Wallis’s Isles. 133 
eight o’clock in the morning, we faw three or four of the 
natives upon the beach gathering ihell-fiih ; we difcovercd, 
by the help of our glafles, that they were women, and, like 
all the other inhabitants of this country, Hark naked. At 
low water, which happened about ten o’clock, we got under 
fail, and flood to the S. W. with a light breeze at E. which 
afterwards veered toN. by E.-: our depth of water was from 
fix to ten fathom, except in one place where we had but five. 
At noon, PolTeffion ifland bore N. 53 E. diflant four leagues, 
the weflern extremity of the main land in fight bore S. 43 W. 
diflant between four and five leagues, and appeared to be ex- 
tremely low, the fouth weft point of the largeft ifland on the 
northweft fide of the paflage bore N. 71 W. diflant eight miles, 
and this point I called Cape Cornwall. It lies in latitude 
io° 43' S., longitude 219 0 W. ; and fome low lands that lie 
about the middle of the paflage, which I called Wallis’s 
Isles, bore W. by S. \ S. diflant about two leages : our la- 
titude by obfervation, was io° 46' S. We continued to ad- 
vance with the tide of flood W. N. W. having little wind, 
and from eight to five fathom water. At half an hour after 
one, the pinnace, which was ahead, made the fignai for fhoal 
water, upon which we tacked, and fent away the yawl to 
found alfo : we then tacked again, and flood after them : in 
about two hours, they both made the fignai for fhoal water, 
and the tide being nearly at its greateft height, I was afraid 
to ftand on, as running aground at that time might be fatal : 
I therefore came to an anchor in fomewhat lefs that feven fa- 
thom, fandy ground. Wallis’s ifland bore S. by W. \ W. 
diflant five or fix miles, the iflands to the northward extended 
from S. 73 E. to N. 10 E. and a fmall ifland. which was juft 
in fight, bore N. W. \ W. Here we found the flood tide fet 
to the welhvard, and the ebb to the eaftward. 
After we had come to an anchor, I fent away the mafter in 
the long-boat, to found, who, upon his return in the evening, 
reported, that there was a bank ftretching north and fouth, 
upon which there were but three fathom, and that beyond it 
there were feven. About this time it fell calm, and continued 
fo till nine the next morning, when we weighed, with a light 
breeze at S. S. E. and fleered N. W. by W. for the fmall ifland 
which was juft in fight, having firft fent the boats ahead to 
found : the depth of water was eight, feven, fix, five, and 
four fathom, and three fatham upon the bank, it being now 
the iaft quarter ebb. At this time, the northermoic ifland in 
fight bore N. 9 E. Cape Cornwall E. diflant three leagues. 
This bank, at leaft fo much as we have founded, extends 
nearly N. and S. but to what diftance I do not know : Its 
breadth is not more than half a mile at the utmoft. When 
we had got over the bank, we deepened our water to fix fathom 
Vol. II, M three 
