N E W I R E L A N D. 229 



It is nine or ten leagues round, rifes into high hummocks full 

 of lofty trees, with plantations and groves near the fhores, and 

 feemingly very populous. We now fall in with Dajitpier^ with 

 cape St. Marfs, in Lat. 5' 2' fouth. The country was mounta- 

 nous, high, and wooded, with many points of land running into 

 the fea, forming between them as many fine bays. Here a man 

 of large fize approached thefliip, and fpoke a language different 

 from thofe Dampier had before feen. Proceeding north-weft- 

 ward, the whole extent of New Ireland, or the coaft oppofite to St. 

 George's channel (afterwards traced by Captain Carteret) ap- 

 pears before us. At fome diftance from it is a chain of ifles, of 

 which St. 'johrCs may be deemed one. They had been all named 

 by the Dutch. Antony Cave's is lofty. Gerard Dennis's is the Gerard 

 next, fourteen or fifteen leagues in circumference ; high, wooded, 

 and mountanous, thick fet with plantations, and full of cocoa 

 trees. The fhape was irregular, full of points, forming fandy 

 bays ; the ground cleared for plantations, and the foil of a 

 brownifli red color. The next ifland, named WiJharfSy refembled Wishart's. 

 the preceding. Dampier alfo difcovered two other illands fome- 

 what farther to the weft : One, ten leagues long, he named Ma- 

 tbias; like many others, mountanous and woody, mixed with 

 Savannas, and cleared land ; and near that a low and plain ifland, 

 cloathed with tall and large trees, as clofe to each other as they 

 could ftand. This he called xh^fqually, from the violent gales he 

 rflet with off" the coaft. 



In refi^edt to the north fiiore of New Ireland, I find that our 

 navigator attempted to touch at only one place, which he named 

 Slingefs bay. This country feems prodigioufly populous; his Slinger'* Rat. 

 a fliip 



