R O U N D T H E W O R L D . *+*
We continued our courfe weftward till, the evening of
Thurfday the 2d of July, when we difcovefed land to the
northward of us. Upon approaching it the next day, it appeared
like a great rock.rifing out of the fea: it was not more
than five miles in circumference, and feemed to be uninhabited;
it w a s , however, .covered with, trees, and we faw
a fmall ftream of frefli water running down one fide of it.
I would have landed upon it, but the furf, which at this
fealon broke uppn it/with, great violence; /rendered it / im—
pofiible. I got foundings-on-the weft fide of it, at fomewhat
lefs than a mile from the fhore, in twenty-five, fathom, with
a bottom of coral and fand; and it is probable that in fine
fummer weather landing here may not only be practicable
but eafy.: We, faw a great number o f;fea birds hovering
about it, at fomewhat lefs than a mile .from the fhore, and
the fea here feemed to have filh. It lies in latitude 25° 2 S.,
longitude 1330 21'W. and about a thoufand leagues to the
weftward of the continent of America. It is fo high that we
faw it at the diftanc.e of more than fifteen, leagues, and it
haying been difcovered, by a young gentleman, fbn to Major
Pitcairn of the marines, who was unfortunately loft in
the Aurora, w e called it P i t c a i r n ’ s I s l a n d . pitcaim’»
Maud.
While we were in the neighbourhood of this ifland, the
weather was extremely tempeftuous, With long rolling billows
from the fouthward, larger and higher than any I
ha8 feen before, The winds were variable, but blew chiefly
from the S.S.W. W. and W.N.W., We had very feldom a
gale to the eaftward, fo that we were prevented from keeping
in a high fouth latitude, and were-continually drivingto
the northward.
On the 4th, we found that the fhip made a good sat.irdnv
deal of water, for having been fo long labouring in high
8 I and