'44
<774- Latitude obferved i8° 46' S. In the afternoon, finding the
< —g—’ ■ . fhip to drift, not only to the North, but in fhore alfo, and
Tuefday 2. yet t0 t]le South of the bay we paffed the day before,
I had thoughts of getting to an anchor before night, while
we had it in our power to make choice of a place. With
this view, having hoifted out two boats, one of them was
fent ahead to tow the fhip; in the other Mr. Gilbert went, to
found for anchorage. Soon after, the towing boat was fent
to allifi: him. So much time was fpent in founding this bay,
that the fhip drove pall, which made it neceffary to call the
boats on board'to tow her off from the northern point. But
this fervice was performed by a breeze o f wind, which, that
moment, fprung up at S. W .; fo that as the boats got on
board, we hoifted them in, and then bore up for the North
fide of the ifland, intending once more to try to get round
by the Eaft. Mr. Gilbert informed me, that, at the South part
of the bay, he found no foundings till clofe to a fteep ftone
beach, where he landed to tafte a ftream of water he faw
there, which proved to be fait. Some people were feen there,
but they kept at a diftance. Farther down the coaft, that is
to the North, he found twenty, twenty-four, and thirty fathoms,
three-fourths of a mile, or a mile, from fhore, the
bottom a fine dark fand.
Wednefd. 3. On the 3d at fun-rife, we found ourfelves abreaft a lofty
promontory on the S. E. fide of the ifland, and about three
leagues from it. Having but little wind,' and that from the
South, right in our teeth, and being in want of fire-wood, I
fenr Lieutenant Clerke with two boats to a fmall iflot which,
lies off the promontory, to endeavour to get fome. In the
mean time We continued to ply up with the S lip ; but what
we gained by our fails, we loft by the current. At length,
towards
towards noon, we got a breeze at E.S. E. and E., with which jjjgg
we could lie up for the head ; and foon after Mr. Clerke re- '—-nr— 1 r Wednef. 3.
turned, having not been able to land, on account of an high
furf on the fhore. They met with no people on the ifle ; but
faw a large bat, and fome birds, and caught a water-fnake.
At fix o’clock P. M. we got in with the land, under the N.
W. fide of the head, where we anchored in feventeen fathoms
water, the bottom a fine dark fand, half a mile from
fhore ; the point of the head bearing N. 18° Eaft, diftant half
a league; the little iflot before mentioned N. E. by E. 4 E.,
and the N. W. point of the bay N. 32° Weft. Many people
appeared on the fhore, and fome attempted to fwim off to
u s ; but having occafion to fend the boat a-head to found,
they retired as fhe drew near them. This, however, gave
us a favourable idea of them.
On the 4th, at day-break, I went with two boats to ex- Thurfday 4.
amine the coaft, to look for a proper landing-place, wood,
and water. At this time, the natives began to aflemble on
the fhore, and by figns invited us to land. I went firft to a
fmall beach, which is towards the head, where I found no
good landing, on account of fome rocks which every where
lined the coaft. I, however, put th£ boat’s bow to the fhore,
and gave cloth, medals, &c. to fome people who were there.
For-this treatment they offered to haul the boats over the
breakers to the fandy beach; which I thought a friendly
offer, but had reafon afterwards to_alter my opinion. When
they found I would not do as they defired, they made figns
for us to go down into the bay, which we accordingly did, and
they ran along fhore abreaft of us, their number increafing
prodigioufly. I put in to the fhore in two or three places, but,
not liking the fituation, did not land. By this time, I believe,
the