278 GEOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 



NOTE xv^r. 



The Eudystone Eock and the Simboo of Lieutenant Shortland.— For a consider- 

 able time after tlie re-discovery of tlie Solomon Islands by the French and English navi- 

 gators, few islands were better known in the group than Eddystone or Simbo Island. In 

 thus naming this island, however, there has been a singular misconception ; and since the 

 name of Simbo has been omitted in the latest Admiralty chart (August, 1884) of the group, 

 some explanatory remarks may be of interest. 



In August, 1788, Lieutenant Shorthand,^ whilst sailing along the south coasts of the 

 Solomon Group on his voyage from Port Jackson to England via Batavia, approached " a 

 ro(jk whicli had exactly the appearance of a ship under sail, with her top-gallant sails 

 flying; " and so striking was the resemblance that a signal was made to the supposed vessel. 

 The ships did not approach within three or four miles of this rock. It was named the 

 Eddystone and was placed in lat. S° 12' S., bearing S.S.W. a league from two remarkable hills 

 which were named the Two Brothers. A point running south from these two hills was 

 named Cape Satisfaction. Whilst the English ships were off the Eddystone, some natives 

 came to them in their canoes, from whom Shortland learned that they had come from 

 " Simboo," a place which lay, as they indicated by their gestures, near Cape Satisfaction. In 

 the chart of his discoveries, this officer assigns this name to some land lying east of the Two 

 Brotliers near the position of the island at present called Gizo, but it is evident both from his 

 chart and from his narrative that he considered Simboo as the general name for the land to 

 the east of Cape Satisfaction ; and Fleurieu, when remarking on his discoveries, made the 

 suggestion that the Sitnboo of Shortland might prove to be the Choiseul of Bougainville." 



Ill what manner, wo may now inquire, have the discoveries of Shortland been identified with 

 the islanils that are laid down in the latest charts of this group ? For half a century and 

 more the name of Eddystone has been attached, not to a rock such as that to which it was 

 originally given, liut to the adjacent volcanic island about four miles in length and about 

 1100 feet in height ; and the name of Cape Satisfaction has been given to the south end of 

 lionongo which lies ten miles N.N.E. of Eddystone Island. This cape is stated by Short'- 

 laiid to run south from the two remarkable hills which he named the Two Brothers. The is- 

 land of Ronongo, however, has alongand level summit destitute of peaks ; and it is evident that 

 we must look elsewhere for the Cape Satisfaction of Shortland. In Eildystone Island, there 

 are two singular conical hills which might very fitly have been named the Two Brothers, 

 i\ii(l it will be seen from the sequel that it must have been to the south extremity of Uiis 

 island that the name of Cape Satisfaction was in the first place given. I shall also point out 

 til it the original Eddystone rock is rejiresented at the present day by a bare rock which 

 rises out of the sea at a distance of about a tliird of a mile from the south-west coast of 

 Eddystone Island, and that the Simboo, from wluch the natives came to visit Shortland, 

 was a diminutive island on the opposite or soutli-east side of tliis same island. 



Wlien, in July 17'J2, the French expedition under Dentrecasteanx arrived in this locality, 



the Eddystone rock was at once recognised by the description of Shortland " nous 



aperijumes"— thus wrote Labillardiere ■' tlie naturalist of the expedition — " le rocher nomm^ 

 Eddystone. De loin nous le primes, comme Shortland, pour un vaisscau 3, la voile. 

 L'illusion etoit d'autant plus grande, qu'il a a peu pros la couleur des voiles d'un vaisseau ; 

 quehpies arbustes en couronnoient la sommite. " In the Atlas of this voyage (carte 24), this 

 rock is placed off the south-west end of the island at present named Eddystone Island, and 

 exactly in the position of the bare rock above alluded to, which will be found marked in the 

 plan of this island made by the surveying officers of II.M.S. " Lark " in 1882. Lieutenant 

 i\falan tells me that this rook at the time of the survey was quite bare of vegetation. It 

 vises in two conical masses from the water between which a boat can pass in calm weather. 

 Although it has a height of 30 feet, it is frequently washed over by the heavier seas. The 



] Tlie narrative of Lieut, "^liortland's voyage Is given in "The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany 

 Kav in 17S7 " : LoikIoii. 17S0. 



ti " Discoveries of the French, ITCi-lTGO, to the S.K. of New Guinea : " London, 1701, p. 196. 

 '^ " Voyage a la recherche De la Pdrouse," par Labillardiere : Paris, 1800 : torn i, p. 215. 



