177^. ROUND THE WOKI^D. 23 



was succeeded by a steady fresh gale at S. E. with 

 which we steered N.W. being at this time in the lati- 

 tude of 20° 20' South, longitude I76 8' East. 



On the 15th at noon, being in the latitude of 

 15° 9' South, longitude 171° 16' East, I steered west. 

 The next day the weather was foggy, and the wind 

 blew in heavy squalls, attended with rain, which in 

 this ocean, within the tropics, generally indicates the 

 vicinity of some high land. This was verified at 

 three in the afternoon, when high land was seen bear- 

 ing S. W. Upon this we took in the small sails, 

 reefed the top-sails, and hauling up for it, at half 

 past five, we could see it extend from S. S. W. to 

 N. W. by W. -§- W, Soon after we tacked and spent 

 the night, which was very stormy, in plying. Our 

 boards were disadvantageous ; for, in the morning, 

 we found we had lost ground. This, indeed, was 

 no wonder, for having an old suit of sails bent, 

 the most of them were split to pieces ; particularly a 

 fore-top-sail, which was rendered quite useless. We 

 got others to the yards, and continued to ply, being 

 desirous of getting round the south ends of the lands, 

 or at least so far to the south as to be able to judge 

 of their extent in that direction. For no one doubted 

 that this was the Australia del Espiritu Santo of 

 Quiros, which M. de Bougainville calls the Great 

 Cyclades, and that the coast we were now upon was 

 the east side of Aurora island, whose longitude is 

 168° SO' East. 



The gale kept increasing till we were reduced to 

 our low sails ; so that, on the 18th, at seven in the 

 morning, I gave over plying, set the topsails double- 

 reefed, bore up for, and hauled round the north end of 

 Aurora island, and then stretched over for the Isle of 

 Lepers, under close-reefed topsails and courses, with 

 a very hard gale at N. E. ; but we had now the advan- 

 tage of a smooth sea, having the Isle of Aurora to 

 windward. At noon the north end of it bore N. E.i 

 N. distant four leagues > our latitude, found by double 



c 4 



