50 FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS 



As there were likewise very good anchoring- 

 places for a ship at this island, 1 altered my plan 

 of visiting Rarick in his dwelling. I hoped to 

 come with the Rurick to the end of the group ; 

 and, to lose no time, immediately returned, having 

 previously given this high island the name of Bird 

 Island. A long reef extended from it to N.E., at 

 the end of which we descried land ; we had ob- 

 served but few coral banks in our tour. Rarick 

 had, in the meantime, got so much a-head with his 

 boats, which sailed very close to the wind, that he 

 was scarcely visible on the horizon ; we also spread 

 our sails, and happily reached our ship in the even- 

 ing with a fair wind. 



The 17th we spent in making the necessary pre- 

 parations for our approaching voyage ; in the 

 evening the wind changed, for the first time, 

 during our stay here, to the N.N.E., and we only 

 wished that it would continue so the following day, 

 as it would considerably facilitate our progress to 

 the east. 



OBSERVATIONS MADE IN CHRISTMAS HARBOUR. 



Latitude of our anchoring place, 

 the mean of daily observa- 

 tions 9° 32' 3&' N. 



Longitude, by -solar and lunar 

 distances, the mean of a great 



