40 cook's second voyage august, 



breeze began to abate, so that it was sun- set before 

 we got the length of it. I intended not to stop 

 here, and stand to the south under an easy sail all 

 night, but at eight o'clock, as we were steering 

 S. S. E. we saw a light a-head. Not knowing but it 

 might be on some low detached isle, dangerous to 

 approach while dark, we hauled the wind, and spent 

 the night standing off and on, or rather driving to 

 and fro ; for we had but very little wind. 



At sun-rise on the 2d, we saw no more land than 

 the coast we were upon ; but found that the currents 

 had carried us some miles to the north, and we at- 

 tempted, to little purpose, to regain what we had 

 lost. At noon we were about a league from the coast, 

 which extended from S. S. E. to N. E. Latitude ob- 

 served 18° 46' S. In the afternoon, finding the ship 

 to drift, not only to the north, but in shore also, and 

 being yet to the south of the bay we passed the day 

 before, I had thoughts of getting to an anchor before 

 night, while we had it in our power to make choice 

 of a place. With this view, having hoisted out two 

 boats, one of them was sent a-head to tow the ship ; 

 in the other Mr. Gilbert went, to sound for anchor- 

 age. Soon after, the towing boat was sent to assist 

 him. So much time was spent in sounding this 

 bay, that the ship drove past, which made it neces- 

 sary to call the boats on board to tow her off from the 

 northern point. But this service was performed by 

 a breeze of wind, which, that moment, sprung up 

 at S. W., so that as the boats got on board, we hoisted 

 them in, and then bore up for the north side of the 

 island, intending once more to try to get round by 

 the east. Mr. Gilbert informed me, that, at the 

 south part of the bay, he found no soundings till 

 close to a steep stone beach, where he landed to taste 

 a stream of water he saw there, which proved to be 

 salt. Some people were seen there, but they kept 

 at a distance. Farther down the coast, that is to the 

 north, he found twenty, twenty-four, and thirty 



4 



