Page:Discoveries & surveys in New Guinea and the D'Entrecasteaux Islands.djvu/120

 the present effect, as for the misunderstanding, the want of confidence, and the revengeful feeling it produces in the future.

Santa Cruz is only inhabited on a narrow strip round the shore, the inner part being to all appearances given up to jungle and forest. This fact contains in itself an answer to one weak excuse which has been advanced in favour of the forced deportation of South Sea Islanders, to the effect that they will otherwise suffer privation of food as their numbers increase, for it proves that these islands are in most cases able to support enormously increased populations; and many of them have others in close vicinity, which are still absolutely uninhabited.

Leaving Byron's Bay on the 5th, we reached the volcanic mountainous island of Mount Edgecombe, which had never been surveyed nor landed upon, as far as we knew, and spent the day in surveying its surrounding reef, to find a channel through if possible. We had no success that day in finding a ship channel, although for some miles the reef was submerged to a depth of six or eight feet, so stood off and on during the night, which was an anxious one, blinding thick, with tremendous rain squalls. In the morning we turned to work with the first light, and were well paid for our trouble, for we found a passage of four fathoms over the reef, leading into a lagoon big enough to hold a navy, with a fine harbour at the head. This important harbour Lieutenant Hayter, Nav.-Lieutenant Mourilyan, and I roughly, but carefully surveyed,