They now sailed west, and coming in sight of the south-west point of the island, it was called CAPE BYRON; near which is an island of considerable extent, which received the name of NEW HANOVER. The Streight they had now passed was called BYRON’S STREIGHT, one of the largest islands they had seen, BYRON’S ISLAND; and the south west point of New Hanover, QUEEN CHARLOTTE’S FORELAND. On the following day they saw several small islands, which received the name of the DUKE OF PORTLAND’S ISLANDS.
When they had compleatly navigated St. George’s Channel, the whole length of which is about one hundred leagues; they sailed a westward course, and on the 14th of September discovered several islands. The next morning some hundreds of the natives came off in canoes towards the ship, and were invited on board by every token of friendship and good will; notwithstanding which, when they came within reach, they threw several lances at the seamen on the deck. A great gun and several muskets were now fired at them, by which some were killed or wounded; on which they rowed towards the shore; and after they had got to a distance, a shot was fired so as to fall beyond them, to convince them that they were not out of the reach of the guns.
In a short time other canoes advanced hastily from a distant part of the island; and one of them coming nearer than the rest, the people in it were invited on board the ship; but instead of complying with the invitation, they threw in a number of darts and lances. This assault was returned by the firing of several muskets, whereby one of the Indians was killed; on which his companions jumped overboard, and swam to the other canoes, all of which rowed to the shore. This canoe being taken on board, was found to contain a turtle, some other fish, and a fruit between the apple and plumb, of a species hitherto unknown to Europeans. These people were almost negroes, with woolly hair, which they powdered; and they went naked, except the ornaments of shells round their arms and legs.
Captain Carteret now coasted along the islands, to which he gave the general name of the ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. He describes them as having a most enchanting appearance, being covered with woods, groves of cocoa-nut trees, and the houses of the natives. The largest of these islands is computed to be above 50 miles in length; and he supposes that they produce many valuable articles, particularly spices.
They discovered two small verdant islands on the 19th, which were called DUROUR’S ISLAND, and MATTY’S ISLAND, the inhabitants of which last ran along the coast with lights during the night. They had sight of two other small islands on the 24th, which were called STEPHENS’S ISLANDS, and which abounded with beautiful trees.
On the evening of the 25th they had sight of three islands, the natives of which came off in canoes, and went on board the ship. They bartered cocoa-nuts for some bits of iron, with which metal they did not seem unacquainted, and appeared extravagantly fond of it. They called it _parram_, and intimated, that a ship sometimes touched at their islands. These people were of the copper colour, and had fine black hair; but their beards were very small, as they were continually plucking the hair from their faces. Their teeth were even and white, and their countenances agreeable; their activity was such, that they ran to the mast-head even quicker than the seamen. They ate and drank any thing that was given them; and had not the least degree of reserve in their behaviour. Their dress consisted only of a piece of fine matting round the waist.--As the current carried the ship at a great rate, the Captain had no opportunity of landing, though the Indians offered, that some of their people should remain on board, as a security for the safe return of such of the seamen as might be sent on shore. One of the Indians, on finding that none of the crew were to land, absolutely refused to leave the ship, and was therefore carried to the island of Celebes, where he died. This man was named Joseph Freewill, and the largest of the islands was called FREEWILL ISLAND; but the natives called it Pegan; and the names of the other two are Onata and Onello.
On the evening of the 28th they discovered an island from the mast-head; but they neither visited nor gave name to it. On the 12th of October they got sight of a small island, which was named CURRENT ISLAND, from the great strength of the southerly current; and on the following day they discovered two more small islands, which were called ST. ANDREW’S ISLANDS.
On the 26th they had sight of land, which, on the day following, they knew to be the Island of Mindanao, and coasted the south-east part of it, in search of a bay described in Dampier’s Voyages; but they could not find it. A boat being sent out, found a little nook at the southern extremity of the island, near which was a town and a fort. The boat being seen from the shore, a gun was fired, and some canoes came out after it; on which the Lieutenant retreated towards the ship, and, when the canoes came in sight of her, they retired in their turn.
They now sailed eastward, and, on the 2d of November, anchored in a bay near the shore, whither the boats immediately went, and took in water; they saw no signs of that part of the island being inhabited, but a canoe being observed to come round a point of the bay, as if to watch their motions, the Captain hoisted English colours, in the hope of tempting her crew on board; but they only took a survey of the ship, and rowed off.
In the night a loud noise was heard from the shore, very much like the war-whoop of the savages of America; which, inducing Captain Carteret to think that the intentions of the islanders were hostile, he ordered up his guns from the hold, and made all preparations to repress force with force. The next morning one of the boats was sent on shore for water, while the other was held in readiness to assist in case of danger. As soon as the crew had landed, many armed men advanced from the woods, one of whom holding up something white, the Captain, who had no white flag on board, sent the Lieutenant on shore, with orders to display a table-cloth as a signal of peace. This being done, two Indians came down to the Lieutenant, one of whom addressed him first in Dutch, and then in Spanish, in which latter tongue he was with difficulty understood. His enquiries were, if the ship was a Dutch vessel; what number of men and guns she carried; if she had been to Batavia, or was bound thither; and whether she was designed for war or trade.
These questions being answered, he said they might go to the town, and he would introduce them to the Governor. The Lieutenant now desired that some armed Indians might retreat, and that the seamen might be permitted to fill water; which was readily granted. This being done, the Lieutenant presented the Indian with a silk handkerchief, and received a coarse neckcloth in return. The boats soon returned to the ship, with a good supply of water; and Captain Carteret was congratulating himself on the prospect which these amicable appearances promised, when he observed some hundreds of Indians, armed with targets, hangers, broadswords, pikes, bows, arrows and muskets, range themselves opposite the ship:--they brandished their swords, and held up their targets, in token of defiance, at the same time discharging their lances and arrows towards the ship.
Captain Carteret, still resolved to avoid coming to extremities if it were possible, and sent the Lieutenant again on shore, to display the table-cloth, as an ensign of peace. The natives seeing that the boat had reached the shore, yet that no person landed, one of them advanced, and beckoned them to come to the spot near where he stood; which the Lieutenant declined doing, as he would then have been within reach of their arrows.
The Captain having formed a resolution of visiting the town, sailed from hence the next morning, after having called the place DECEITFUL BAY: but the wind soon blowing violently in shore, he altered his resolution, and steered for Batavia.
The south of Mindanao is a fine country, interspersed with woods, lawns and plantations; and abounds with inhabitants, as do likewise its neighbouring islands. Captain Carteret was of opinion, that there were Dutchmen in the town, or persons in the Dutch interest, who, finding the Swallow to be an English vessel, had irritated the inhabitants against the crew.
On the 14th of November, 1767, they reached the Streight of Macassar, situate between the islands of Borneo and Celebes, to a point of which latter island they gave the name of HUMMOCK POINT; to the westward of which a number of boats were seen fishing on the shoals. They were in sight of two very small islands on the 21st, which are well clothed with verdure, and deemed by Captain Carteret to be the same that are called Taba Islands in the French charts.
On the 27th they crossed the equinoctial line, and got into southern latitude, at which time they found the current setting against them, and the tornadoes became violent. The crew was now diminishing by death, and weakened daily by sickness; so that there were hardly hands sufficient to navigate the vessel. On the 3d of December they had sight of the islands called the Little Pater-nosters, which lie something more than two degrees south of the line; but it was out of their power to land any where for refreshment, as the winds and currents were against them. Not a man on board was now free from the scurvy and when it was imagined that nothing could have aggravated their distress, they were attacked by a pirate in the middle of the night of the 10th of December. It was so very dark that they could not see their enemy, who attacked them with swivel guns and small arms but they returned the salute so warmly, that the pirate was sunk, and all her crew perished, after having wounded two persons on board the Swallow, and done some very trifling damage to the ship. The pirate had been seen in the dusk of the evening; and Captain Carteret afterwards heard that she belonged to a Freebooter, who had upwards of thirty vessels engaged in the dangerous business of piracy.