4 deg. S. and long. 205 deg. 20' W. The other two groups
mentioned at this place in the text and without names, seem to have been
the Four Islands and the Nine Islands of Carteret, to the S.E. of
Green Islands. - E.]
On the 25th, being St John the Baptist's day, they sailed past another
island, on which were seven or eight hovels, which they named St John's
Island. [Lat. 3 deg. 40' S. long. 206 deg. 20' W.] At this time they saw some
very high land to the S.W. which they thought to be the western point of
New Guinea.[127] They reached this coast by noon, and sailed along,
sending their boat in search of an anchorage, but no bottom could then
be found. Two or three canoes filled with a barbarous people attacked
the boat with slings, but were soon driven away by the muskets. These
people were very black, entirely naked, and spoke a quite different
language from that of the islanders they had seen hitherto. They kept
fires burning on the coast all night, and some of them came lurking
about the ship in their canoes; but though the Dutch, on discovering
them, did every thing they could to conciliate, they would not
understand any signs made for procuring provisions, but answered all
with horrible noises and outcries.
[Footnote 127: This land was discovered afterwards to be separate from
New Guinea, and is now named New Ireland, having another large island
interposed, called New Britain.
