the brig, was represented to be truly astonishing.
The vessels passed between Dungeness and Warriours Islands, with from 19 to 13 fathoms; and anchored, at four o'clock, under the lee of Dungeness Island and Reef. The passage to the westward then appeared clearer; three high islands, bearing from S. 60° W. three leagues, to N. 76° W. five leagues, forming the sole visible obstructions.
Sept. 11. Captain Bligh proceeded on his course to the W. N. W., and passed two islands, to which the descriptive names of Turtle-backed Island and the Cap were given; and, soon after noon, the vessels anchored in 7 fathoms, soft bottom. There was a dry sand bearing N. 63° W. two or three miles; between which, and the third high island, called The Brothers, bearing S. 55° to 69° W. three miles, it was judged necessary for the boats to sound, before proceeding further. This anchorage was in latitude 9° 43', and longitude 142° 40'; and, besides the islands already mentioned, there was in sight a mountainous island, to which the name of Banks was given, bearing S. 43° W., twelve or thirteen leagues; also Burke's Island, S. 13° W. eight or ten leagues; and Mount Cornwallis, on another island, N. 29° W. six or eight leagues; and from behind this last, to N. 7° W., there extended a level land, which was supposed to be a part of the coast of NEW GUINEA.
Sept. 12. The vessels followed the boats to the westward; but were interrupted by reefs, and obliged to anchor again before noon. The water had shoaled gradually, and there was then only 6 fathoms: the bottom a coarse, coral sand. Two other islands were then in sight: a low one, named Turn-again Island, bore N. 53° W. about four leagues; and Jervis' Island, which is rather high, S. 48° W. nine leagues. A reef, with a dry sand upon it, extended from S. 7° E. to 62° W. four or five miles; another was distant three miles to the west; and a third bore N. 18° W. five miles. The latitude of the anchorage was 9° 41' south, and longitude 142° 24' east.
A fresh gale from south-east did not allow the Providence and Assistant to proceed onward for three days. In the mean time, the passage between the reefs to the N. W., was sounded by the boats; and found to contain about 5 fathoms, regularly, upon hard ground. They were also sent to examine the passage round the southern reefs; and this being deeper, with a superior bottom, it was chosen as the preferable route.
Sept. 16. The vessels passed to windward of the southern reef; and steered south-westward, as it trended, in from 7 to 5 fathoms water, until half past noon; when they anchored in latitude 10° 3', and longitude, by time-keeper, 142° 14'. The sole direction in which the eye could range without being obstructed, was that whence the vessels had come; every where else the view was arrested by rocks, banks, and islands. The most extensive of these, was Banks' Island, extending from S. 14° E. to 62° W., two or three leagues; with a high hill upon it named Mount Augustus, which bore S. 4° E:* Another large island, named Mulgrave's, extended from behind the last to a cluster of rocks, whose extreme bore W. 5° N. The nearest land, bearing S. 24° E., one mile and a half, was the north-westernmost of three small isles; and to this, the second lieutenant was sent, for the purpose of taking possession of all the islands seen in the Strait, for HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY GEORGE III., with the ceremonies used on such occasions: the name bestowed upon the whole was CLARENCE'S ARCHIPELAGO.
[* This mountain, in latitude 10° 12' south, longitude 142° 13' east, was seen by captain Bligh from the Bounty's launch, and marked in his chart, (Voyage, etc. p. 220.) It appears to be the same island indistinctly laid down by captain Cook, in latitude 10° 10', longitude 141° 14'; and is, also, one of those, to which the term Hoge Landt is applied in Thevenot's chart of 1663.]
North Possession Island was found to be little else than a mass of rocks surrounded by a reef; but it was covered with a variety of trees and shrubs. Amongst them was a cluster of cocoa-nut trees, bearing a small, but delicious, fruit; and the tree bearing a plum, such as had been seen at Dalrymple's Island. Besides these, the botanists found the peeha and nono of Taheity; and two new plants, of the size of the common mulberry. One, of the class polyadelphia, bears a scarlet, bell-shaped flower, large as the China rose; the other was a species of erythrina, bearing clusters of butterfly-shaped flowers, of a light yellow, tinged with purple: both were entirely destitute of leaves, and their woods remarkably brittle.
There did not appear to be any fixed inhabitants upon Possession Island; but from a fire which had been recently extinguished, and the shells and bones of turtle scattered around, it was supposed to have been visited not many days before. The bushes were full of small, green ants; which proved exceedingly troublesome to those who had sufficient hardihood to penetrate their retreats. Another, and larger species of ant, was black; and made its nest by bending and fixing together the leaves, in a round form, so as to be impenetrable to the wet. These, and a small kind of lizard, were all the animals found upon the island.
Sept. 17. The boats led to the westward, steering for a passage between Mulgrave's and Jervis' Islands; but seeing it full of rocks and shoals, the vessels anchored a little within the entrance, in 10 fathoms, coarse ground; until the boats should sound ahead. The latitude here was 10° 2', and longitude 142° 03'. The flood tide, from the E. N. E., was found to set through between the islands, at the rate of four miles an hour; and the breeze being fresh, and bottom bad, the situation was considered to be very unsafe.
Whilst the boats were sounding, several Indians in three canoes, were perceived making towards them; but on a swivel shot being fired over their heads, they returned to Mulgrave's Island, on the south side of the passage. On the signal being made for good anchorage further on, the Assistant led to the W. by S.; but on reaching the boats, the bottom was found much inferior to what had been imagined; the approach of night, however, obliged captain Bligh to anchor, soon afterward, in 8 fathoms.
In this situation, the vessels were so closely surrounded with rocks and reefs, as scarcely to have swinging room; the bottom was rocky; the wind blowing a fresh gale; and a tide running between four and five knots an hour. This anxious night was, however, passed without accident; and next morning, Sept. 18, the route was continued through the passage, between reefs and rocks, which, in some places, were not three quarters of a mile asunder: the smallest depth was 4 fathoms.
On clearing this dangerous pass, which captain Bligh named, Bligh's Farewell, he anchored in 6 fathoms, sandy bottom; the wind blowing strong at S. E. with thick weather. The latitude here was 10° 5', and longitude 141° 56'. From north nearly, round by the east, to S. 8° E., there was a mass of islands, rocks, and reefs, at various distances; but in the western half of the compass, no danger was visible; and as far as three miles to the W. N. W., the boats found good soundings in 6 and 7 fathoms.
Sept. 19. The wind moderated; and the vessels steered W. by S. until noon, with a depth gradually increasing from 6 to 8 fathoms. The latitude was then 10° 8½' south longitude, by time keeper, 141° 31' east, and no land was in sight; nor did any thing more obstruct captain Bligh and his associate, in their route to the island Timor.
Thus was accomplished, in nineteen days, the passage from the Pacific, or Great Ocean, to the Indian Sea; without other misfortune than what arose from the attack of the natives, and some damage done to the cables and anchors. Perhaps no space of 3½° in length, presents more dangers than Torres' Strait; but, with caution and perseverance, the captains Bligh and Portlock
