we had come in; not daring tb fleer farther.South till daylight
At three o’clock next morning, the wind veered to S. W.,
blew hard, and in fqualls, attended with rain, which made
it neceflary to proceed with our courfes up and topfails on
the cap, till day-break, when the hill on the Ifle of Pines
bore North ; and our diftance from the fhore in that direction,
was about four leagues. We had now a very ftrong
wind at S. S. W. attended by a great fea, fo that we had
reafon to rejoice at having got clear of the flioals before this
gale overtook us. Though every thing ccinfpired to make
me think this was the wefterly monfoon, it can hardly be
comprehended under that name, for feveral reafons; firft,
becaufe it was near a month too foon for thefe winds; fe-
condly, becaufe we know not if they reach this place at a ll;
and laftly, becaufe it is very common for wefterly winds to
blow within the tropics. However, I never found them to
blow fo hard before, or fo far foutherly. Be thefe things as
they may, we had now no other choice but to ftretch to S. E.,
which we accordingly did with our ftarboard tacks aboard;
and at noon were out of fight of land.
Sunday *. _ The gale continued with very little alteration till noon
next day; at which time we obferved in latitude 33° i8'>
longitude made from the Ifle of Pines 1° 54' Eaft. In the af-
ternoon, we had little wind from the South, and a.greatfwell
from the fame diredlion ; and many boobies, tropic, and men
o f war birds were feen. At eleven o’clock a frefh breeze
fprung up at W. by S. with which we flood to the South.
At this time we were in the latitude of 230 18', longitude
169°
September.
Friday 30.
Odlober.
Saturday j .
169° 49' E., and about forty-twb leagues fouth of the He-
brides. 1 '--- *—
At eight o’clock in the morning, on the third, the wind Monday 3.
veered to S. W., and blew a ftrong gale by fqualls, attended
with rain. I now gave over all thought of returning to
the land we had left. Indeed, when I confidered the vaft
ocean we had to explore to the South; the ftateand condition,
of the fhip already in want of fome neceflary ftores; that
Summer was approaching fa ll; and that any-canfiderable accident
might detain us in this fea another yea r; I did not
think it advifeable to attempt to regain the land.
Thus I was obliged, as it were by neceflity, for the firft
time, to leave a coaft I had difeovered, before it was fully
explored.—-I called it New Caledonia ; and, if we except New
Zealand, it is perhaps the largeft ifland in the South Pacific
Ocean. For it extends from the latitude of 190 37', to 22° 30',
S., and from the longitude of 163° 37', to 167° 14'. E. It lies
nearly N. W.J\T. and S. E. 4 E., and is about eighty-feven
' leagues long in that direction ; but its breadth is not confi-
derable, nor any where exceeding ten leagues. It is a* country
full of hills and valleys, of various extent both for height
and depth. To judge of the whole by the parts we were on,
from thefe hills fpring vaft numbers of little rivulets, which
greatly contribute to fertilize the plains, and; to fupply all the
wants of the inhabitants. The fummits of moft of the hills-
feem to be barren ; though fome few are clothed with
wood ; as are all the plains and valleys, By reafon of thefe
hills, many parts of the coaft, when at a diftance from it, appeared
indented, or to have great inlets between the hills;
but,.