■ 238,
J774- upon part of the boiled fi Hi, were affected in tbe fame
manner ; they groaned moft pitifully, had violent Teachings,
and could hardly drag their limbs along. A little favourite
parroquet from the Friendly Ifles, which familiarly hopped
on its matter’s fhoulder, having likewife tatted a morfel of
the fifh, died the next day. In a word, the joy of having
obtained a frelh meal was fuddenly converted into forrow-;
and the only comfort in this misfortune was, that our furgeon
had dined with the captain this day, and by that means
efcaped the fate of his meffmates.
We ftill continued in fight of Mallicollo, Ambrrym, Apee,
■ Sunday ,4. and Pa-oom, the next morning; but flood towards the
fouthernmoft ifland then in fight, and difeovered on the
2 1 ft, which from the three hills upon it, was named Three-
Hills Ifland (fee p. 204.) We approached within half a
mile of it, and obferved it to be of the fame nature with
thofe already difeovered. It was well wooded, and probably
well inhabited; for fome of the natives' appeared on
the fhore, who refembled thofe of Mallicollo, and were
armed like them with bows and arrows. A very extenfive
reef runs out from the fouth point of the ifland, with fome
rocks in it. The whole ifland feemed to be about five
leagues in circuit; its greateft extent was from north-eaft
to fouth-weft ; and according to aftronomical obfervations,
it is fituated in 1 70 4' S. latitude, and 1680 32' E. longitude.
At noon we put about, and flood for feveral fmall
iflands
iflands and broken lands, which appeared off the & E. end
of the ifland of Apee, and now lay to the N. E. of us. We
likewife had fight of a peak to the S. E. and of fome land
beyond that, which feemed' very large, though at a great
diftance. The number of iflands in this group was very
furprifing; and their direaion to the fouthward, gave us
great hopes of continuing to make difeoveries, which
might gradually lead us back once more to New
Zeeland.
We flood on towards thefe north-eafterly lands, and.
came among them in the afternoon. They were of an in-
confiderable fize when compared to Mallicollo, Ambrrym,.
Apee, or even to Three-hills Ifland, and Pa-oom. Moft of
them, however, were inhabited ; which circumftance we col-
‘ leiffed particularly in the evening, when we faw feveral
fires, even on thofe which we had by day-light judged to.
have no inhabitants. After funfet we were becalmed for
feveral hours in the midft of thefe ifles; the darknefs of the
night, and feveral broken rocks clofe to us on all fides,,
rendered our fituation extremely critical. The navigator,,
who means to explore new iflands, and give an a.c--
curate account of their pofition, is often in danger of
Idling his fhip. It is impoffible for him to form a juft
conception of the coaft, without approaching clofe to it
but he muft neceflarily be expofed to the dangers of a hidden
ftorm, a funken rock, or a fwift current,, which are fuf--
ficient’j,
T774.
Ju l y ..