THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



191 



land. However, wc difcovered none till day-break, in the '778. 



' January. 



morning of the 18th, when an iQand made its appearance, -v— -/ 



bearing North Eaft by Eafl ; and, foon after, we faw more 



land bearing North, and entirely detached from the former. 



Both had ihe appearance of being high land. At noon, the 



firfl bore North Eaft by Eaft, half Eaft, by eftimation about 



eight or nine leagues diftant ; and an elevated hill, near ihe 



Eaft end of the other, bore North, half Weft. Our latitude, 



at this time, was 21' 12', North; and longitude ;oo° 41', 



Eaft. We had now light airs and calms, by turns; fo that, 



at funfet, we were not lefs than nine or ten leagues from 



the neareft land. 



On the 19th, at fun-rife, the ifland firft fcen, bore Eaft, fe- Monday 19. 

 vera! leagues diftant. This being diretflly to. windward, 

 which prevented our getting near it, I ftood for the other, 

 which we could reach ; and, not long after, difcovered a 

 third iftand in the direcftion of Weft North Weft, as far dif- 

 tant as land could be feen. We had now a fine breeze at 

 Eaft by North ; and I fleered for the Eaft end of the fecond 

 ifland ; which, at noon, extended from North, half Eaft, to 

 Weft North Weft, a quarter Weft, the neareft part being 

 about two leagues diftant. At this time, we were in fome 

 doubt whether or no the land before us was inhabited ; 

 but this doubt was foon cleared up, by feeing fome canoes 

 coming off from the fliore, toward the fliips. I immedi- 

 ately brought to, to give them time to join us. They had 

 from three to flx men each ; and, on their approach, we 

 were agreeably furprized to find, that they fpoke the lan- 

 guage of Otaheite, and of the other iflands we had lately 

 viflted. It required but very little addrefs, to get them to 

 come along-fide ; but no inrreaties could prevail upon any 

 of them to come on board. I tied fome brafs medals to a 



rope, 



