Q±8 cook's second voyage may, 



CHAP. X. 



PASSAGE FROM ST. HELENA TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS, WITH 

 A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND OF ASCENSION AND FER- 

 NANDO NORONHO. 



On the 21st, in the evening, I took leave of the 

 governor, and repaired on board. Upon my leaving 

 the shore, 1 was saluted with thirteen guns ; and, upon 

 my getting under sail, with the Dutton in company, 

 I was saluted with thirteen more ; both of which I 

 returned. 



After leaving St. Helena, the Dutton was ordered 

 to steer N.W. by W. or N.W. by compass, in order 

 to avoid falling in with Ascension ; at which island, 

 it was said, an illicit trade was carried on between 

 the officers of the India Company's ships, and some 

 vessels from North America, who, of late years, had 

 frequented the island, on pretence of fishing for 

 whales, or catching turtle, when their real design 

 was to wait the coming of the India ships. In order 

 to prevent their homeward bound ship from falling 

 in with these smugglers, and to put a stop to this illi- 

 cit trade, the Dutton was ordered to steer the course 

 above-mentioned till to the northward of Ascension. 

 I kept company with this ship till the 24th, when, 

 after putting a packet on board her for the Admiralty, 

 we parted ; she continuing her course to the N. W, 

 and I steering for Ascension. 



In the morning of the 28th, I made the island, and 

 the same evening anchored in Cross Bay on the 

 N. W. side, in ten fathoms' water, the bottom a fine 

 sand, and half a mile from the shore. The Cross 

 Hill, so called on account of a cross, or flag-staff 

 erected upon it, bore by compass S. 38° E. ; and 

 the two extreme points of the Bay extended from 

 N. E. to S. W. We remained here till the evening 



