214 
A VOYAGE TO 
1 7 77 * 
April. 
W—v~-—' 
Friday n. 
Sunday 13. 
Monday 14. 
had, for fome hours, the wind blowing frefh from the 
North, and North North Weft; being then in the lati¬ 
tude of 18° 38', and longitude 198° 24" Eall. In the after¬ 
noon, we had fome thunder fqualls from the South, at¬ 
tended with heavy rain ; of which w'ater we collected 
enough to fill five puncheons. After thefe fqualls had 
blown over, the wind came round to the North Eaft, and 
North Weft ; being very unfettled both in ftrength and in 
pofition, till about noon the next day, when it fixed at 
North Weft, and North North Weft, and blew a frelh 
breeze, with fair weather. 
Thus were we perfecu-ted with a wind in our teeth, 
whichever way we directed our courfe; and we had the 
additional mortification to find here, thofe very winds, 
which we had reafon to expect 8° or io° farther South. 
They came too late; for I durft not truft their continuance ; 
and the event proved that I judged right. 
At length, at day-break, in the morning of the 13th, we 
faw Palmerfton Ill and, bearing Weft by South, diftant about 
five leagues. However, we did not get up with it, till eight 
o’clock the next morning. I then fent four boats, three 
from the Refolution, and one from the Difcovery, with an 
officer in each, to fearch the coaft for the moft convenient 
landing-place. For, now, we were under an abfolute necef- 
fity of procuring, from this iiland, fome food for the cattle; 
other wife we muft have loft them. 
What is comprehended under the name of Palmerfton’s 
Ifland, is a group of fmall iflots, of which there are, in 
the whole, nine or ten, lying in a circular direction, and 
connected together by a reef of coral rocks. The boats firft 
examined the South Eafternmoft of the iflots which com- 
pofe this group; and, failing there, ran down to the fecond, 
where 
