killed his countrymen when they could catch them out at »7&7-
fea. It was with great concern that I perceived this poor ,
fellow, whom I called Jofeph Freewill, from his readinefs to Fnda>' *>•
go with us, Become gradually fickly after he had been fome*
time at fea: he lived till I got to the illand of Celebes, and*
there died. As the illands from which I had taken him were
very fmall and low, the Iargeft being nor more than five
miles in compafs, I was furprifed to fee with how many o f
the produftions o f Celebes he was acquainted V befide the
cocoa-nut' and; palm, he knew the beetle-nut and the lime
and the moment he got a bread-fruit, he went to the fire
and roafted it in the embers. He made us underftand alfo,
that in his country they had plenty o f filh, and turtle in
their feafon.. It is however very probable, notwithftanding:
the number o f people- who fubfift upon thefe iflands, that
they have: no frefh water but what falls in rain a how they
catch and preferve it, I had no opportunity to learn, but I
never met with a fpring' in- a fpot- fo fmall and low*, and in
fuch a fpot I believe no fpring was ever found. The Iargeft
of thefe iflands, which the natives call Pegan, and to which
I gave the name of F r e ew i l l Is land, lies fifty minutes Free»»:
north o f the line, and in 137° 5.1' eaft longitude. They are a" '
all furroundedby a re e f of rocks. The chart o f thefe iflands
1 drew from the Indian’s defcription, who delineated them
with chalk upon the deck, and afcertained the depth o f
water by ftretching his arms as a fathom..
Iinow fleered N. W. by N. to get from under the fun, and;
had light winds at E. S. E. with which almoft any fliip but:
the Swallow would, have, made gpod way, but with every
pofiible advantage fire went at a heavy rate. We now found-,
our variation begin again to decreafe, as will appear-by the;
following table
Latitude,'-