146 FROM CONCEPTION BAY 



I steered my course due west, to follow, according 

 to my instructions, the parallel of 15°. Schouten 

 and Lemaire have several islands, that have never 

 since been seen. 



The 15th: in latitude 14° 41', longitude 13?" 00'. 

 We observed different kinds of sea-fowl all the 

 day, particularly man-of-war birds and pelicans ; 

 and, at five o'clock in the afternoon, were over- 

 taken by heavy rains and gusts of wind from the 

 N.W., which continued for several hours. Such a 

 singular change of wind, in a place where it in 

 general never blows but from the east or S.E., 

 could, in my opinion, be caused only by the vici- 

 nity of land. I therefore resolved to sail no fur- 

 ther that night. The sky was enveloped in dark- 

 ness, and it lightened in all parts of the horizon, 

 during which it continued to pour of rain. 



Thel6th: latitude 14° 51', longitude 138° 4'. 

 At day -break we continued our course to the west, 

 a high wind from E.N.E. blowing the Rurick 

 briskly forward. At three o'clock in the afternoon, 

 the sailor at the mast-head cried, " Land !" a word 

 which struck me like lightning ; at which hope 

 and fear for a new illusion alternated in my mind. 

 But this anxiety did not last long, for I soon had 

 the inexpressible joy of beholding, with my own 

 eyes, the object of my most ardent wish. The 

 land was discovered to the N.N.W., in a W.S.W. 

 course, and we directly steered towards it. The 

 island seemed to us so small and low, that the 



