832 
SOUTH SEA 
again crossed the equinoctial line, being the fourth time 
of doing so since we left England. On the following 
day we found our longitude east of Greenwich to be 
159° 40'. We made but little progress, on account of 
the prevalence of calms and light winds, until we ar- 
rived in the latitude of four degrees north of the equator, 
when we fell in with the regular north-east trade 
winds, which propelled us at a gallant rate. On the 
13th, just before sunset, we saw a large reef, which 
extended before us to the distance of several miles, and 
which was not marked upon the chart. We found 
our latitude to be this day 6° 55 north, and our longi- 
tude by reckoning 154 ° 16 ' east. On the following 
day at sunrise we made sail, and ran along its edge, in 
a south-west direction, for about twenty miles. At 
noon, we made a small island, which bore at that time 
n.e. by east, the end of the reef bearing east, and both 
distant about twelve miles. At four p.m. we had no 
land in sight, and the ship again headed north-west® 
