J “3 ©
1778.
November.
Thurfday 26,
A , V O Y A G E T O
o f 20° 5s'. I now fpread the ihips, and fleered to the Wefl.
In the evening, we jo in e d ; and at midnight brought to.
• At day-break, next morning, land was feen extending from
South South Eaft to Weft. We made fail, and flood for it.
At eight, it extended from South Eaft h a lf South, to Wefl;
the neareft part two leagues diftant. It was fuppofed that
we faw the extent o f the land to the Eaft, but not to the Weft.
We were now fatisfied, that the group o f the Sandwich
Iflands had been only imperfedtly difcovered ; as thofe o f
them which we had vifited in our progrefs Northward, all
lie to the leeward o f our prefent ftation.
In the country was an elevated faddle hill, whofe fummit
appeared above the clouds. From this hill, the land fell
in a gentle Hope, and terminated in a fteep rocky coaft,,
againft which the fea broke in.a dreadful furf. Finding that
w e could not weather" the ifland, I bore up, and ranged
along the coaft to the Weft ward. It was not long before we
faw people on feveral parts o f the ihore, and fome houfes
and plantations. T h e country feemed to be both well wooded
and w atered; and running ftreams were feen fa llin g into,
the fea in various places.
As it was o f the laft importance to procure a fupply o f
provifions at thefe iflancjs; and experience having taught me
that I could have no chance to fucceed in this, i f a free
trade with the natives were to be allowed ; that is , i f it w e re
left to every man’s difcretion to trade for what lie pleafed,
and in the manner he p lea fed ; for this fubftantial reafon, I
now publiftiea an order, prohibiting all perfons from trading,
except fuch as fhould be appointed by me and Captain
Clerke ; and even thefe were enjoined to trade only for provifions
and refrefliments. Women were alfo forbidden to be
admitted