200 ' A VOYAGE TO 
CHAP. Alleriy bore eaft by fouth, dillant fix leagues : Cape ' 
— . — ' Middktan^ fouth-eaft, didant eight leagues. Off Gape 
: Allen lies a fmall iiland, to which the name of IFallis 
liland was given. At fix in the afternoon the extremes 
of the iflands in light bore from north-eafl: by eafi: to 
weft by north ; and the entrance between two iflands, 
which formed a paifage or fcrait, bore north by ealf, 
diftant five or fix leagues. 
The Alexander and the Friendfliip had now run from 
- the latitude of io° 44^ fouth, and longitude t6i° 30^ 
eaft, to the latitude of 7° 10' fouth, and longitude 156" 
10 eaft, the whole way nearly in fight of land. As, 
therefore, proceeding wefcward, to the fouth of the next 
land, might have entangled them with New^ Guinea, 
Lieutenant Shortland determined to try the pafiage which 
- was now before him ; and being very well convinced, 
! ' before it was dark, that the way was clear, kept under a 
commanding fail all night. At ten o'clock in the even- 
ing, the Alexander w^as nearly a-bread of the tvfo points 
that form the palTage, and the foundings w^ere very irre- 
" . gular, from ten to thirty fathoms, on a foft, fandy bot- 
tom : the anchors were therefore cleared, that they 
might immediately be dropped if it fiiould prove necef- 
Atigufts, fary. At two in the morning of Auguft the 8th, a 
iirong npple of a current w^as very plainly to be per- 
ceived ; 
