180 COOK S FIRST VOYAGE AUGUST, 



island with trees upon it, which we had remarked in 

 our going out. Upon this island we saw an incredible 

 number of birds, chiefly sea-fowl : we found also the 

 nest of an eagle, with young ones, which we killed ; 

 and the nest of some other bird, we knew not what, 

 of a most enormous size : it was built with sticks 

 upon the ground, and was no less than six-and-twenty 

 feet in circumference, and two feet eight inches high. 

 We found, also, that this place had been visited by 

 the Indians, probably to eat turtle, many of which 

 we saw upon the island, and a great number of their 

 shells, piled one upon another in different places. 



To this spot we gave the name of Eagle Island ; 

 and after leaving it, we steered S. W. directly for the 

 ship, sounding all the way, and we had never less 

 than eight fathom, nor more than fourteen, the same 

 depth of water that I had found between this and 

 Lizard Island. 



When I got on board, the master informed me that 

 he had been down to the low islands, between which 

 and the main I had directed him to sound ; that he 

 judged them to lie about three leagues from the 

 main ; that without them he found from ten to four- 

 teen fathom, and between them and the main, seven; 

 but that a flat, which ran two leagues out from the 

 main, made this channel narrow. Upon one of these 

 low islands he slept, and was ashore upon others ; 

 and he reported, that he saw every where piles of tur- 

 tle-shells, and fins hanging upon the trees in many 

 places, with the flesh upon them, so recent, that the 

 boat's crew ate of them : he saw also two spots, clear 

 of grass, which appeared to have been lately dug up, 

 and from the shape and size of them, he conjectured 

 they were graves. 



After considering what I had seen myself and the 

 report of the master, I was of opinion that the pas- 

 sage to leeward would be dangerous, and that, by 

 keeping in with the main, we should run the risk of 

 being locked in by the great reef, and at last be com- 



