Rockingham Bay. 83 
tween this time and the preceeding noon, were from fourteen 
to eleven fathom. 
In the afternoon, we faw feveral large columns of fmoke 
upon the main ; we faw alfo fome people and canoes, and upon 
one of the iflands what had the appearance of cocoa nut-trees : 
as a few of thefe nuts would have been very acceptable, I fent 
Lieutenant Hicks afhore, and with him went Mr. Banks and 
Dr. Solander, to fee what refrefhment could be procured, 
while I kept Handing in for the ifland with the Ihip. About 
feven o’clock in the evening they returned, with an account 
that what we had taken for cocoa nut-trees, were a fmall kind 
of cabbage palm, and that, except about fourteen or fifteen 
plants, they had met with nothing worth bringing away. 
While they were afhore, they faw none of the people, but juft 
as they had put off, one of them came very near the beach, 
and fhouted with a loud voice ; it was fo dark that they could 
not fee him, however they turned towards the fhore, but when 
he heard the boat putting back, he ran away or hid himfelf, 
for they could not get u glimpfe of him, and though they 
fhouted, he made no reply. After the return of the boats, we 
flood away N. by W. for the northermofl land in fight, of 
which we were abreaft at three o’clock in the morning, hav- 
ing pa/Ted all the iflands three or four hours before. This 
land, on account of its figure, I name Point Hillock : 
it is of a confiderable height, and may be known by a round 
hillock, or rock, which joins to the point, but appears to be 
detached from it. Between this cape and Magnetical ifle the 
fhcre forms a large bay, which I called Halifax Bay : be- 
fore it lay the group of iflands which has been juft mentioned, 
and fome others, at a lefs diftance from the fhore. By thefe 
iflands the bay is Iheltered from all winds, and it affords good 
anchorage. The land near the beach, in the bottom of the 
bay, is low and woody, but farther back it is one continued 
ridge of high land, which appeared to be barren' and rocky. 
Having paffed Point Hillock, we continued Handing to the 
N. N. W. as the land trended, having the advaptage of a 
light moon. At fix, we were abreaft of a point of land which 
lies N. by W. i W. diftant eleven miles froip Point Hillock, 
which I named Cape Sandwich. Between thefe two points 
the land is very high, and the furface is craggy and barren. 
Cape Sandwich may be known not only by the high craggy 
land over it, but by a fmall ifland which lies eaft of it, at the 
diftance of a mile, and fome others that lie about two leagues 
to the northward. From Cape Sandwich the lands trends W. 
and afterwards N. forming a fine large bay, which I called 
Rockingham Bay, where there appears to be good fhelter, 
and good anchorage, but I did notftay to examine it : I kept 
ranging along the fhore to the northward, for a duller of fmall 
iflands. 
