1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 191 



hand ; we steered between them and the islands 

 that lay off the main, having a clear passage, and 

 from fifteen to twenty-three fathom water. At four 

 o'clock we discovered some low islands and rocks, 

 bearing W. N. W., and stood directly for them: at 

 half an hour after six we anchored on the north-east 

 side of the northernmost of them, at one mile distance, 

 and in sixteen fathom. These islands lie N. W. four 

 leagues from Cape Grenville, and from the number 

 of birds that I saw upon them, I called them Bird 

 Isles. A little before sun-set, we were in sight of 

 the main land, which appeared all very low and 

 sandy, extending as far to the northward as N. W. 

 by N., some shoals, quays, and low sandy isles 

 stretching away to the N. E. 



At six o'clock in the morning we got again under 

 sail, with a fresh breeze at E., and stood away N. 

 N. W. for some low islands in that direction, but 

 were soon obliged to haul close upon a wind to 

 weather a shoal which we discovered upon our lar- 

 board bow, having, at the same time, others to the 

 eastward : by the time we had weathered this shoal 

 to leeward, we had brought the islands well upon 

 our lee-bow, but, seeing some shoals run off from 

 them, and some rocks on our starboard bow, which 

 we did not discover till we were very near them, I 

 was afraid to go to windward of the islands, and 

 therefore brought to, and having made the signal 

 for the pinnace, which was a-head, to come on board, 

 I sent her to leeward of the islands, with orders to 

 keep along the e*dge of the shoal, which ran off from 

 the south side of the southernmost island, sending the 

 yawl at the same time to run over the shoal in search 

 of turtle, As soon as the pinnace had got to a pro- 

 per distance, we wore, and stood after her : as we 

 ran to leeward of this island, we took the yawl in 

 tow T , she having seen only one small turtle, and 

 therefore made but little stay upon the shoal. The 

 island we found to be a small spot of sand with some 



