TO KAMTSCHATKA. 14*5 



already what name I was to give my island, when, 

 behold, the supposed land rose in the form of a 

 black cloud, passed away over the horizon, and 

 carried my flattering hope with it ! Only a sea- 

 man, who, like me, has new discoveries for the end 

 of his endeavours, and. the object of his voyage, 

 can feel how much pain such a mistake must 

 have cost me. 



The 10th : latitude 16° 39' south, longitude 130° 

 18'. It is very remarkable, that since we left Easter 

 Island, the wind blows principally from the N. and 

 N.«E., and the usual S.E. monsoon has not blown 

 at all ; the weather is always fine, and uniformly 

 after sunset, there is bright lightning in the north. 

 The nights being warm, we always sleep on deck, 

 to recover ourselves from the heat of the day, a 

 circumstance which occasioned me one night a very 

 unexpected visit. I was awakened by the constant 

 motion of a very cold animal at my side, which, 

 when it writhed in my hand, I first took to be a 

 lizard. This might perhaps have been brought on 

 board at Chili, with the wood. But, on examining, 

 I found that it was a flying-fish, that I had in my 

 hands ; and 1 am probably the first that has caught 

 such a one in bed. 



The 13th : in latitude 15° 26' S., longitude 133° 

 66\ At six o'clock this afternoon, we were in the 

 place, where the island of St. Pablo is marked in 

 Arrowsmith's chart, without perceiving the least 

 trace of land j and at eight o'clock in the evening, 



VOL. I. L 



