58 AVOYAGETOTHE 



^ "iii^ ^' things had fo good an effed, that in a fortnight he was 



' 'Z — ' able to do his duty as \ifual : Captain Dixon likewife grew 



May." better, though flowly ; and he attributed this favourable 

 sn ay 's- ^^j.j^ -j^ j^jg diforder chiefly to the mineral water prepared 

 by Dr. Melville ; a few bottles of which I fent him, as al- 

 ready has been related. 



With a fine trade breeze we fleered Weft by South, in 



order to make Owhyhee, the principal of the Sandwich 



Tuefday 23. Jflands. Our latitude on the 23d was 19° 10' North, and 



153° 21 longitude. In this fituation we found a current 



fetting to the Southward. 



I EXPECTED to have made the land before night came 

 on; but towards evening the weather turned very hazy, 

 on which we fhortened fail, and brought-to during the 

 Wednef. 24. night. At daylight in the morning^ of the 24th, we 

 bore away and made fail, and at feven o'clock Owhyhee 

 made its appearance, the Eaft point bearing North Weft 

 by Weft, about fix leagues diftant. Soon afterwards, hav- 

 ing an uninterrupted view of the ifland, I kept away 

 along fhore down the South fide, and at noon the Eaft 

 point bore North haif Weft, three leagues diftant. The 

 Eaft and South Eaft parts of this iftand appear fer- 

 tile and very pleafant ; but that part which lies South 

 and South Weft is quite barren, and feems to be covered 

 with a kind of lava. 



By two o'clock, being within three miles of the land, 

 and running along ftiore with a moderate breeze, a num- 

 ber of the natives came off in their canoes, and brouo;ht 

 with them fome fmall hogs and a few plantains, which 



I bought 

 4 



