30 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, to Easter Island ; and that Davis acquainted Dampier with the situation 
of his discovery, which agreed with that contained in Wafer’s account. 
Nov- The alteration in a figure, it must be admitted, is rather arbitrary, as 
it has nothing to support it but the circumstance of the number of 
islands being the same. A mistake certainly might have occurred, but in 
the admission of it either party may claim it as an advantage by in- 
terpreting the presumed error in a way which would support their own 
opinions. 
At four o’clock in the afternoon of the l6th of November, the land 
in question was seen from the mast head, bearing N. 78° W. (Mag.) 
fourteen or sixteen leagues, and we were consequently very nearly in 
the situation of the long looked for, small, sandy island, which, had it 
existed within reasonable limits of its supposed place, could not have 
escaped our observation. Nothing of it however was seen, nor had we 
any indication of the vicinity of such a spot as we proceeded, though we 
must have actually passed over the place assigned to it. Easter Island had 
‘ at first the appearance of being divided into two, rather flat at the top, 
with rounded capes ; the north-eastern of which is distinguished by 
two hillocks. To avoid over-running the distance, the ship u^as hove to 
at night, and at daylight on the following morning we bore up for 
the northern shore of the island. I preferred that side, as it had been 
but partially examined by Captain Cook, and not at all by M. La 
Perouse. 
V As we approached, we observed numerous small craters rising 
above the low land, and near the N. E. extremity, one of consider- 
able extent, with a deep chasm in its eastern side. None of these 
were in action, nor indeed did they appear to have been so for a 
very long time, as, with the exception of the one above-mentioned, they 
were covered with verdure. The N. E. promontory, already noticed 
as having two small hillocks upon it, was composed of horizontal strata, 
apparently of volcanic origin ; and near it, some patches of earth, 
sloping down to the cliff, were supposed to consist of red scorias. The 
hills, and exposed parts of the earth, were overgrown with a short 
burnt-up grass, which gave the surface a monotonous and arid aspect ; 
but the valleys were well cultivated, and showed that the island requires 
