'77+' and the caulkers had already been fome time at work caulk-
>— j ins; the decks, weather-works, &c.
Taefday 29.
As we advanced to the Weft, we found the, variation to
April. increafe, but flowly; for, on the 3d of April, it was only 40
Sun ay 3. ^ being then in the latitude 9° 32', longitude 1320 45',
by obfervation made at the fame time.
Wedntf. 6. I continued to fleer to the Weft till the 6th, at four in the
afternoon, at which time, being in the latitude of 9° 2o'r
longitude 138° 14' Weft, we difcovered an ifland, bearing.
Weft by South, diftant about nine leagues. Two hours after
we faw another, bearing S. W. by S., which appeared more
extenfive than the former. I hauled up for this ifland, and
ran under an eafy fail all night, having fqually unfettled
rainy weather, which is not very uncommon in this fea,
Thuxfday 7 when near high land. At fix o’clock the next morning, the
firft ifland bore N. W., the fecond S. W. 4 W., and a third W'.
I gave orders to fleer for the feparation between thé two laft;
and foon after, a fourth was feen, ftill more to the Weft. By
this time, we were well aflured that thefe were the Marquefas,
difcovered by Mendana in 1595. The firft ifle was a new dif-
covery, which I named Hood’s Ifland, after the young gentleman
who firft faw it; the fecond was that of Saint Pedro,
the third, La Dominica, and the fourth, St. Chriftina, We
ranged the S. E. coaft of La Dominica, without feeing the
leaft figns of anchorage, till we came to the channel that
divides it from St. Chriftina, through which we palled, hauled
over for the laft-mentioned ifland, and ran along the coaft
to the S. W. in fearch of Mendana’s Port. We palled feveral
coves in which there feemed to be anchorage; but a great
furf broke on all the fhores. Some canoes put off from thefe
places, and followed us down the coaft.
9 At
AND ROUND THE WORLD. 299
At length having come before the port we were in fearch g ;
-of, we attempted to turn into it, the wind being right out;
but as it blew in violent fqualls from this high land, one of
thefe took us juft after we had put in flays, payed the fhip
off again, and before flie wore round, fhe was within a few
yards of being driven againft the rocks to leeward. This
obliged us to Hand out to fea, and to make a ftretch to windward
; after which we flood in again, and without attempting
to turn, anchored in the ent rance of the bay in thirty-four
fathoms water, a fine fandy bottom. This was no fooner
done than about thirty or forty of the natives came off to us
in ten or twelve canoes; but it required fome addiefs to get
them along-fide. At laft a hatchet, and fome fpike-nails, induced
the people in one canoe to come under the quarter-
gallery = after which all the others put along-fide, and having
exchanged fome bread-fruit, and filh, for fmall nails, &c.
retired alhore, the fun being already feu We obferved a
heap of ftones in the bow of each canoe, and every man to
have a fling tied round his hand.
Very early next morning, the natives vifited us again in s.
much greater numbers than before ; bringing with them
bread-fruit, plantains, and one pig, all of which they exchanged
for nails, &c. But, in this traffic, they would.fre-
quently keeep our goods and make no return; till at laft I
was obliged to fire a mufquet-ball over one man who had
feveral times ferved us in this manner; after which they
dealt more fairly, and foon after feveral of them came on
board. At this rime we were preparing to warp farther into
.the bay, and I was going in a boat, to look for the moft convenient
place to moor the fhip in. Obferving too many of
the natives on board, I faid to the officers, “ You muft look
Q^q 2 “ well