this part.  But more to the west, beyond Hinchinbrook Island, there seemed to run in a bay sheltered from the reigning winds.  The examining it not being so much an object, with me as the getting to the south, in order to find the southern extremity of the Archipelago, with this view I steered S.S.E., being the direction of the coast of Sandwich Island.  We had but just got through the passage, before the west wind left us to variable light airs and calms; so that we were apprehensive of being carried back again by the currents, or rather of being obliged to return, in order to avoid being driven on the shoals, as there was no anchorage, a line of an hundred and sixty fathoms not reaching to the bottom.  At length a breeze springing up at S.W. we stood to S.E., and at sun-set the Monument bore N. 14 deg. 30’ W., and Montagu Island N. 28 deg.  W. distant three leagues.  We judged we saw the S.E. extremity of Sandwich Island, bearing about S. by E.

We continued to stand S.E. till four a.m. on the 27th, when we tacked to the west.  At sun-rise, having discovered a new land bearing south, and making in three hills, this occasioned us to tack and stand towards it.  At this time Montagu Isle bore N. 52 deg.  W., distant thirteen leagues; at noon it was nearly in the same direction, and the new land extended from S. 1/2 E. to S. by W., and the three hills seemed to be connected.  Our latitude by observation, was 18 deg. 1’ S., and the longitude, made from Port Sandwich, 1 deg. 23’ E. We continued to stand to the S.E., with a gentle breeze at S.W. and S.S.W. till the 28th at sun-rise, when, the wind veering to the south, we tacked and stood to the west.  The three hills mentioned above, we now saw, belonging to one island, which extended from S. 35 deg. to 71 deg.  W. distant about ten or twelve leagues.[2]

Retarded by contrary winds, calms, and the currents, that set to N.W., we were three days in gaining this space; in which time we discovered an elevated land to the south of this; It first appeared in detached hummocks, but we judged it to be connected.  At length, on the 1st of August, about ten a.m. we got a fine breeze at E.S.E., which soon after veered to N.E., and we steered for the N.W. side of the island.  Reaching it about two p.m., we ranged the west coast at one mile from shore, on which the inhabitants appeared in several parts, and by signs invited us to land.  We continued to sound without finding bottom, till we came before a small bay, or bending of the coast, where, near a mile from shore, we found thirty and twenty-two fathoms water, a sandy bottom.  I had thoughts of anchoring here, but the wind almost instantly veered to N.W.; which being nearly on shore, I laid this design aside.  Besides, I was unwilling to lose the opportunity that now offered of getting to the south-east, in order first to explore the lands which lay there.  I therefore continued to range the coast to the south, at about the same distance