JOURNAL OF GALLEGO. 205 



this manner the mast was " stayed." When the night overtook us 

 v/e were without knowledge of am'' port, having much thick weather 

 with wind and rain. Guided by the phosphorescence of the sea we 

 skirted the reefs ; and when I saw that the reefs did not make the 

 sea phosphorescent, I weathered the point and entered a good har- 

 bour at the fourth hour of the night, where, much to our ease, we 

 passed (the remainder of) the night.^ This port is 6 leagues from 

 where we set out, and is in a gi'eat bay. It is capacious and has 7 

 or S inhabited islands. The next day I disembarked the people to 

 get water and wood ; and we saw coming to the beach more than a 

 hundred Indians, carrying their bows and arrows and clubs with 

 which they are accustomed to fight. The 'maestre de campo ' 

 ordered those on shore to embark, fearing some ambuscade. Soon 

 the Indians arrived but they did nothing, and a canoe came. See- 

 ing that they made no attack, the ' maestre de campo ' ordered 

 four soldiers to go ashore and fire three or four shots to frighten 

 them ; and when this was done and the Indians saw it, they 

 shot their arrows and took to flight. Thus passed the 12th of 

 April 



" Whilst in this bay we saw to seaward a very large island which 

 lies east and west with this bay. This island is called in the language 

 of those Indians, Malaita. The west extreme of this island lies east 

 and west with the point of Meta.^ Ibis island lies with the shoals 

 of Candelaria north-west-by-west and south-east-by-east 52 leagues;^ 

 and the extremity of this island of Malaita is in 8° ; it is distant 

 Irom the island of Santa Isabel 14 leagues; it has 5 or 6 islets at the 

 extremity, which are, each of them, 2 leagues in circuit. There 

 aie two islets in the middle, between the two large islands. The 

 name of the Isle of Ramos suggested itself for this Island of 



- 1 To find in a dark night and in thick weather an opening in a line of coral-reef on an 

 iinknown coast, is an undertaking fraught with the greatest hazard, even for a ship possess- 

 ing steam power. The only available guide is that which was followed by this clear-headed 

 navigator ; but it is one which, as it depends on the luminosity of the sea, can oniy be of 

 occasional service. When the sea has been unusually phosphorescent, each roller, as it 

 breaks on the weather-edge of the reef, is marked by a disconnected line of light, reminding 

 one of the straggling fire of a line of musketry. I once saw this phenomenon splendidly 

 exhibited on the coast of Japan, the sea-surface being crowded with myriads of "Noctilucse.'' 



2 The point of Meta is probably near the place where the chief of that name lived. Vide 

 page 203. 



3 "Norueste sneste quarta de leste hueste " is the bearing given in the MS. The distance 

 of 52 leagues very closely corresponds with the distance indicated on the present chart be 

 tween the west end of Malaita and Ontong Java. (Vide appendix : note iv.) 



