142 cook's voyage to dec. 



and between these two, in the direction of S. E., 

 some smaller ones.* In the direction of S. by E. 

 E., from the E. end of the first island, a third t high 

 island was seen. At times, as the fog broke away, we 

 had the appearance of land over the small islands; 

 and I had thoughts of steering for it, by running in 

 between them. But, on drawing near, I found this 

 would be a dangerous attempt, while the weather 

 continued foggy. For, if there should be no passage, 

 or if we should meet with any sudden danger, it 

 would have been impossible for us to get oft'; the 

 wind being right astern, and a prodigious sea run- 

 ing, that broke on all the shores in a frightful surf. 

 At the same time, seeing another island in the N. E. 

 direction, and not knowing but that there might be 

 more, I judged it prudent to haul off, and wait for 

 clearer weather, lest we should get intangled amongst 

 unknown lands in a thick fog. 



We did but just weather the island last mentioned. 

 It is a high round rock, which was named Bligh's 

 Cap. Perhaps this is the same that Monsieur de 

 Kerguelen called the Isle of Rendezvous $ ; but I 

 know nothing that can rendezvous at it, but fowls of 

 the air; for it is certainly inaccessible to every other 

 animal. 



At eleven o'clock the weather began to clear up, 



* The observations of the French and English navigators agree 

 exactly, as to the position of these smaller isles. 



+ The situation of Kerguelen's Isle de Clugny, as marked on hia 

 chart, shows it to be the third high island seen by Captain Cook. 



^ This isle, or rock, was the single point about which Captain 

 Cook had received the least information at Teneriffe ; and we may 

 observe how sagacious he was in tracing it. What he could only 

 speak of as probable, a comparison of his chart with that lately 

 published by Kerguelen, proves to be certain; and if he had even 

 read and copied what his predecessors in the discovery says of it, 

 he could scarcely have varied his account of its shape. Kergue- 

 len's words are, ** Isle de Reunion, qui n'est qu'une roche, nous 

 servoit de rendezvous, ou de point de ralliement ; et resemble ^ 

 un coin de mire*' 



