1767. Auguft. Friday 14. at a confiderable distance from the fhore, we ftood off and on all night. At four o'clock the next morning, we sent off the boats to found, and visit the island; and as soon as it was light, we ran down and lay over-against the middle of it. At noon, the boats returned, and reported that they had run within a cable's length of the island, but could find no ground: that feeing a reef of rocks lie off it, they had hauled round it, and got into a large deep bay which was full of rocks: that they then founded without the bay, and found anchorage from 14 to 20 fathom, with a bottom of fand and coral: that afterwards they went again into the bay, and found a rivulet of good water, but the fhore being rocky, went in fearch of a better landing-place, which they found about half a mile farther, and went afhore. They reported alfo, that from the water to this landing-place, a good rolling way might be made for fupplying the fhip, but that a ftrong guard would be neceffary, to prevent molestation from the inhabitants. They faw no hogs, but brought off two fowls and fome cocoanuts, plantains and bananas. While the boats were on fhore, two canoes came up to them with fix men: they seemed to be peaceably inclined, and were much the fame kind of people as the inhabitants of King George's Ifland, but they were cloathed in a kind of matting, and the first joint of their little fingers had been taken off; at the fame time about fifty more came down from the country, to within about an hundred yards of them, but would advance no farther. When our people had made what obfervations they could, they put off, and three of the natives from the canoes came into one of the boats; but when the got about half a mile from the fhore, they all fuddenly jumped over-board, and fwam back again. Having received this account, I confidered that the watering her would be tedious, and attended with great fatigue: that it was now the depth of winter in the fouthern hemifphere, that the fhip was leaky, that the rudder fhook the ftern very much, and that what other damage the might have received in her bottom could not be known. That for thefe reafons, the was very unfit for the bad weather which the would cer tainly meet with either in going round Cape Horn, or through the Streight of Magellan: that if the fhould get fafely through the Streight, or round the Cape, it would be abfolutely neceffary for her to refresh in some port, but in that cafe no port would be in her reach; I therefore determined to make the best of my way to Tinian, Batavia, and fo to Europe by the Cape of Good Hope. By this route, as far as we could judge, we should sooner be at home; and if the ship should prove not to be in a condition to make the whole voyage, we should still fave our lives, as from this place to Batavia we should probably have a calm fea, and be not far from a port. In confequence of this refolution, at noon I bore away, and paffed Bofcawen's Ifland without vifiting it. It is a high round ifland, abounding in wood, and full of people; but Kepple. Isle is the largest and the beft of the two. Boscawen's Island lies in latitude 15o 50'S. longitude 175° W. and Kepple's Ifle in latitude 15° 55'S. longitude 175° 3′ W. 1767. Auguft. We continued a W. N. W. course till 10 o'clock in the morning, of Sunday the 16th, when we faw Sunday. land bearing, N. by E. and hauled up for it. At noon, we were within three leagues of it: the land within fhore appeared to be high, but at the water fide it was, low, and had a pleasant appearance; the whole feemed to be furrounded by reefs, that ran two or three miles into the fea. As we failed along the shore, which was covered with cocoa-nut-trees, we saw a few. huts, and smoke in feveral parts of the country. Soon after we hauled without a reef of rocks, to get round the lee-fide of, the ifland, and at the fame time fent out the boats to found, and examine the coaft. The boats rowed clofe along the shore, and found it rocky, with trees growing close down to the waterfide. These trees were of different forts, many of them very large, but had no fruit: on the lee-fide, however, there were a few cocoa-nuts, but not a fingle habitation was to be feen. They discovered feveral fmall rills of water, which, by clearing, might have been made to run in a larger stream. Soon after they had got close to the fhore, feveral canoes came up to them, them, each having fix or eight men on board. They appeared to be a robust, active people, and were quite naked, except a kind of mat that was wrapped round their middle. They were armed with large maces or clubs, fuch as Hercules is represented with, two of which they fold to the Master for a nail or two, and fome trinkets. As our people had feen no animal, either bird or beaft except fea-fowl, they were very defirous to learn of the natives whether they had either, but could not make themselves understood. It appears that during this conference, a defign was formed to feize our cutter, for one of the Indians fuddenly laid hold of her painter, and hauled her upon the rocks. Our people endeavoured, in vain, to make them defift, till they fired a musket cross the nose of the man that was most active in the mischief. No hurt was done; but the fire and report fo affrighted them, that they made off with great precipitation. Both our boats then put off, but the water had fallen fo fuddenly that they found it very difficult to get back to the ship; for when they came into deep water they found the points of rocks standing up, and the whole reef, except in one part, was now dry, and a great fea broke over it. The Indians probably perceived their diftrefs, for they turned back, and followed them in their canoes all along the reef till they got to the breach, and then feeing them clear, and making way. faft towards the ship, they returned. About fix in the evening, it being then dark, the boats returned, and the Master told me, that all within the reef was rocky; but that in two or three places, at about two cables length without it, there was anchorage in 18, 14, and 12 fathoms, upon fand and coral. The breach in the reef he found to be about 60 fathoms broad, and here, if preffed by neceffity, he faid a ship might anchor or moor 8 fathoms; but that it would not be fafe to moor with a greater length than half a cable. When I had hoifted the boats in, I ran down four miles to leeward, where we lay till the morning; and then, finding that the current had fet us out of fight of the ifland, I made fail. The officers did me the honour honour to call this island after my name. WALLIS'S 1767. ISLAND lies in latitude 13° 18' S. longitude 177° W. Auguft. As the latitudes and longitudes of all these islands Wallis are accurately laid down, and plans of them delivered Island. in to the Admiralty, it will be eafy for any fhip, that fhall hereafter navigate thefe feas, to find any of them, either to refresh or to make farther discoveries of their produce. I thought it very remarkable, that although we found no kind of metal in any of those islands, yet the inhabitants of all of them, the moment they got a piece of iron in their poffeffion, began to fharpen it, but made no fuch attempt on brass or copper. We continued to fleer N. wefterly, and many birds were from time to time feen about the fhip till the 28th, when her longitude being, by obfervation, 187° Friday 28. 24' W. we croffed the line into North latitude. Among the birds that came about the ship, one which we caught exactly resembled a dove in size, shape, and colour. It had red legs, and was web-footed. We alfo faw feveral plantain leaves, and cocoa nuts, pafs by the ship. On Saturday the 29th, about two o'clock in the af- Saturd. 29. ternoon, being in latitude 2° 50' N. longitude 188° W. we croffed a great rippling, which stretched from the N. E. to the S. W, as far as the eye could reach from the mast-head. We founded, but had no bot tom with a line of two hundred fathoms. On Thursday the 3d of September, at five o'clock September. in the morning, we faw land bearing E. N. E. diftant Thurf. 3. about five miles: in about half an hour we saw more land in the N. W. and at fix faw in the N. E. an At eight o'clock the islands, which I judged to be two of the Pifcadores, bore from S. W. by W. to W. and to windward, from N. by E. to N. E. and had the appearance of fmall flat keys. They were diftant about three leagues; but many others, much farther off, 1767 off, were in fight. The latitude of one of these islands September. is 11° N. longitude 192° 30′ W. and the other 11° 20' N. longitude 192° 58′ W. Monday 7. Thurfd. 17. On the 7th, we faw a curlieu and a pewit, and on the 9th we caught a land-bird, very much resembling a starling. On the 17th, we faw two gannets, and judged the ifland of Tinian to bear Weft, at about one and thirty leagues distance; our latitude being 15° N. and our Friday 18. longitude 212° 30' W. At fix o'clock, the next morning, we saw the island of Saypan, bearing W. by N. diftant about ten leagues. In the afternoon we saw Tinian, and made fail for the road; where, at nine Satur. 19. o'clock in the morning of Saturday the 19th, we came to an anchor in two and twenty fathoms, fandy ground, at about a mile distant from the shore, and half a mile from the reef. CHA P. X. Sonte Account of the prefent State of the Island of Tinian, and our Employment there; with what happened in the Run from thence to Batavia. AS S foon as the fhip was fecured, I fent the boats on shore to erect tents, and bring off some refreshments; and about noon they returned, with fome cocoa-nuts, limes, and oranges. In the evening the tents being erected, I fent the Surgeon, and all the invalids on fhore, with two months provifions, of every kind, for forty men, the Smith's forge, and a cheft of Carpenter's tools. I then landed myself, with the First Lieutenant, both of us being in a very fickly condition, taking with us also a mate, and twelve men, to go up the country and hunt for cattle. Sunday 20. When we first came to an anchor, the North part of the bay bore North 39° W. Cocoa Point N. 7° W. the landing-place N. E. by N. and the fouth end of the ifland S. 28 E. but next morning the Master having founded all the bay, and being of opinion that there was a better fituation to the southward, we warped the fhip a little way up, moored with a cable each way. At |