in the Pacific Ocmn. 



71 



sions, in the land tortoises and other animals with which they 

 abound. Nothing is wanting but water; and I am still of 

 opinion that may be found. A fine spring was discovered in 

 Charles' Island, not far from the sea-coast, in a place by no 

 means promising in its appearance; and I think, by a strict search, 

 an abundance may be procured. We have seen, from what 

 Patrick effected, that potatoes, pumpk ms, &c., may be raised of 

 a superior quality, and with proper industry the state of these 

 islands might be much improved. 



Chatham Island differs little in its appearance from all the rest: 

 the land in the interior is high, thrown up in irregular hills by the 

 operations of the volcanoes, and the sea-coast bounded by loose 

 flakes of lava. On the north side of the bay is a high bluff, 

 where Colnet states that he found a rill of fresh water. I gave 

 it the most careful examination, and could not find the smallest 

 quantity. The rise and fall of the tide here is about eight feet. 



After scrubbing our ship, we on the Sd of September left 

 Chatham Island, and stood over for Hood's Island, where we 

 anchored on the 7th, in a bay on the north side, formed by a 

 small island and some islets on the east. 



This bay I called Rodgers' Bay, and the island forming it 

 Rodgers^ Island, in honour of Commodore Kodgers. The best 

 anchorage is about the middle of the bay, in twelve fathoms 

 water, where you lie well in the bank, and there is little or no 

 danger of drifting off. We lay too far out, and on the edge of 

 the bank, where it was very steep ; our anchor, as I before ob- 

 served, lay in nineteen fathoms, while our stern lay in twenty- 

 seven. 



I looked into Charles' Island, and stood down for Cape Essex, 

 intending to cruise for a few days off the south part of Albemarle, 

 and at midnight of the 14th, hove to, the southern part of Albe- 

 marle bearing north, distant nine or ten leagues. At day-light 

 in the morning, the men at the mast-head descried a strange sail 

 to the southward. On going aloft with my glass, I could per- 

 ceive that she was a ship, and under very easy sail, apparently 

 lying to. As she was directly to windward of us, I did not 

 wish to alarm her by making much sail, as I believed her to be 

 an English whaler. I consequently directed the fore and main 

 royal-yards to be sent down, and the masts to be housed, the 

 ports to be shut in, and the ship to be disguised in every respect 

 as a merchantman, and kept plying to windward for the stranger 

 under easy sail, as he continued to lie to, drifting down on us 

 very fast. At meridian, we were sufficiently near to ascertain 

 that she was a whale-ship, and then employed in cutting up 

 whales. From her general appearance, some were of opinion that 

 It was the same ship that had given us so long a chase, and put 



