210 JOURNAL OF GALLEGO. 



the brigantine, and some Indians who were swimming, and some 

 women and boys. They gave us a rope, and towing us, carried us to 

 the shore. When we were close to the beach, they began to throw 

 stones at us, saying, ' Mate,' ' Mate,' meaning that they were going to 

 Jvill us.^ Some shots were fired, which killed two of them, and 

 immediately they left us and fled. The ' maestre de campo ' landed 

 with 20 men, and took possession as in the case of the other islands. 

 In the town was found, in small baskets, a large quantity of pro- 

 visions, of roots, and ginger which is plentiful in this island. We 

 .put on board the brigantine what we could, including a hog. The 

 same evening, we embarked ; and we gave this island the name of 

 Guadalcanal and to the river that of Ortega. I took the latitude, 

 and found it to be in 10|°. With the higher part of Buenavista, it 

 lies north and south 9 leagues, and with that of Sesarga north-west 

 and south-east. From here we determined to return to where we 

 Iiad left the ships. We, therefore, started on tlie return voyage. 

 Running back to the island of Santa Isabel, we passed by the island 

 of Sesarga, which is called in the lanu'uacje of the Indians 'Guali.' 

 Pursuing our way, we came close to Cape Prieto. We sailed along 

 the south coast and arrived at an island, 7 leagues from Cape Prieto, 

 which lies with the island of Sesarga north-by-west^ 15 leagues. 

 The taurique of this island, Beneboneja byname, called it the island 

 of Veru. It is a league from that of Santa Isabel. The passage 

 (entrada), which is on the south-east side of the island of Beru 

 (Veru), has a fine harbour that is able to hold a thousand ships : it 

 is G leagues in length, has a deptii of 12 to 8 fathoms, is very clear 

 (of shoals), and has an outlet to the north-west a league in length.^ 

 This channel* runs west-north-west to the cape of this island, where 

 there is a large town which has more than 800 houses. The Indians 

 received us in a friendly manner, giving us a hog : and because they 

 would not give us more than a hog, we seized three canoes ; and 

 when they saw that we had taken these canoes, they ransomed 

 them, giving for two canoes two hogs. We saw in this island some 

 pearls that the Indians brought, which they did not hold in 



1 There is hero a strange coincidence. Tlie natives in using the word " mate" — a widely 

 spread Polynesian word for "dead" — were unconsciously making a correct use of the 

 Spanish verb " matar," to kill. 



2 Norueste quarta del norueste (?). 



3 This fine harbour is at present known as Thousand Sliips Bay. It was visited by 

 D'Urville, in 1838, who named his anchorage Astrolabe Harbour. 



•* The outlet to the northwest has been named Ortega Channel. It was explored by the 

 officers of D'Urville's expedition. 



