'77+- o’clock the high land o f Erromango appeared over the Weft
^AuguiC-^ 0f Tanna in the direction of N. 16° Weft; at eight
Sunday 21. o>cj0(;k wewere paft the iflaiid, and fleered N. N. W. for
Sandwich Ifland, in order to finifli the Purvey * of it, and of
Monday 22. the ifles to the N. W. On the 22d, at four o’clock P. M., we
drew near the S. E. end, and ranging the South coaft, found
it to trend in the direction of Weft and W. N. W. for about
nine leagues. Near the middle of this length, and clofe to
the fhore, are three or four fmall ifles, behind which feemed
to be a fafe anchorage. But not thinking I had any time to
fpare to vifit this fine ifland, I continued to range the coaft to
its weftern extremity, and then fleered N. N. W. from the S. E.
end of Mallicollo, which, at half paft fix o’clock next morning,
bore N. 140 Eaft, diftant feven or eight leagues, and
Tuefday 23. .p^ree-Hills ]flan(j s. 82° Eaft. Soon after, we faw the iflands
Apee, Paoom, and Ambrym. What we had comprehended
under the name of Paoom appeared now to be two ifles,.
fomething like a reparation being feen between the hill
and the land to the Weft of it. We approached the S. W. fide
of Mallicollo to within half a league, and ranged it at that
diftance. From the S. E. point, the direction of the land is
Weft, a little foutherly, for fix or feven leagues, and then N.
W. by W. three leagues, to a pretty high point or head land,
fituated in latitude i6° 29', and which obtained the name of
South-Weft Cape. The coaft, which is low, feemed to be indented
into creeks and projecting points.; or elfe, thefe points
were fmall ifles lying under the fhore. We were fure o f one,,
which lies between two and three leagues Eaft of the Capei
Clofe to the Weft fide or point of the Cape, lies, connected with
* The word Survey is not here to be underftood in its literal fenfe. Surveying a place;,
according to my idea, is-taking a geometrical plan of it, in which every place is to have'its true
Situation, which cannot be done in a work of this nature.
It
it by breakers, a round rock or iflot, which helps to fhelter U74-
a fine bay, formed by an elbow in the coaft, from the reign- v—
Tuefday i
ing winds.
The natives appeared in troops on many parts o f the fhore,
and fome feemed defirous to come off to us in canoes; but
they did not; and, probably, our not fhortening fail, was the
reafon. From the South-Weft Cape, the direction of the
coaft is N. by W .; but the moft advanced land bore from it
N. W. by N., at which the land feemed to terminate. Continuing
to follow the direction of the coaft, at noon it was
two miles from us ; and our latitude, by obfervation, was
160 22' 30" South. This is nearly the parallel to Port Sandwich,
and our never-failing guide, the watch, fhewed that
we were 26' Weft of i t ; a diftance which the breadth o f Mallicollo
cannot exceed in this parallel. The South-Weft Cape
bore S. 36° Eaft, diftant feven miles; and the moft advanced
point of land, for which we fleered, bore N. W. by N. At three
o’clock, we were the length of it, and found the land continued
and trending more and more to the North'. We coafted it to its
northern extremity, which we did not reach till after dark,
at which time we were near enough to the fhore to hear the
voices of people, who were afiembled round a fire they had
made on the beach. There we founded, and found twenty
fathoms and a bottom of fand; but, on edging off from the
fhore, we foon got out of founding, and then made a trip
back to the South till the moon got up. After this we ftoodi
again to the North, hauled round the point, and fpent the
night in Bougainville’s paffage; being affured of our fituation
before fun-fet, by feeing the land, on the North fide of the
paflkge, extending, as far as N. W. i W.
Th<