James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 334

From New Guinea to Batavia

Septr. 1770
History of Voyages these Maps are bound up in. however we have now put this wholy out of dispute, but as I believe it was known before tho' not publicly I claim no other Merit than the Clearing up of a doubtful point. another doubtfull point I should have liked to have clear'd up altho' it is of very little if of any Consequence, which is, whether the Natives of New Holland & those of New Guinea are or were Original one People which one might well suppose as these 2 Countries lay so near to each other & the intermediate space filld up with Islands. on the other hand if these 2 People have or ever had any friendly communication with Each other it seems strange as I have before observed that they should not have transplanted from New Guinea over to New Holland Cocoa Nutts, Breadfruit, Plantains &cy. &ct. all very useful Articles for the support of Man, that We never saw grow in the latter & which we have now seen in the former.  La Maire hath given us a Vocabulary of Words spoken by the People of New Britain (which before Dampiers time was taken to be a part of New Guinea) by which it appears that the People of New Britain speak a very different Language from those of New Holland, now should it be found that the Natives of New Britain & those of New Guinea have had One Origin & speak the same Language, it will follow of Course that the New Hollanders are a different People from both. 

Tuesday 4th  Stood to the Westward all this day having at first a modt. breeze Southerly which afterwards freshned & Veered to SE & ESE. we keept in Soundg. all the time having from 14 to 30 fam. not regular but sometimes more & sometimes less at noon we were in 14 fam. by observation in the Latitude of 6:44S Longde. 223:51W Course & distance saild since Yesterday Noon S76W 120 Miles.

Wednesday 6th  Winds at EbS &SEbE a fresh gale & clear wear. with which we run 118 Miles upon a S69:15W Course which at Noon brot. us into the Latde. of 7:25S Longde. 225:41W depth of Water 28 fam. having been in soundings the whole of this days run generally between 10 & 20 fam.
Arrow Isles [in margin]
at half an hour past one in the Morning we past by a small low Island which bore from us at that time NNW distant 3 or 4 Miles depth of Water 14 fathom & at day light we discover'd another low Island extending from NNW to NNE distant 2 or 3 Leags. I believe I should have landed upon this Island to have known its produce as it did not appear to be very small had not the wind blown too fresh for such an undertaking & at the time we passed the Island we had only 10 fam. Water a rocky bottom. I was therefore afraid of running down to leeward for fear of meeting with Shoal Water & foul ground these Islands have no place in the Charts unless they are the Arrow Isles which if they are, they are laid down much