>777- coveries, I o rd e red . a furvey to be taken o f all the boat-
Pecember.^ an(j carpenter>s ftores that were in the ihips, that 1
might be fu lly informed o f the quantity, Hate, and condition
o f every a r tic le ; and, b y that means, kn ow how to ufe them
to the greateft advantage.
Before I failed from the Souiety Illands, I loft no opportun
ity o f inquirin g o f the inhabitants, i f there were any iflands,
in a North or a North Weft direction from them ; but I did
not find that they k n ew o f any. Nor did We meet with any
th in g that indicated the vicinity o f land, till w e came to
about the latitude o f 8’ South, where w e began to fee birds;
fu ch as boobies, tropic and men-of-war-birds, tern, and
fome other forts. At this time, our longitude was 205° Eaft.
Mendana, in his firft voyage in 1568*, difcovered an ifland
w h ich he named Iila de Jefus, in latitude 6^45' South, and
1450 leagues from Callao, which is 200° Eaft longitude from
Greenwich. We crofted this latitude near a hundred leagues
to the Eaftward o f this longitude, and faw there many o f
the above-mentioned birds ; w hich are feldom kn own to ¿0
very fa r from land.
Monday 2 xn the night, between the 22d and 23d, w e crofted the
Tuefday 23. j-ne longitude o f 203° i s' Eaft. Here the variation o f
the compafs was 6° 30' Eaft nearly.
Wednen.24. On the 24th, about h a lf an hour after day-break, land
was difcovered bearing North Eaft by Eaft, h a lf Eaft. Upon
a nearer approach, it was found to be on e -o f thofe low
iflands fo common in this ocean ; that is, a narrow bank o f
land inclofing the fea within. A few cocoa-nut trees were
feen in two or three places ; but, in general, the land had
a very barren appearance. At noon, it extended from North
Eaft by Eaft, to South by Eaft, h a lf Eaft, about four miles
* See Dalrymple’ s Collection, V o l. i . p. 45*
6 d ifta n t .
diftant. T he wind was at Eaft South E a ft; fo that We were _ r777- December.
under a neceflity o f m a k in g a few boards, to get u p to the >— v-— •
lee, or Weft fide; w here.we found from forty to twenty and
fourteen fathoms water, over a bottom o f fine fan d ; the
Icaft depth about h a lf a mile from the breakers, arid the
greateft about one mile. Tl)e me eting w ith foundings determined
me to anchor, w ith a v iew to try to g e t fome
tu r tle ; for the ifla-nd feemed be a lik e ly place to meet with
them, and to be withou t inhabitants. Accordingly, w e
dropped anchor in thirty fathoms ; and then a boat was
difpatched to examine whether it was practicable to land ;
o f w hich I had fome doubt, as th q fea broke in a dreadful
fu r f all a long rhe fhore. When1 the boat returned, the o fficer,
whom I had intrufted with this examination, reported
to me, that’h e could fee ho place where a boat could land ;.
but that there was great abundance o f fifh in the ihoal w a te r ,.
without the breakers.
; At day-brealc, the next morning, I ferit two boats; one from Tiiurflay f| l
each fhip, to fearch more a c cu ra te ly , for a landin g-p lace;
and, at the fame time, two others, to-f i fh'at a grappling
near the fhore. Thefe laft returned about eight o’clock,
w ith upward o f two hundred w e igh t o f fifh. Encouraged
b y this fuccefs; they were difpatched again a fter breakfaft ; 1
and I then went in another boat, to take a-view o f the coaft,
and attempt la n d in g ; but this | found to b e wholly im practicable.
Toward noon, the two boats, fent on the fame
fearch, returned. T he mailer, who was in that belonging,
to the Refolution, reported to me, that, about a league and
a h a lf to the North, was a break in the land, and. a channel
into the fogoo/t.-confequenfly, that there was a fit place fo r
landing ; and that he had found the fame foundings; o ff
this entrance, as we had where we now lay. In confequ.
cnee