2o8 A VOYAGE TO 
CHAP, beer, and wine among the feamen. On the 2d of Sep- 
XI A. 
' — -v— J tember lix men and a boy, on the 5th eight, and 011 
^""^^7^8"'^^^-^^^^^^^^"' were difabled by it from performing any 
duty. An increafe of this kind, in the midfl of all 
the eftbrts that could be made to counterad; the mahg- 
■ nity of the diforder, gave but too certain a prognoftic of 
the ravages it was afterwards to make, 
Sqjt. iG, yVbout noon on the loth of September, the looming: 
J 788. 
of land was difcerned to the weftward, which an 
hour after was clearly perceived, bearing weft north-well:, 
at the diftance of fix leagues. As the fhips were then 
in latitude about 6^49' north, and longitude 135° 25' eaft^ 
- ' it is evident that this muft have been one of the Pelev/ 
r Iflands, lately fo much celebrated for their hofpitable 
reception of Captain Wilfon and his crew. As the ac- 
count of that voyage was not then publiflied, and Lieu- 
tenant Shortland had no charts with him that noticed 
- ' thefe iilands, he concluded that he was among the moft 
fouthern of the New Carolines ; but finding his longitude, 
* from accurate obfervation, to be more wefterly than the 
fituation of thofe iilands, he conceived their longitude 
to be laid down in the charts erroneouily. At fix in 
September n, the morning, September iith, a fmall ifiand not feen 
before, bore weft fouth-weft", diftant five leagues ; and 
the wind coming round to the fouth fouth-weft, Lieu- 
tenant Shortland bore away for the uafiare between the 
two iflands. At nine, having entered the pafHige, he 
founded 
