To RAt)ACK. 33 



t'he idea of proceeding farther, and only thought 

 of carrying our ship back safe to our harbour. After 

 innumerable tackings between coral banks and 

 shoals, we, in fact, succeeded in regaining our an- 

 choring-place, but exhausted with fatigue, having 

 passed three hours in truly painful exertions. 

 In this unsuccessful expedition we had penetrated 

 seven miles to the east, and had descried from the 

 mast-head land in that direction, whence we con- 

 jectured that we were in the midst of an archi- 

 pelago of islands. We had bad weather, not only 

 this day, but the 13th, one gust of wind fol- 

 lowed another, and some were so violent that 1 

 was in fear for the cable : after a heavy torrent of 

 rain it was calmer. In the afternoon I sent a boat 

 to Goat Island to fetch water, which we did daily, 

 in order to spare the stock of water which we had 

 brought from the Sandwich islands. The rain- 

 water which is caught is unfit for keeping, as it 

 becomes putrid in six days. Meantime we saw a 

 boat, coming from the eastward, land at Goat Island, 

 and the subaltern officer informed me that he had 

 found people there, who had received him in a 

 friendly manner ; some of the women even en- 

 deavouring to entertain him by singing and dan- 

 cing. We solemnized New Year's day (old style) 

 by repose, and I busied myself with a plan for 

 making an excursion in boats, as soon as the wea- 

 ther should become more favourable. 



On the 14th, in the morning, we again saw a 



VOL. II. D 



