C H A P T E R V.
Mr. Broughton’s narrative, from the time o f his feparation, to his being
joined by the Difcovery at Otaheite ; with fame account o f Chatham IJland,
and other iflands dfcovered on his paffage.
November. T H E wood we received in Facile Harbour, with the fpruce-beer,
TuchT”^ and water upon deck, had brought the veflel lb much by the head, that,
together with the high fea now running, obliged us to deviate from our
foutherly courfe and keep before the {form, which raged with great violence
; and notwithftanding every precaution, a wave ftruck our Hern,
Wednef. 23. about fix on wednefday morning, walhed away the jolly-boat, and lat us
all afloat upon deck. Having, about nine, run by eftimation to the fouth
o f the Traps, to prevent our fhipping fo much water I brought to, under
a reefed tryfail, and fore ftayfail. By noon, the gale had confider-
ably abated, the fea fubfided, and the horizon became tolerably clear;
but the Difcovery was not to be feen in any direction. After duly weighing
all circumftances fince the commencement of the gale, our reparation
from the Difcovery appeared now complete; and the chance of our
meeting again until our arrival at our next rendezvous in Otaheite, feemed
little in our favor.
“ About two in the afternoon, land was difcovered from the deck, appearing
like a high ifland, bearing by compafs s.s.E. 3 or 4 leagues dif-
tant; about an hour afterwards, we had fight of more land lying to the
fouthward and detached from the former; our utmoft endeavours were
ufed to weather this land, but finding it imprafticable, we bore up for
a paflage between the high ifland, and the detached land, which was found
to
to be compofed of a duller of fmall illets and rocks, greater in extent »791.
though about the height of the Needles ; their tops, or ridges are much r °vembcr-i
broken; and from the high ifland bore by compafs n .e . and s.w. forming
a paflage 3 miles wide; about one third o f the paflage over, on
the fouthern fide, lies a fmall black rock juft above water; on all thefe
rocks and illets the fea broke with great violence. In this paflage we had
a confufed irregular fwell, with the appearance of broken water; large
bunches of fea-weed were obferved, and the whole furface was covered
with birds o f a blackilh colour. The n .e . part of the ifland in the evening,
bore by compafs north ; the s.w. part, N.w. by N.; the paflage
N .w .; and the rocky illets from N.w. by w . to w. by u. between 2 and 3
leagues diftant: in this fituation we had no bottom at the depth of 60 and
80 fathoms. Some parts of the ifland prefented a very barren appearance,
not unlike the s.w. fide o f Portland, compofed o f whitilh rocky
cliffs. The rocky illets are five in number, fome of which wore a pyra-
midical form. On account of the hazinefs in the atmofphere, the north-
eafternmoft part of the ifland was feen fo very indiftin&ly, that its extent
could not be afcertained. We had no reafon to fuppofe it inhabited,
and its defolate appearance made that very improbable. This ifland,
in honor o f Captain Knight of the navy, I named K n i g h t ’s I s l a n d .
Its fouth point lies in the latitude of 48° 15', longitude iS6° 44', afcertained
by the watch the laft time the bearings were taken, allowing its
error to be 30' weft, as determined at Dulky Bay. Knight’s Ifland,
fo far as we could fee of its extent, and the rocky illets, lie in the direction
of n.e. by E. § E. and s,w. by w . i w. allotying a point and a half
variation eaft : they extend about 4 leagues.
“ In the morning of the 24th, with a fine weftwardly gale, we altered Thurfday2^.
our courfe, and made all fail to the n.e. The wind which varied in
point of force, veered gradually round by the north. On faturday our Saturday 26.
latitude was 46°43', longitude 173° 30'. In the evening the wind fluffed
fuddenly to the s.w. and blew with fuch violence, that ftriking our topgallant
malls and yards became neceffary. A remarkably heavy following
Tea, kept the veflel conftantly under water; but the gale was attended with
clear weather. A t noon on the 27th our latitude by obfervation was Sunday 27.
M 2 45“