25th April 1898
April 25th
We left Sydney in company with H.M.S Goldfinch bound for the Solomon Islands and after a very fine passage of 10 days we arrived at the island of Guadolcanan of the longest islands of the Solomon Group having run a distance of 2000 miles we dropped anchor in Honiara Bay on the night of 5th May our soundings being very deep. On our arrival several canoes containing natives came alongside to barter with yams bananas in exchange for tobacco & clay pipes, the mountains on this island are very steep and come right down to the waters edge, they are between 7000 & 8000 feet and covered to the summit with very dense jungle
(Guadalcanan the the last letter appears to be an"n" and not "l" .