»773«
A ugust
Thurfday is
expeft to reap any benefit from its productions; and
therefore this ifland, though divefted of every thing ftrik-
ingly beautiful, yet pleafed the eye by the fimplicity of its
form. Our thermometer was now conftantly between 70
and 80 degrees in the morning ; but the heat was far from
being troublefome, as the fair weather was accompanied
by a ftrong pleafant trade-wind, and our awnings were
fpread over the quarter-deck. This ifland, which was
called Resolution Ifland, feems to have been feen by M.
de Bougainville. Its latitude is 17 ° 24 fouth, and its
longitude 1410 39' we-ft from Greenwich. Our obferva-
tion at noon was 17 0 17' fouth, our courfe being nearly
eaft. In the evening, at half paft fix o’clock, we faw another
ifland of the fame nature as the preceding, about
four leagues diftant, which was named Doubtful Ifland.
It being after fun-fet,. we flood to the northward till we
had paffed by itr The next morning, before day-break,
we were alarmed by the fudden appearance of breakers
within half a mile a-head of us. We changed our courfe
inftantly, apprized our confort of the danger by proper
fignals, and then flood along the reef. As foon as it was
light we diftinguifhed an ifland of a circular form, including
a large bafon or lagoon of fea-water; the northern
fliores were covered with trees and palms in various
clutters, which had a very elegant appearance; but all the
reft was a narrow ledge of rocks, over which the furf beat
with
with great violence; within it the lagoon was lhallow
near us, but- de-eper under the wooded part; a difference
which could eafily be diflinguiflied by the whiter or the
bluer colour of the water. Captain Cook gave this ifle the
name of Furneaux Ifland; - it is fituated in 1 7 0 y' fouth
latitude, and 1430 16 weft longitude. Standing along
this reef we faw a canoe failing near the northern part of
the ifle, and by the help of glalfes we obferved fix or
feven men in it, one of which was placed at the ftern
fleering with a paddle. They did not feem to have embarked
in order to reconnoitre us, as they did not approach
the fouthern reef, but kept clofe in with the wooded part
of the ifland. We proceeded all day with a favourable
breeze and fair weather. till fun-fet; but the navigation
between thefe low iflands and reefs being extremely dangerous,
becaufe they can only be feen at fhort diftances, we
were obliged to bring to at night in order to avoid meeting
with them unawares. Early the next morning we left Friday 13.
another ifland of this kind on our ftarboard quarter, which
was called A d v e n t u r e Ifland; it lies in 17 ° 4 'fouth latitude,
and 1440 30' weft longitude. We fpoke with the
Adventure about the fame time, and were told Ihe had
above thirty men on the fick lift, molt of them ill of the
fcurvy. Our Hoop ftill kept rather free of this diftemper,
and every precaution was taken to preferve our crew in
health by a plentiful ufe of four-krout, by airing the
hammocks
r r n w m