THIRD VOYAGE 311 



islands so common in this ocean that is, a narrow bank of 

 land inclosing the sea within. A few cocoa-nut trees were 

 seen in two or three places, but in general the land had 

 a very barren appearance. 



" At daybreak the next morning I sent two boats to 

 search more accurately for a landing place, and at the same 

 time two others to fish at a grappling near the shore. 

 These last returned about eight o'clock with upward of 

 two hundred weight of fish. Encouraged by this success, 

 they were despatched again after breakfast. 



" On the 26th, and the following day, we caught a con- 

 siderable number of turtles. 



" On the 28th, I landed, in company with Mr. Bayly 

 on the island which lies between the two channels, to pre- 

 pare the telescopes for observing an approaching eclipse 

 of the sun, which was one great inducement to my anchor- 

 ing here. 



" On the morning of the 30th, the day when the eclipse 

 was to happen, Mr. King, Mr. Bayly, and myself, went 

 ashore to attend the observation, in which we had tolerable 

 success. 



" In the afternoon, the boats and turtling party all re- 

 turned on board, except a seaman belonging to the Discovery 

 who had been missing two days. There were two of them 

 at first who had lost then* way, but disagreeing about the 

 most probable track to bring them back to their com- 

 panions, they had separated, and one of them joined the 

 party, after having been absent twenty-four hours, and 

 been in great distress. 



" As soon as Captain Clerke knew that one of the 

 stragglers was still in this awkward situation, he sent a party 

 in search of him, who returned with their lost companion. 

 This poor fellow must have suffered far greater distress than 

 the other straggler, not only as having been lost a longer 

 time, but as we found that he was too squeamish to drink 

 turtle's blood, which the other did, as there was no water in 

 the island. 



" Having some cocoa-nuts and yams on board in a state 

 of vegetation, I ordered them to be planted here. 



" We got at this island, for both ships, about three 

 hundred turtle, weighing, one with another, about ninety 

 or a hundred pounds. They were all of the green kind, and 

 perhaps as good as any in the world. We also caught 

 with hook and line, as much fish as we could consume 

 during our stay. They consisted principally of cavallies, 

 of different sizes, large and small snappers, and a few of 

 two sorts of rock fish. 



" There were not the smallest traces of any human being 



