thout a sufficiency of that
article, sickness amongst the people was much to be dreaded.

Before we went any farther to the northward, I was determined
to try the coast of New-Britain; we therefore stood over for that
land, intending, if possible, to find an anchoring place. On the
morning of the 22d, we came within three or four leagues of the
shore; it then fell calm, and the boat was sent in shore with Mr.
Keltie, the master of the Sirius, who had directions to make a
certain signal if he found anchorage: in the afternoon, a light
breeze sprung up, which enabled us to stand in and meet the boat.
Mr. Keltie reported, that the part of the coast which he had been
in with, was streight, and had no appearance of any sort of bay,
or the smallest probability of anchorage; that he had frequently
tried to get bottom within three cables length of the shore, but
without success. On this coast we found a regular tide, its
general direction was south-east and north-west.

The hills mentioned by Captain Carteret, on the coast of
New-Britain, by the name of the Mother and Daughters, are very
remarkable; a little way within the south-eastermost Daughter,
there is a small flat-top'd hill, or volcano, which all the time
we were within sight of it, emitted vast columns of black smoke.
On this coast there appeared many extensive spots of cleared, and
apparently cultivated land.

The next step that was to be pursued, was to examine the Duke
of York's Island, and on the night of the 22d, we ran off the
east point of it, with a light air from the westward, and brought
to till day-light; having been near enough to the south-east part
of the island the whole of the preceding day, to discover that
there was little prospect of anchorage on that side. In the night
we heard breakers at no great distance from us; this we found at
day-light was a spit, which runs a small distance off the east
point of the island.

On the 23d in the morning, we had very little wind, and the
boat was sent in shore to sound; the ship was at this time about
a mile and a half off. Many canoes came off, with every
appearance of friendly disposition; we gave them a few trifles,
and they seemed to insist on making a return for every thing they
received; cocoa-nuts, yams, and bananas, were held out on the
point of a long spear, or pole, for they seemed afraid to touch
the ship; the boat which was sounding endeavoured to make them
understand that we wanted water, and