e was 2 deg. 19' south, and longitude
147 deg. 52' east. As we had seen much land, and in different
directions, before dark, we determined to bring to for the night;
it then fell calm, so that we had by the morning only drifted a
little with a current to the north-west.

At day-light of the 31st, we saw much land to the northward
and westward. Five large canoes came off from the nearest island,
in each of which were eleven men; six paddled, and five stood up
in the center of the boat, who appeared to be of the better sort,
being painted and ornamented, and seemed as if intended for war;
but when they came near, they showed no hostile appearance: we
invited them by signs to come on board, but they would not
venture near the ship; they held up various articles, which they
seemed desirous of exchanging; such as lines, shells, ornaments
of different kinds, and bundles of darts or arrows: they were a
stout well-looking people, rather darker than the natives of the
Duke of York's Island; their hair appeared woolly, and and was
knotted or tied upon the top of their head; they wore a wrapper
round their waist. One of them made various motions for shaving,
by holding up something in his hand, with which he frequently
scraped his cheek and chin; this led me to conjecture, that some
European ship had been lately amongst them, and I thought it not
improbable, that it might have been Mons. de la Perouse, in his
way to the northward from Botany-Bay.

Their canoes appeared from forty to fifty feet long, were
neatly made, and turned a little up at the extremities; there was
a stage which lay across the midships of the boat, and projected
out some distance on one side; it was bent upwards a little at
the outer end, to prevent its dipping in the water, by the motion
of the boat; this stage seemed intended for the warriors to use
their weapons upon: on the opposite side, was fitted in a
different manner, an out-rigger to balance the boat; three of the
rowers sat before and three abaft the stage, so that those
intended for battle were not at all incommoded by them.

A heavy black squall coming on at this time, they all pushed
for the land, otherwise I believe we might have prevailed on them
to come alongside.

The north-west end of this island is in latitude 2 deg. 21'
south; longitude 147 deg. 28' east; and the southermost point in
sight was in latitude 2 deg. 28' south, and longitude 147 deg.
33' east. A fresh breeze now sprung up