Bird Isles. 129 
we then took the yawl in tow ; and the pinnace having got 
ahead, we filled, and flood N. by W. for fome fmall iflands 
which lay in that dircdtion ; fuch at leaft they were in ap- 
pearance, but upon approaching them we perceived that they 
were joined together by a large reef : upon this we edged 
away N. W. and left them on our ftarboard hand ; we fleered 
between them and the iflands that lay off the main, having a 
clear paffage, and from fifteen to twenty-three fathom water. 
At four o’clock, we difcovered fome low illands and rocks, 
bearing W. N. W. and flood diredtly for them : at half an 
hour after fix, we anchored on the north eaft fide of the nor- 
thermoft of them, at one mile diftance, and in fixteen fathom. 
Thefe illands lieN. W. four leagues from Cape Grenville, and 
from the number of birds that I faw upon them, I called them 
Bird Isles. A little before fun-fet, we were in fight of the 
main land, which appeared all very low and fandy, extending 
as far to the northward as N. W. by N. fome Ihoals, quays, 
and low fandy ifles firetching away to the N. E. 
At fix o’clock in the morning, we got again under fail, 
with a frelh breeze at E. and flood away N. N. W: for fome 
lew illands in that direction, but were foon obliged to haul 
clofe upon a wind, to weather a Ihoal which we difcovered upon 
our larboard bow, having at the fame time others to the eaft- 
ward : by the time we had weathered this Ihoal to leeward, we 
had brought the iflands well upon our lee bow, but feeing fome 
Ihoals running off from them, and fome rocks on our ftarboard 
bow, which we did not difeover till we were very near them, 
I was afraid to go to windward of the iflands, and therefore 
brought to, and having made the fignal for the pinnace, 
which was ahead, to come on board, I lent her to leeward of 
the iflands, with orders to keep along the edge of the Ihoal, 
which ran off from the fouth fide of the fouthermoft ifland, 
fending the yawl at the fame time, to run over the Ihoal in 
fearch of turtle. As foon as the pinnace had got to a proper 
diftance, we wore, and flood after her : as we ran to leeward 
of this ifland, we took the yawl in tow, Ihe having feen only 
one fmall turtle, and therefore made but little flay upon the 
Ihoal. The ifland we found to be a fmall fpot of /and, with 
fome trees upon it, and we could difeern many huts, or habi- 
tations of the natives, whom we fuppofed occafionally to vifit 
thefe iflands from the main, they being only five leagues dif- 
tant, to catch turtle, when they come aihore to lay their 
eggs. We continued to Hand af|£r the pinnace N. N. E. and 
N. by E. for two other low iflands, having two ihoals with- 
out us, and one between us and the main. At noon, we were 
about four leagues from the main, which we faw extending to 
the northward, as far asN. W. byN. all flat and fandy. Our 
latitude by obfervation, was 1 1° 23' S. and our longitude Z17 0 
