118 cook's second voyage sept 



CHAP. X. 



rilOCEEDINGS ON THE COAST OF NEW CALEDONIA, WITH 

 GEO&RAPHICAL AND NAUTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



JlLvery thing being in readiness to put to sea, at 

 sunrise, on the 13th of September, we weighed, and 

 with a fine gale at E. by S., stood out for the same 

 channel we came in by. At half past seven we were 

 in the middle of it. Observatory Isle bore S. 5° E., dis- 

 tant four miles, and the Isle of Balabea W. N. W. As 

 soon as we were clear of the reef, we hauled the wind 

 on the starboard tack, with a view of plying in to the 

 S.E. ; but as Mr. Gilbert was of opinion that he had 

 seen the end or N.W. extremity of the land, and 

 that it would be easier to get round by the N. W., I 

 gave over plying, and bore up along, the outside of 

 the reef, steering N.N.W., N.W., and N.W. by W. 

 as it trended. At noon the island of Balabea bore S. 

 by W., distant thirteen miles ; and what we judged 

 to be the west end of the great land, bore S. W. h S., 

 and the direction of the reef was N.W. by W., lati- 

 tude observed 19° 53' 20". Longitude from Ob- 

 servatory Isle 14' W. We continued to steer N.W. 

 by W. along the outside of the reef till three o'clock, 

 at which time the Isle of Balabea bore S. by E. ■§ E. 

 In this direction we observed a partition in the reefi 

 which we judged to be a channel, by the strong tide 

 which set out of it. From this place the reef inclined 

 to the north, for three or four leagues, and then to 

 N.W. We followed its direction, and as we advanced 

 to N.W., raised more land, which seemed to be con- 

 nected with what we had seen before ; so that Mr. 

 Gilbert was mistaken, and did not see the extre- 

 mity of the coast. At five o'clock this land bore 

 W. by N. \ N., distant twenty miles ; but what we 



