Jo
FebraSy. an® W^ C^> as 1 have before obferved, had the appear-
~“7 —1 ance of an ifland, the name of Lookers-on. Wednei. 14..
At eight o'clock in the evening, a breeze fprung up at
S. S.W. with which I ftretched off fouth eaft, becaufe fomeon.
board thought they faw land in that quarter. In this courfe
TiurMay ij. we continued till fix o’clock the next morning, when we had
run eleven leagues, but faw no land, except that which we
had left. Having flood to the S. E. with a light breeze, which
veered from the weft to the north, till noon, our latitude by
obfervation was 43 0 56' Si and the high land that we were-
abreaft of the preceding noon bore N. N. W. f W. In the
afternoon we had a light breeze at N. E. with which we-
fleered weft, edging in for the land, which was diftantabout
eight leagues. At feven in the evening, we were about fix.
leagues from the fhore, and the fouthermoft extremity oft
the land in fight bore W. S.W.
Friday 1«. At day-break on the 16th, we difcovered land bearing
S. by W. and feemingly detached from the coaft we were-
upon. About eight, a breeze fprung up, at N. by E. and we
fleered dircdfcly for it. At noon, we were in latitude 43° ig'S.
the peak on the fnowy mountain bore N .20E . diftant
twenty-feven leagues j the fouthern extremity, of the land;
we could fee bore weft; and the land: which had been difcovered
in the morning appeared like an ifland.extending from.
S.S.W. to Si W. by W. 4. W. diftant about eight leagues. In;
the afternoon, we flood to the fouthward of it,, with a frefli
breeze at north; at eight in the evening, we had run eleven
leagues, and the land then extended from S. W. by W. to
N. by W. We were then diftant about three or four leagues,
from the neareft fhore, and in this fituation had fifty fathom
water, with a fine fandy bottom, The variation of. the com,-
pafs by this morning’s amplitude was 140 39' E.
3 A t
At fun-rife, the next morning, our opinion that the land
we had been ftanding for was an ifland, was confirmed, by
our feeing part of the land of Tovy Poenammoo open to the
weftward of it, extending as far as W. by S. At eight in the ^
morning, the extremes of the ifland bore N. 76 W. and
N. N. E. f E. 5 and an opening near the fouth point,, which
had the appearance of a bay or harbour, N. 30 W. diftant between
three and four leagues: in this fituation we had thirty-
eight fathom water with a brown fandy bottom.
This ifland, which I named after Mr. Banks, lies about five tokn
leagues from the coaft of Tovy Poenammoo ; the fouth
point bears S. a 1. W. from the higheft peak on the fnowy
mountain, and lies in latitude 430 33' S. and in longitude
i86Q 30' W. by an obfervation of the fun and moon which
was made this morning; it is of a circular figure, and about
twenty-four leagues in compafs: it is fufliciently high to be
feen at the diftance of twelve Or fifteen leagues, and the land
has a broken irregular furface, with the appearance rather
of barrennefs than fertility; yet it was inhabited, for we
faw fmoke in one place, and a few ftraggling natives in
another.
When this ifland was firft difcovered in the direction of
S. by W. fome perfons on board were of opinion that they
alfo faw land bearing S. S.E. and S. E. by E. I was myfelf
upon the deck at the time, and told them, that in my opinion
it was no more than a cloud, and that as the fun rofe it
would diffipate and vanifli. However, as I was determined
j.q Ig^ve no fubjedt for difputation which expel tment could
remove, I ordered the fliip to be wore, and fleered E. S. E. by
compafs, in the diredtion which the land was faid to bear
from us at that time. At noon we were in latitude 440 7' S.;
the fouth point of Banks’s Ifland bearing north, diftant five
B 2 leagues.