After we had got to sea, we tried what effect one of the poisoned arrows would have on a dog.  Indeed we had tried it in the harbour the very first night, but we thought the operation was too slight, as it had no effect.  The surgeon now made a deep incision in the dog’s thigh, into which he laid a large portion of the poison, just as it was scraped from the arrows, and then bound up the wound with a bandage.  For several days after we thought the dog was not so well as it had been before, but whether this was really so, or only suggested by imagination, I know not.  He was afterwards as if nothing had been done to him, and lived to be brought home to England.  However, I have no doubt of this stuff being of a poisonous quality, as it could answer no other purpose.  The people seemed not unacquainted with the nature of poison, for when they brought us water on shore, they first tasted it, and then gave us to understand we might with safety drink it.

This harbour, which is situated on the N.E. side of Mallicollo, not far from the S.E. end, in latitude 16 deg. 25’ 20” S., longitude 167 deg. 57’ 23” E., I named Port Sandwich.  It lies in S.W. by S. about one league, and is one-third of a league broad.  A reef of rocks extends out a little way from each point, but the channel is of a good breadth, and hath in it from forty to twenty-four fathoms water.  In the port, the depth of water is from twenty to four fathoms; and it is so sheltered that no winds can disturb a ship at anchor there.  Another great advantage is, you can lie so near the shore, as to cover your people, who may be at work upon it.

CHAPTER IV.

An Account of the Discovery of several Islands, and an Interview and Skirmish with the Inhabitants upon one of them.  The Arrival of the Ship at Tanna, and the Reception we met with there.

1774 July

Soon after we got to sea, we had a breeze at E.S.E. with which we stood over for Ambrym till three o’clock in the afternoon, when the wind veering to the E.N.E. we tacked and stretched to the S.E. and weathered the S.E. end of Mallicolo, off which we discovered three or four small islands, that before appeared to be connected.  At sun-set the point bore S. 77 deg.  W., distant three leagues, from which the coast seemed to trend away west.  At this time, the isle of Ambrym extended from N. 3 deg.  E. to N. 65 deg.  E. The isle of Paoon from N. 76 deg.  E. to S. 88 deg.  E.; and the isle of Apee from S. 83 deg.  E. to S. 43 deg.  E. We stood for this last isle, which we reached by midnight, and then brought-to till day-break on the 24th, when we made sail to the S.E., with a view of plying up to the eastward on the south side of Apee.  At sun-rise we discovered several more islands, extending from the S.E. point of Apee to the south as far as S.E. by S. The nearest to us we reached by ten o’clock, and not being able to weather it, we tacked a mile from its shore