30t) cook's SECOND VOYAGE APRIL, 



the South Seas*, is deficient in nothing but situation. 

 This was my chief reason for touching at them : the 

 settling this point is the more useful, as it will, in a 

 great measure, fix the situations of Mendana's other 

 discoveries. 



The Marquesas are five in number, viz. La Mag- 

 dalena, St. Pedro, La Dominica, Santa Christina, and 

 Hood's island, which is the northernmost, situated in 

 latitude 9 26' S., and N. 13 W., five leagues and a 

 half distant, from the east point of La Dominica, 

 which is the largest of all the isles, extending east 

 and west six leagues. It hath an unequal breadth, 

 and is about fifteen or sixteen leagues in circuit. It 

 is full of rugged hills rising in ridges directly from 

 the sea; these ridges are disjoined by deep valleys, 

 which are clothed with wood, as are the sides of some 

 of the hills; the aspect is, however, barren; but it 

 is, nevertheless, inhabited, latitude 9 44' SO" S. 

 St. Pedro, which is about three leagues in circuit, 

 and of a good height, lies south, four leagues and an 

 half from the east end of La Dominica : we know 

 not if it be inhabited. Nature has not been very 

 bountiful to it. St. Christina lies under the same 

 parallel, three or four leagues more to the west. This 

 island stretches north and south, is nine miles long 

 in that direction, and about seven leagues in circuit. 

 A narrow ridge of hills of considerable height ex- 

 tends the whole length of the island. There are 

 other ridges, which, rising from the sea, and., with an 

 equal ascent, join the main ridge. These are dis- 

 joined by deep narrow valleys, which are fertile, 

 adorned with fruit and other trees, and watered by 

 fine streams of excellent water. La Magdalena, we 

 only saw at a distance. Its situation must be nearly 

 in the latitude of 10 25', longitude 138 50'. So 

 that these isles occupy one degree in latitude, and 

 near half a degree in longitude, viz. from 138 47' 



* Vol. I. p. 61. to 73. 



