286. THE CRUISE OF TEE ' GURAgOA: 



CHAPTER XX. 



YSABEL— SOLOMON GROUP. 



(SEriEMBEE 7 TO 10.) 



At Anchor in St. George's Bay — Cockatoo Island— Barter — Ebony Trees — Trip 

 inland— Diflicult Walk— A Convoy of Women — Houses perched in Trees — 

 Pigeon Island. 



Ox September 7, in tlie morning, some minutes after the 

 Bishop's schooner, we weiglied and proceeded on our course 

 to Ysabel Island. We ran for some time along the coast of 

 the line island of Florida, then passed before the island of 

 Buena Vista, and soon sighted on our starboard bow the 

 outline of Ysabel Island, which appeared prettier and more 

 and more pictin-csque the nearer we got to it. At two p.m. 

 we anchored under Cockatoo or Eastern Islet, in St. George's 

 Bay ; this island did tiot apj)ear to have any grass land nor 

 open ground, but it certaiidy was covered, as I'ar as I couid 

 see, with a dense forest. The fine expanse of water at this 

 spot might have been taken for a large lake surrounded by 

 mountains, with islands in it of diflerent sizes and forms 

 beautifully wooded. There is a reef wdiich runs off the 

 ]S!.W. point of Cockatoo Island, to which we had to give a 

 wide berth. Hound St. George's Bay there are no moun- 

 tains that, as I could judge, exceed 2,000 feet. 



