1792. ance, but no great fign of fertility, nor were any habitations or. natives
\ t / perceived. About fun-let they difccrvered what appeared like a large
rock to the north-weftward, about 6 or 7 leagues diftant, and during the
night they remained near Sir Henry Martin’s illand; but in the morning
not being able to fetch its w.£. point they quitted i t ; its n.w . fide appeared
to contain fome fmall bays, .and towards its N. E. extremity the
land turned, apparently, fhort round, forming a bay fomething fimilar
to, but not fo deep as Comptroller’s bay. Another rock juft above water
now Ihewed its head to the eaftward, and to the northward of that
before mentioned. Thefe Mr. Hergeft reprefents to be dangerous;
they lie abdut w . by n. about 6 leagues from the weftern fide o f Sir
Henry Martin's illand, which is about 16 leagues in circuit. Its center
is fituated in fouth latitude 8“ 51', longitude 220° 19', eaft.
After leaving this illand, two others were difcovered to the northward
o f them. On the morning of the 3d o f april they bore up to the fouth-
ward, along the eaft fide o f the fouth-wefternmoft. This is the largeft of
the two, its lhores are rocky, without any coves or landing places, and
though its furface was green it produced no trees, yet a few fhrubs and
buftres were thinly fcattered over the face of the rocks ; nor did it fèem to
be otherways inhabited than by thé tropical oceanic birds. Thefe were
in great numbers about it, and it Teemed to be a place of their general
refort. The n.’w . fide, however, had a more favorable afpefi,
and although its lhores were alfo rocky a number of trees were produced,
as well on the fides of the hills, as in the values. This fide
afforded fome coves where there is good landing, particularly in one
near- the middle ; this, from the appearance of its northern fide, was
called B a t t e r V C o v e . A little more than a mile to the north >of
this cove is a Bay, which Mr. Hergeft and Mr. Gooch examined. Good
anchorage and regular foundings were found from 18 to 5 fathoms
water ; the bottom-a fine clear fand. An excellent run of frelh water
difcharged itfelf into the Bay. near a grove o f cocoa-nut trees ; here
they landed, and found a place of interment, and a hut near half, a
mile from it by the fide of a h ill; but there were no people, nor the ap-,
■ pearance of any having been recently there; although it was manifeft
that they did, on fome occafions, refort to the illand. This induced Mr.
2 Hergeft