178 COOK S FIRST VOYAGE AUGUST, 



ture of hope and fear, proportioned to the import- 

 ance of our business, and the uncertainty of the 

 event. When I looked round, I discovered a reef of 

 rocks lying between two and three leagues without 

 the islands, and extending in a line N. W. and S. E. 

 farther than I could see, upon which the sea broke in 

 a dreadful surf; this, however, made me think that 

 there were no shoals beyond them, and I conceived 

 hopes of getting without these, as I perceived several 

 breaks or openings in the reef, and deep water be- 

 tween that and the islands. I continued upon this 

 hill till sunset, but the weather was so hazy during 

 the whole time, that I came down much disappoint- 

 ed. After reflecting upon what I had seen, and com- 

 paring the intelligence I had gained with what I ex- 

 pected, I determined to stay upon the island all 

 night, hoping that the morning might be clearer, and 

 afford me a more distinct and comprehensive view. 

 We therefore took up our lodging under the shelter 

 of a bush which grew upon the beach, and at three 

 in the morning, having sent the pinnace with one of 

 the mates whom I had brought out with me, to sound 

 between the island and the reefs, and examine what 

 appeared to be a channel through them, I climbed 

 the hill a second time, but to my great disappoint- 

 ment found the weather much more hazy than it had 

 been the day before. About noon the pinnace re- 

 turned, having been as far as the reefi and found 

 between fifteen and twenty-eight fathom of water ; 

 but it blew so hard, that the mate did not dare to 

 venture into one of the channels, which he said 

 appeared to him to be very narrow : this, however, 

 did not discourage me, for I judged from his descrip- 

 tion of the place he had been at, that he had seen it 

 to disadvantage. While I was busy in my survey, 

 Mr. Banks was attentive to his favourite pursuit, and 

 picked up several plants which he had not before 

 seen. We found the island, which is visible at twelve 

 leagues' distance, to be about eight leagues in cir- 



