A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 12: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the; Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea; and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 12: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the; Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea; and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
The distance from
Hanway's Point to Howe's Point is between four and five miles. Close to
the shore there is about thirty fathom of water; but in crossing the
bay, at the distance of about two miles, we had no bottom. Having passed
Howe's Point, we opened another bay or harbour, which had the appearance
of a deep lagoon, and which we called _Carlisle Harbour_. Over-against
the entrance of Carlisle Harbour, and north of the coast, we found a
small island, which we called _Portland's Island_. On the west side of
this island there is a reef of rocks that runs to the main; the passage
into the harbour, therefore, is on the east side of it, and runs in and
out E.N.E. and W.S.W. it is about two cables' length wide, and has about
eight fathom water. I believe the harbour within it to be good; but a
ship would be obliged to warp both in and out, and would after all be in
danger of an attack by the natives, who are bold even to temerity, and
have a perseverance which is not common among undisciplined savages.
When the ship was a mile from the shore, we had no ground with fifty
fathom. About four or five miles west from Portland's Island, is a fine,
small, round harbour, just big enough to receive three ships, which we
called _Byron's Harbour_. When we were abreast of the entrance of it, it
bore from us S. by E. 1/2 E. and the Volcano Island bore N.W. 1/2 W. Our
boat entered it, and found two runs of water, one fresh and the other
salt; by the run of salt water we judged that it had a communication
with Carlisle Harbour. When we had proceeded about three leagues from
the harbour, we opened the bay where the cutter had been attacked by the
Indians, to which, for that reason, we gave the name of _Bloody Bay_. In
this bay is a small rivulet of fresh water, and here we saw many houses
regularly built: Close to the water-side stood one much longer than any
of the rest, which seemed to be a kind of common-hall, or council-house,
and was neatly built and thatched. This was the building in which our
people had been received who were on shore here with the master; and
they told me that both the sides and floor were lined with a kind of
fine matting, and a great number of arrows, made up into bundles, were
hung up in it ready for use. They told me also, that at this place there
were many gardens, or plantations, which are enclosed by a fence of
stone, and planted with cocoa-nut trees, bananas, plantains, yams, and
other vegetables. The cocoa-nut trees we saw from the ship in great
numbers, among the houses of the village. About three miles to the
westward of this town we saw another of considerable extent; in the
front of which, next to the water-side, there was a breast-work of
stone, about four feet six inches high, not in a straight line, but in
angles, like a fortification; and there is great reason to suppose,
from the weapons of these people, and their military courage, which
must in great measure be the effect of habit, that they have frequent
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