1774- ROUND THE WORLD. 35 



CHAP. IV. 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF SEVERAL ISLANDS, AN 

 INTERVIEW AND SKIRMISH WITH THE INHABITANTS UPON 

 ONE OF THEM. THE ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP AT TANNA, 

 AND THE RECEPTION WE MET WITH THERE. 



Ooon after we got to sea, we had a breeze at 

 E.S.E. with which we stood over for Ambrym till 

 three o'clock in the afternoon, when the wind veering 

 to E. N. E. we tacked and stretched to the S.E. and 

 weathered the S. E. end of Mallicollo, off which we 

 discovered three or four small islands, that before 

 appeared to be connected. At sun-set the point 

 bore S. 77° West, distant three leagues, from which 

 the coast seemed to trend away West. At this time 

 the isle of Ambrym extended from N. 30° E. to N. 

 65° E. The isle of Paoom from N. 76° E. to S. 88° 

 E. and the isle of Apee from S. 83° E. to S. 43° East. 

 We stood for this last isle, which we reached by 

 midnight, and then brought to till day-break on the 

 24th, when we made sail to the S.E. with a view of 

 plying up to the eastward on the south side of Apee. 

 At sun-rise, we discovered several more islands, ex- 

 tending from the S.E. point of Apee to the South 

 as far as S.E. by S. The nearest to us we reached 

 by ten o'clock, and not being able to weather it, we 

 tacked a mile from its shore in fourteen fathoms 

 water. This island is about 4 leagues in circuit, is 

 remarkable by having three high peaked hills upon 

 it, by which it has obtained that name. In the P. M. 

 the wind veering more to the north, we resumed our 

 course to the east ; and having weathered Threehills, 

 stood for the group of small isles which lie off the 

 S. E. point of Apee. These I called Shepherd's Isles, 

 in honour of my worthy friend Dr. Shepherd, 

 Plumian professor of astronomy at Cambridge. Hav- 

 ing a fine breeze, I had thoughts of going through 

 between them ; but the channels being narrow, and 



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