296 VOYAGE IK SEARCH 



fhip who was flanding on the wale, but feeing 

 a mufket levelled at him, he had immediately 

 defifted from thefe demonilrations, and the 

 canoe in which he was had retired with pre-. 

 cipitation. 



The fol lowing days we coafled fome very 

 low iflands, beyond which we at firft faw to-, 

 w^ards the fouth very high land. The pro- 

 digious number of flioals, which we met with 

 every moment, prevented us from running 

 clofe along them. 



On the 25th, having reached the latitude of 

 8 7' fouth, and longitude of 146*' 39' caii, 

 we difcerned fome of the very high lands of 

 New Guinea, bearing from fouth- v.efl: to north- 

 weft ; after having followed them in their di- 

 reclion tovvards the north-v> eft, we arrived, on 

 the 27th, in a gulf about eight myriameters 

 deep, and fluit in between fom.e very large 

 mountains, the mofl lofty of which were to 

 the northAvard, v/herc they join that which 

 forms King WiUiarn's Cape. We were be- 

 calmed hce till the 29th ; vre then m.ade 

 fail, directing our courfe tov.ards Dampier's 

 Strait. 



At day-break the next morning, the jorh, we 

 difcovcred to the north-wefl; by weft a very 

 hiffh niou'.tain, furrowed near its fummit 

 v.'ith lvjng!tudinai excavations of a great depth. 



This 



