152 cook's SECOND VOYAGE AUG. 



run an easy sail, or lay to. We daily saw flying fish, 

 albacores, dolphins, &c. but neither by striking, nor 

 with hook and line, could we catch any of them. 

 This required some art which none of my people were 

 masters of. 



On the 11th at day -break, land was seen to the 

 south. This, upon a nearer approach, we found to 

 be an island of about two leagues in extent, in the 

 direction of N. W. and S. E. andcloathed with wood, 

 above which the cocoa-nut trees showed their lofty 

 heads. I judged it to be one of those isles discovered 

 by Mr. Bougainville. It lies in the latitude of 17 

 24', longitude 141 39' west ; and I called it after the 

 name of the ship, Resolution Island. The sickly 

 state of the Adventure's crew made it necessary for 

 me to make the best of my way to Otaheite, where I 

 was sure of finding refreshments. Consequently, I 

 did not wait to examine this island, which appeared 

 too small to supply our wants, but continued our 

 course to the west ; and at six o'clock in the evening, 

 land was seen from the mast-head, bearing west by 

 south. Probably this was another of Bougainville's 

 discoveries. I named it Doubtful Island ; and it lies 

 in the latitude of 17 20', longitude 141 38' W. I was 

 sorry I could not spare time to haul to the north of 

 Mr. Bougainville's track ; but the getting to a place 

 where we could procure refreshments was more an 

 object at this time than discovery. 



During the night we steered W. by N. in order to 

 pass the north of the island above-mentioned. At day- 

 break the next morning, we discovered land right a- 

 head, distant about two miles ; so that day-light 

 advised us of our danger but just in time. This proved 

 another of these low or half-drowned islands, or rather 

 a large coral shoal of about twenty-leagues in circuit. 

 A very small part of it was land, which consisted of 

 little islets ranged along the north-side, and connected 

 by sandbanks and breakers. These islets were 

 clothed with wood, among which the cocoa-nut trees 



