quence o f this report the ffiips weighed anchor, and, after
two or three trips, came to again in twenty fathoms water,
over a bottom o f fine dark fand, before a fmall iiland that
lies at the entrance o f the lagoon ; and on each fide o f w hich
there is a channel leading into it-; but only fit for boats. T he
water in the lagoon itfe lf is all v e ry ihallow:
On the 26th, in the morning, I ordered Captain Clerke to
fend a boat, w ith an officer, to the South Eaft part o f the lagoon,
to look for tu r tle ; and Mr. K in g and I went each in
a boat to the North Eaft part. I intended to have gone to
the rnoft Eafterly e x trem ity ; but the wind blew too frefh to
a llow it, and obliged us to land more to leeward, on a fandy
flat, where we caught one tu r tle ; the only one that we fa'w
in the lagoon. We walked, or rather waded, through the
water, to an iflan d ; where finding nothing but a few birds,
I left it, and proceeded to the land that bounds the fea to the
North Weft, lea v in g Mr. K in g to obferve the fu n ’s meridian
altitude. I found this land to be even more barren than the
ifland I had been u p o n ; but w a lk in g over to the fea-coaft, I
faw five turtles clofe to the ihore. One o f thefe-we c au0g h t.»
and the reft made their efcape. Not feeing any more, 1 returned
on board, as did Mr. K in g foon after, without h a vin g
feen one turtle. We, however, did not defpair o f getting
a fu p p ly ; fo r fome o f Captain Clerke’s officers, who had
been aihore on the land to the Southward o f the channel
leading into the lagoon, had been more fortunate, and caught
feveral there.
In the morning o f the 27th, the pinnace and cutter,
under the command o f Mr. King, were fent to the South
Eaft part o f the ifland, within the. lagoon ; and the fmall c u t - -
ter to the Northward, where I had been the day b e fo r e ;
4 - both
Both parties being ordered upon the fame fervice, to catch 1777- ■
turtle. Captain Clerke ha vin g had fome o f his people on S f f f e j
ihore all night, they had been fo fortunate as to turn between
forty and fifty on the fand, w hich were brought on
board, w ith all expedition, this day. And in the afternoon,
the party I had fent Northward returned with fix.
T h e y were fent ba ck again, and remained there till we left
the ifland ; having in general pretty good fuccefs.
On the 28th, I landed, in company with Mr. Bayly, on the Sunday zj;.
ifland which lies between the two channels into ihe. lagoon, -
to prepare the telefcopes for obferving the- approaching
eclipfe o f the fun ; which was one great inducement to my
anchoring here. About noon, Mr. K in g returned with one
boat, and eight turtles ; leaving feven behind to be brought
b y the other boat, whofe people were employed in catching
more ; and, in the evening, the fame boat was fent with
water and provifions for them. Mr. Williamfon now went
to fuperintend this duty in the room o f Mr. King, who remained
on board, to attend the obfervation of. the eclipfe.
T h e next day, Mr. Williamfon difpatched the two boats- Mond.
ba ck to the Ihip, laden w ith turtle. At the fame time, he 1
fent me a méflage, defiring, that the boats might be ordered
round by fea, as he had found a landing-place on the South
Eaft fide o f the ifland, where moft o f the turtle were caught ;
fo that, by fending the boats thither, the-trouble would be-
faved o f carrying them over the land to the infide o f the lagoon,
as had been hitherto done. The boats were, accordin
g ly , difpatched to the place w hich he pointetbout.
On the morning o f the 30th, the day when the e c l ip f e V 1 _ .. - r - I u eida y aop
was to happen, Mr. King, Mr. Bayly, and myfelf, went
aihore,, on thè fmall ifland above-mentioned, to attend the:
obfervation