274 THE GBUISE 01< THE 'GUB.AQOA.' 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



dTfABALGANAB— SOLOMON GROUP. 



(SeI'TEMBER 4 TO 5.) 



Marslu Sound — ^Curafoa Harbour — Visit Ashore — Marshes^Dwellings — Men 

 and Womdn — Tlie Island of Malata in the Distance. 



On September 4, about six P. it., just before the ' Southern 

 Cross ' weighed, tlie ' Curagoa ' left the pretty httle bay 

 (Eechei'che Bay) and steered a north-east course. As we 

 Were on the point of leaving, -we were surrounded by a 

 great nunlber of canoes, and tliere was a request for more 

 barter, which tlie Conmlodore did not tliink proper to 

 gratify; We caiile out of the bay^ leaving on the left, 

 towards the pointy a reef and a rock. As soon as we had 

 got from under the land we were aided by a fresh breeze 

 fronl the south-east, and it was not Ions; before Ave sisjhted 

 on oui* larboard bow the highlands of Guadalcanar, which, 

 on a clear day, can be easily seen fii'oiil San Christoval. We 

 saw several small isles at the entrance of Marau Sound, 

 which presented to us a fine sheet of water as calm as a 

 lake. Though the atnlosphere was hazy, we could never- 

 theless get a glimpse of the mountains of Guadalcanar, the 

 highest of which. Mount Lammas, has^ according to the 

 Admiralty charts, an absolute altitude of 8,000 feet. 



