which represents it fo exadlly, th^t none csiTpoffibly miftake it.
Here the Centurion anchored in twenty and twenty-two fathom,
water, about a mile and a half diftant from the fhore, oppofite
to a fandy bay. The bottom of this road is full of (harp-pointed
coral rocks, which, during four months of the year, that is,
from the middle of June to the middle of OSlober, render it a very
unfafe anchorage. This is tKe feafon of the weftern monfoons,.
when near the full and change o f the moon, but more particularly
at the change, the wind is ufually variable all round the coropafs,
and feldom fails to blow with £uch fury, that the (touted cables
are not to be confided in : What adds to the danger at thefe times,,
is the exceffiye rapidity of the tide of flood which fete *0 the S. E,
between this Ifland and that of Aguigan-, a'fmall Ifiet near the
fouthern extremity of ‘Tinian, which is reprelcmed ip the general
chart, hereafter inferted, only by a dot. This tide run at firil
with a :vaft head and overfall of water, pccafioning fuch a hollow
and overgrown fea, as is fcarcely to be conceived ; fo that (as will
be more particularly recited- in the ftquel) we were under the
dreadful apprehenfion of being pooped by it, though we were in a
fixty-gun (hip. In the remaining eight months o f the year, that
is," from the middle of OSlober to the middip of June, there is a
conftant feafon of fettled weather j when, if -the cables are but well
armed, there is fcarcely any danger o f their being even rubbed . ; So
that during all that interval, it is as fecure a road a? could be wifh-
ed for. I (hall only add, that the anchoring bank is very (helving,
and ftretches along the S. W . end o f the Ifland, and is entirely
free from (hoals, except a reef of rpeks which is vifible, and lies
about half a mile from the fhore, affording a narrow p.alfage into a
fmall fandy bay, which is the only place where boats can-poffibly
land. Havinggiven this account of the Ifland, and its produce, it
(s neceflary to return to pur own hiflory.
Our firft-undertaking, after pur arrival, was the removal of out
fick on fhore, as hath been related. Whilft we.were thus employed,
four of the Indians on the Ifland, being part o f th<? Upamjb
‘ 1 S f 2 Serjeant’s