X77B. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 485 



west to the north. This was in the latitude of 32 26', 

 and in the longitude of 207 30'. 



The wind presently increased to a very strong 

 gale, attended with rain, so as to bring us under 

 double-reefed top-sails. In lowering down the main- 

 top-sail to reef it, the wind tore it quite out of the 

 foot- rope ; and it was split in several other parts. This 

 sail had only been brought to the yard the day before, 

 after having had a repair. The next morning, we 

 got another top-sail to the yard. This gale proved 

 to be the forerunner of the trade-wind, which, in la- 

 titude 25, veered to east, and east south-east. 



I continued to steer to the southward, till daylight 

 in the morning of the 25th, at which time we were 

 in the latitude of 20 55'. I now spread the ships, 

 and steered to the west. In the evening, we joined ; 

 and at midnight brought to. At day-break, next 

 morning, land was seen extending from south south- 

 east to west. We made sail, and stood for it. At 

 eight, it extended from south-east half south, to west; 

 the nearest part two leagues distant. It was supposed 

 that, we saw the extent of the land to the east, but 

 not to the west. We were now satisfied, that the 

 group of the Sandwich Islands had been only imper- 

 fectly discovered ; as those of them which we had 

 visited in our progress northward, all lie to the lee- 

 ward of our present station. 



In the country was an elevated saddle hill, whose 

 summit appeared above the clouds. From this hill, 

 the land fell in a gentle slope, and terminated in a 

 steep, rocky coast, against which the sea broke in a 

 dreadful surf. Finding that we could not weather 

 the island, I bore up, and ranged along the coast 

 to the westward. It was not long belbre we saw 

 people on several parts of the shore, and some houses 

 and plantations. The country seemed to be both well 

 wooded and watered ; and running streams were seen 

 falling into the sea in various places. 



As it was of the last importance to procure a sup- 



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