current fet us into a deep bay or gulph, which proved to be
that which Dampier has diftinguifhed by the name o f Saint
George’s Bay.
Friday 28. On the 28th, we anchored in a bay near a little ifland at
the diftance o f about three leagues to the N. W. o f Cape
Wallis’s Saint George, which was called W a l l i s ’s I s l a n d . I found
the latitude o f this Cape to be about 5 0 S. and its longitude
by account 152° 19' E. which is about two thoufand five
hundred leagues due weft from the Continent o f America,
and about one degree and an half more to the eaftward than
its place in the French chart which has been juft mentioned.
In the afternoon I fent the cutter to- examine the coaft, and
the other boat to get fome cocoa-nuts, and hawl the feine.
The people in this boat caught no fiih, but they brought on
board about an hundred and fifty cocoa-nuts, which were
diftributed to the men at the furgeon’s difcretion. We had
feen fome turtle as we were coming into the bay, and hoping
that fome o f them might repair to the ifland in the
night, efpecially as it was fandy, barren, and uninhabited,
like the places thefe animals moil frequent, 1 fent a few men
Saturday 2g. on ihore to watch for them, but they returned in the morning
without fuccefs.
We anchored here only to wait till the boats could find a
fit place for our purpofe, and feveral very good harbours
being difcovered not far diftant, we now endeavoured to
weigh anchor, but, with the united ftrength o f our whole
company, were not able: this was an alarming proof o f our
debility, and with heavy hearts we had recourfie to an additional
purchafe; with this affiftance, and our utmoft efforts,
we got the anchor juft clear of the bottom, but the ihip calling
in Ihore, it almoft immediately hooked again in foul
ground. Our taik was now to hegin again, and though all
hands