the afternoon I sent the canoe the place from whence she had been
brought; and in her, 2 axes, 2 hatchets (one of them helved) 6 knives, 6
looking-glasses, a large bunch of beads, and 4 glass bottles. Our men
drew the canoe ashore, placed the things to the best advantage in her;
and came off in the pinnace which I sent to guard them. And now, being
well stocked with wood and all my water-casks full, I resolved to sail
the next morning. All the time of our stay here we had very fair weather;
only sometimes in the afternoon we had a shower of rain which lasted not
above an hour at most: also some thunder and lightning with very little
wind. We had sea- and land-breezes; the former between the
south-south-east, and the latter from north-east to north-west.

HE NAMES THE PLACE PORT MONTAGUE. THE COUNTRY THEREABOUTS DESCRIBED, AND
ITS PRODUCE.

This place I named port Montague in honour of my noble patron. It lies in
the latitude of 6 degrees 10 minutes south, and meridian distance from
Cape St. George 151 miles west. The country hereabouts is mountainous and
woody, full of rich valleys and pleasant fresh-water brooks. The mould in
the valleys is deep and yellowish; that on the sides of the hills of a
very brown colour, and not very deep, but rocky underneath; yet excellent
planting land. The trees in general are neither very straight, thick, nor
tall; yet appear green and pleasant enough: some of them bore flowers,
some berries, and others big fruits; but all unknown to any of us.
Coconut-trees thrive very well here; as well on the bays by the seaside,
as more remote among the plantations. The nuts are of an indifferent
size, the milk and kernel very thick and pleasant. Here is ginger, yams,
and other very good roots for the pot, that our men saw and tasted. What
other fruits or roots the country affords I know not. Here are hogs and
dogs; other land-animals we saw none. The fowls we saw and knew were
pigeons, parrots, cockadores, and crows like those in England; a sort of
birds about the bigness of a blackbird, and smaller birds many. The sea
and rivers have plenty of fish; we saw abundance, though we caught but
few, and these were cavallies, yellow-tails and whip-rays.

A BURNING ISLAND DESCRIBED.

We departed from hence on the 22nd of March, and on the 24th in the
evening we saw some high land bearing north-west half west; to the west
of which we could see no land, though there appeared something like land
bearing we