1773. ROUND THE WOULD. 153 



were only distinguishable. We ranged the south side 

 of this isle or shoal at the distance of one or two 

 miles from the coral bank, against which the sea 

 broke in a dreadful surf. In the middle is a large 

 lake or inland sea, in which was a canoe under sail. 



This island, which I named after Captain Furneaux, 

 lies in the latitude 17 5\ longitude 143 16' west. 

 The situation is nearly the same that is assigned for 

 one of those discovered by Bougainville. I must 

 here observe, that amongst these low and half- 

 drowned isles (which are numerous in this part of the 

 ocean) Mr. Bougainville's discoveries cannot be known 

 to that degree of accuracy which is necessary to dis- 

 tinguish them from others. We were obliged to have 

 recourse to his chart for the latitudes and longitudes 

 of the isles he discovered, as neither the one nor the 

 other is mentioned in his narrative. Without waiting 

 to examine this island, we continued to steer to the 

 west, all sails set, till six o'clock in the evening, when 

 we shortened sail to three topsails, and at nine 

 brought to. 



The next morning at four A. M. we made sail, and 

 at day-break saw another of these low islands, situ- 

 ated in the latitude of 17 4/, longitude 144 SO' west, 

 which obtained the name of Adventure Island. M. de 

 Bougainville very properly calls this cluster of low 

 overflowed isles the Dangerous Archipelago. The 

 smoothness of the sea sufficiently convinced us that 

 we were surrounded by them, and how necessary it 

 was to proceed w 7 ith the utmost caution, especially in 

 the night. 



At five o'clock P. M. we again saw land, bearing 

 S. W. by S. which we afterwards found to be Chain 

 Island, discovered in my former voyage. But as I 

 was not sure of it at this time, and being desirous of 

 avoiding the delay which lying by in the night occa- 

 sioned, I hoisted out the cutter and manned her with 

 an officer and seven men with orders to keep as far 

 a-head of the ships, with a light at her mast-head, as 



