1777- THE TAC1FIC OCEAN. 5 



very heavy squall of wind from [lie north. At this 

 time, we were under single-reefed top-sails, courses, 

 and stay-sails. Two of the latter were blown to 

 pieces ; and it was with difficulty that we saved the 

 other sails. After this squall, we observed several 

 lights moving about on board the Discovery; by which 

 we concluded that something had given way ; and, 

 the next morning, we saw that her main-top-mast 

 had been lost. Both wind and weather continued 

 very unsettled till noon, this day, when the latter 

 cleared up, and the former settled in the north-west 

 quarter. At this time, we were in the latitude of 

 2S Q 6' south, and our longitude was 198 L 23' east. 

 Here we saw some pintado birds, being the first since 

 we left the land. 



On the 81st, at noon, Captain Gierke made a sig- 

 nal to speak with me. By the return of the boat, 

 which I sent on board his ship, he informed me, that 

 the head of the main-mast had been discovered to be 

 sprung, in such a manner, as to render the rigging 

 of another top-mast very dangerous ; and that, there- 

 fore, he must rig something lighter in its place. He 

 also informed me, that he had lost his main-top-gal- 

 lantyard; and that he neither had another, nor a 

 spar to make one, on board. The Resolution's sprit- 

 sail top-sail-yard, which I sent him, supplied this 

 want. The next day, we got up a jury top-mast, on 

 which he set a mizen-top-sail ; and this enabled him to 

 keep way with the Resolution. 



The wind was fixed in the western board ; that is, 

 from the north, round by the west to south, and I 

 steered east, and north-east, without meeting with 

 any thing remarkable, till eleven o'clock in the morn- 

 ing of the 8th of August, when the land was seen, 

 bearing north north-east, nine or ten leagues distant. 

 At first, it appeared in detached hills, like so many 

 separate islands ; but as we drew nearer, we found 

 that they were all connected, and belonged to one and 

 the same island. I steered directly for it, with a tine 



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