38 



CHAP. 

 III. 



1786. 

 January. 

 Sunday 15. 



Monday 16. 



A VOYAGE TO THE 



liim on the bufinefs : he was entirely of my opinion, and 

 we agreed to purghafe them, if the price was not too 

 high ; and, that this affair might delay us as little as pof- 

 iible, we determined to requeft captain Coffin to pilot the 

 veffels to Swan Ifland, where, as I have already obferved, 

 the United States lay at anchor. 



At four o'clock in the morning of the i6th, the Speed- 

 well failed for a bay on the Eaft fide of Keppel's Ifland ; 

 at live o'clock we unmoored and got under fail, in order to 

 run farther into the bay. About ten, we anchored in twelve 

 -fathom water, over a muddy bottom, the town bearing 

 Weft North Weft, diftant one mile and a half, the ftony 

 valley where we watered. North, three miles and a half, and 

 the South Eaft end of Keppel's Ifland, Eaft North Eaft, fix 

 miles diftant. We moored with the beft bower to the Weft- 

 ward and the ftream to the Eaftward. 



At noon I went in my whale-boat, accompanied by 

 captain Dixon, after the Speedwell, to have fome conver- 

 fation with captain Coffin refpe£ting the fkins ; we got on 

 board about two o'clock, but the information he gave us 

 about them was little more than I had already received by 

 his meffage ; however, he very readily undertook to pilot 

 us to Swan Ifland, through the inner paffage, as foon as 

 he had got a quantity of elephant blubber on board, which 

 then lay at one of the outer keys. 



The day iteing far fpent, and our diftance from the 



fhips confiderable, we remained on board the Speedwell 



Tuefdayj;. all night j and at five o'clock in the morning of the 17th 



fet 



