think, fe-nt his boat to examine it; and, if I have not been
mifinformed,’ found a channel through, -within the reef,
near the N. W. parr. The inhabitants of Ulietea fpeak of an
uninhabited ifland, about this fituation, called by them Mo-
peha, to which they’ go at certain feafons for turtle. Perhaps
this may be the fame - as we faw no figns of inhabitants
upon it. Its latitude is 160 46' South; longitude 154.0
8! Weft.
From this day to the n$th, we met with nothing remarkable,
and our courfe was Weft foutherly; the winds variable
from North round by the Eaft to S. W., attended with cloudy
rainy, unfettled weather, and a foutherly fwell. We generally
brought to, or flood upon a wind, during night; and
in the day made all the fail we could. About half an hour
after fun-rife this morning, land was feen from the top-maft
head, bearing N. N. E. We immediately altered the courfe
and fleering for it, found it to be another Reef Ifland, com-
pofed of five or fix woody iflots, connected together by fand
banks and breakers, inclofing a lake, into which we could
fee no entrance. We ranged the Weft and N. W. coafts, from
its fouthern to its northern extremity, which is about two
leagues ; and fo-near the fhore, that at one time we could fee
the focks under us ; yet we found no anchorage, nor faw we
any figns of inhabitants. There were plenty of various kinds
of birds, and the coaft feemed to abound with fifh. The fituation
of this ifle is not very diftant from that afiigned by Mr.
Dalrymple for La Sagitaria, difcovered by Quiros; but, by
the defcription the difcoverer has given of it, it cannot be
the fame. For this reafon, I looked upon it as a new difco-
very, and named it Palmerfton Ifland, in honour of Lord Pal-
merfton, one of the Lords of the Admiralty. It is fituated
in latitude 180 4' South, longitude 163° to1 Weft.
At