162 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, expressly said in his journal, that the island he saw was to the south of 
him ; but this bearing puts such a supposition out of the question, as in 
Feb. that case he must have seen the island to the northward also, I have, 
1 826 " 
in consequence, considered it a new discovery, and honoured it with the 
name of Cockburn Island, in compliment to the Right Honourable Sir 
George Cockburn, G.C.B., one of the lords of the Admiralty. 
After we gave up the search to the eastu^ard for the island of 
Captain Carteret, we pursued the same parallel of 22° S. some distance 
to the westward without being more successful, and then steered for 
the Lagoon Island of Captain Bligh, which was seen the following day. 
On our approach several large fires were kindled in different parts. 
The natives were darker than those of Lagoon Island of Cook, were 
nearly naked, and had their hair tied in a knot on the top of the 
head ; they were all provided with stones, clubs, and spears. As the sea 
ran very high, we did not land, and consequently had no further com- 
munication with them. The island is larger than is exhibited upon 
Arrowsmith’s Charts, but agrees in situation very closely with the po- 
sition assigned to it by Captain Bligh. 
Two days afterwards we discovered a small island in lat. 19° 40' S. 
and long. 140° 29' W., which, as it vras not before known, I named 
Byam Martin Island, in compliment to Sir Thomas Byam Martin, 
G. C. B., the Comptroller of the Navy. 
As we neared the shore the natives made several fires. Shortly 
afterwards three of them launched a canoe, and paddled fearlessly to 
the barge, which brought them to the ship. Instead of the deep- 
coloured uncivilized Indians inhabiting the coral islands in general, a 
tall well-made person, comparatively fair, and handsomely tattooed, 
ascended the side, and, to our surprise, familiarly accosted us in the 
Otaheitan manner. The second had a hog and a cock tattooed upon his 
breast — animals almost unknown among the islands of Eastern Poly- 
nesia ; and the third wore a turban of blue nankeen. Either of these 
were distinctions sufficient to excite considerable interest, as they con- 
vinced us they were not natives of the island before us, but had either 
been left there, or had drifted away from some other island : the latter 
supposition was the most probable, as they described themselves to have 
