Page:Discoveries & surveys in New Guinea and the D'Entrecasteaux Islands.djvu/31



" making many books there is no end," and I have no desire to add to the number of books produced without sufficient motive; but I trust that the work done by H.M.S. "Basilisk," in waters hitherto untracked, on shores hitherto untrodden, and amongst races hitherto unknown by Europeans, will be held to call for some account.

I will try to take my reader to new ground, on the coasts of New Guinea, and to some of the lovely adjacent islands of which we were the discoverers; but I crave leave to make a digression to Polynesia, even at the risk of saying a little that has been better said by others.

On January 15th, 1871, H.M.S. "Basilisk," a steamship of 1031 tons, 400 horse-power, with five guns, and manned by 178 officers and men, left Sydney, under orders to proceed to Cape York, with horses and stores for that settlement, and to spend three months in the cruise. The Cape York cruise was not generally thought an inviting one, and we were somewhat loath