372 cook's VOYAGE TO NOV. 



At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 24° 50', 

 longitude 140° 56' E. 



This island is about five miles long, in a north- 

 north-east and south-south-west direction. The south 

 point is a high barren hill, flattisli at the top, and 

 when seen from the west-south-west, presents an evi- 

 dent volcanic crater. The earth, rock, or sand, for 

 it was not easy to distinguish of which its surface 

 is composed, exhibited various colours, and a con- 

 siderable part we conjectured to be sulphur, both 

 from its appearance to the eye, and the strong sul- 

 phureous smell which we perceived, as we approached 

 the point. Some of the officers on board the Reso- 

 lution, which passed nearer the land, thought they saw 

 steams rising from the top of the hill. From these 

 circumstances, Captain Gore gave it the name of 

 Sulphur Island. A low, narrow, neck of land con- 

 nects this hill with the south end of the island, which 

 spreads out into a circumference of three or four 

 leagues, and is of a moderate height. The part near 

 the isthmus has some bushes on it, and has a green 

 appearance ; but those to the north-east are very 

 barren, and full of large detached rocks, many of 

 which were exceedingly white. Very dangerous 

 breakers extend two miles and a half to the east, 

 and two miles to the west, off the middle part of the 

 island, on which the sea broke with great violence. 



The north and south islands appeared to us as 

 single mountains, of a considerable height ; the 

 former peaked, and of a conical shape ; the latter 

 more square, and flat at the top. Sulphur Island we 

 place in latitude 24° 48', longitude 141° 12'. The 

 north island in latitude 25° 14', longitude 141° 10'. 

 The south island in latitude 24° 22', and longitude 

 141° 20'. The variation observed was 3° 30' E. 



Captain Gore now directed his course to the west- 

 south-west, for the Bashee Islands, hoping to procure 

 at them such,a supply of refreshments as would help 

 to shorten his stay in Macao. These islands were 



