1774- ROUND THE WORLD. 119 



could see of the reef trended in the direction of 

 N.W. by N. 



Having hauled the wind on the starboard tack, and 

 spent the night plying, on the 14th, at sunrise, the 

 Island of Balabea bore S. 6° East, and the land seen 

 the preceding night west, but the reef still trended 

 N. W., along which we steered, with a. light breeze at 

 E.S.E. At noon we observed in latitude 19° #8', 

 longitude from Observatory Isle 27' West. We had 

 now no sight of Balabea ; and the other land, that is, 

 the N.W. part of it, bore W. by S. £ S. ; but we were 

 not sure if this was one continued coast, or separate 

 islands. For though some partitions were seen, from 

 space to space, which made it look like the latter, a 

 multitude of shoals rendered a nearer approach to it 

 exceedingly dangerous, if not impracticable. In the 

 afternoon, with a fine breeze at E. S. E., we ranged the 

 outside of these shoals, which we found to trend in 

 the direction of N.W. by W., N.W. by N., and 

 N.N. E. At three o'clock we passed a low sandy 

 isle, lying on the outer edge of the reefi in latitude 

 19° 25', and in the direction of N.E. from the north- 

 westernmost land, six or seven leagues distant. So 

 much as we could see of this space was strewed with 

 shoals, seemingly detached from each other ; and the 

 channel leading in amongst them, appeared to be on 

 the S. E. side of the sandy isle ; at least there was a 

 space where the sea did not break. At sunset, 

 we could but just see the land, which bore S.W. 

 by S., about ten leagues distant. A clear horizon 

 produced the discovery of no land to the westward 

 of this direction ; the reef too, trended away W. by N. 

 £N., and seemed to terminate in a point which was 

 seen from the mast head. Thus every thing con- 

 spired to make us believe that we should soon get 

 round these shoals ; and with these flattering expect- 

 ations we hauled the wind, which was at E.N.E., and 

 spent the night making short boards. 



Next morning, at sunrise, seeing neither land nor 

 i 4 



