58 VOYAGE TO THE 



way to the island ; and I fear these communications 

 are more frequent than is generally supposed. 

 f 8 25 # The island is 2000 miles from the coast of Chili, 



and 1500 from the nearest inhabited islands, Pitcairn 

 Island excepted, which has been peopled by Euro- 

 peans. A curious inquiry therefore suggests itself : 

 in what manner has so small a place, and so distantly 

 situated from any other, received its population ? 

 particularly as every thing favours the probability 

 of its inhabitants having migrated from the west- 

 ward, in opposition to the prevalent wind and cur- 

 rent. Captain Cook obtained considerable know- 

 ledge upon this subject at Wateo ; and I shall here- 

 after be able to offer something in support of the 

 theory entertained by that celebrated navigator. 



Cook and Perouse differ in a very trifling degree 

 from each other, and also from us in the geographi- 

 cal position of Easter Island. The longitude by 

 Cook is 109° 46' 20" W., and deducting 18' 30", in 

 consequence of certain corrections made at Fetegu 

 Island, leaves 109° 27' 50" W. That by Perouse, al- 

 lowing the longitude of Conception to be 72° 56' 30" 

 W., is 109° 32' 10" W. ; and our own is 109° 24' 54" 

 W. The island is of a triangular shape : its length 

 is exactly nine miles from N. W. to S. E., nine and 

 three quarters from W. N. W. to E. S. E., and 

 thirteen from N. E. to S. W. The highest part of 

 it is 1200 feet, and in clear weather it may be seen 

 at sixteen or eighteen leagues distance. The geo- 

 graphical description by M. Bernizet, who was en- 

 gineer in the Astrolabe, is exact : the views of the 

 land are a little caricatured, but the angular mea- 

 surements are perfectly correct. Further remarks 

 on the coast and anchorage will be found in the 

 Nautical Memoir. 



