1(36 cook's voyage to dec, 



CHAP. X. 



PROGRESS OF THE VOYAGE, AFTER LEAVING THE SOCIETY 



ISLANDS. CHRISTMAS ISLAND DISCOVERED, AND STATION 



OF THE SHIPS THERE. BOATS SENT ASHORE. GREAT 



SUCCESS IN CATCHING TURTLE. AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 



OBSERVED. DISTRESS OF TWO SEAMEN, WHO HAD LOST 



THEIR WAY. INSCRIPTION LEFT IN A BOTTLE. ACCOUNT 



OF THE ISLAND. ITS SOIL. TREES AND PLANTS. 



BIRDS. ITS SIZE. FORM. SITUATION. ANCHORING- 



GROUND. 



After leaving Bolabola, 1 steered to the northward, 

 close hawled, with the wind between N.E. and E., 

 hardly ever having it to the southward of E., till 

 after we had crossed the line, and had got into north 

 latitudes. So that our course, made good, was 

 always to the W. of Ni, and sometimes no better 

 than N. W. 



Though seventeen months had now elapsed since 

 our departure from England, during which we had 

 not, upon the whole* been unprofltably employed, I 

 was sensible that, with regard to the principal object 

 of my instructions, our voyage was at this time only 

 beginning ; and, therefore, my attention to every 

 circumstance that might contribute toward our 

 safety and our ultimate success, was now to be called 

 forth anew. With this view I had examined into 

 the state of our provisions at the last islands ; and as 

 soon as I had left them and got beyond the extent of 

 my former discoveries, I ordered a survey to be 

 taken of all the boatswain's and carpenter's stores that 

 were in the ships, that I might be fully informed of 

 the quantity, state, and condition of every article ; 

 and, by that means, know how to use them to the 

 greatest advantage. 



Before I sailed from the Society Islands, I lost no 



