£6o " ' A V O Y A G E T O 
CHAP, liowever, the Indians lighted two very large fires which- 
XXI 
^—^Lj enabled them to get entirely clear of all the iflands. 
June, 1788. 
Monday 23. At fix o'clock in the aftcmoon of the 23d, more land: 
, . made its appearance, bearing north to north-w^fi:, four- 
• leagues diftant, but night coming on, they tacked and:: 
flood to the fouthward,, 
Tuefday 24. By two o'clock the next day, they were within two 
miles of the land, and found it to be a chain of iflands, 
- extending from eaft to nearly weft: for more than tv/enty-- 
five leagues ; and they perceived a reef from the eaftern- 
moft point of land, which ran at leafl: three leagues into: 
the fea. The fhore on the north- weft fide of thefe. 
iflands is bold and fteep ; the Scarborough coafted along; 
within a mile of the land, and frequently founded with 
an hundred fathoms of line, but could get no bottom 
at the fame time they faw the water break near the 
fliore, and a vaft number of the natives were colledled:. 
on the beach. About three o'clock, a fmall canoe with; 
two men in her came off from the fiiore, on which 
Captain Marfliall hove to, in order to give them an op- 
portunity of coming up with the fliip, but when they 
were about one hundred yards from the vefiel, they put- 
. ;. back again as faft as poffible, feemingly very much 
frightened: thefe men had fkins wrapped round their ■ 
waifts, and their hairwas ornamented with fliells and beads. 
. 4 After 
