THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
183 
ties. Captain Clerke having had fome of his people on 1777. 
fhore all night, they had been fo fortunate as to turn he- 
tween forty and fifty on the fand, which were brought on 
hoard, with all expedition, this day. And in the afternoon, 
the party I had fent Northward returned with fix. They 
were fent back again, and remained there till we left the 
bland; having in general pretty good fuccefs. 
On the 28th, I landed, in company with Mr. Bayly, on the Sunday 28. 
ifland which lies between the two channels into the lagoon , 
to prepare the telefcopes for obferving the approaching 
eclipfe of the fun; which was one great inducement to my 
anchoring here. About noon, Mr. King returned with one 
boat, and eight turtles; leaving feven behind to be brought 
by the other boat, whofe people w r ere employed in catching 
more; and, in the evening, the fame boat was fent with 
water and provifions for them. Mr. Williamfon now went to 
fuperintend this duty in the room of Mr. King, who remain¬ 
ed on board, to attend the obfervation of the eclipfe. 
The next day, Mr. Williamfon difpatched the two boats Monday 29, 
back to the fhip, laden with turtles. At the fame time, he 
fent me a meffage, defiring, that the boats might be order¬ 
ed round by fea, as he had found a landing-place on the 
South Eaffc fide of the ifland, where moft of the turtles 
were caught; fo that, by fending the boats thither, the 
trouble would be faved of carrying them over the land to 
the infide of the lagoon , as had been hitherto done. The 
boats were, accordingly, difpatched to the place which he 
pointed out. 
On the morning of the 30th, the day when the eclipfe Tuefday 3 c. 
was to happen, Mr. King, Mr. Bayly, and myfelf, went 
aflrore, on the fmall ifland above-mentioned, to attend the 
obfervation. The fky was over-calf, till paft nine o’clock, 
when 
