first saw it, I was alarmed, fearing that we were among shoals; but upon sounding, we found the same depth of water as in other places.  This scum was examined both by Mr Banks and Dr Solander, but they could not determine what it was:  It was formed of innumerable small particles, not more than half a line in length, each of which in the microscope appeared to consist of thirty or forty tubes; and each tube was divided through its whole length by small partitions into many cells, like the tubes of the conferva:  They were supposed to belong to the vegetable kingdom, because, upon burning them, they produced no smell like that of an animal substance.  The same appearance had been observed upon the coast of Brazil and New Holland, but never at any considerable distance from the shore.  In the evening a small bird hovered about the ship, and at night, settling among the rigging, was taken.  It proved to be exactly the same bird which Dampier has described, and of which he has given a rude figure, by the name of a Noddy, from New Holland. [See his Voyages, vol. iii. p. 98, Tab. of Birds, fig. 5.][98]

[Footnote 98:  Additional information on this subject remains for a subsequent part of our work.—­E.]

We continued standing to the northward with a fresh gale at E. by S. and S.E., till six in the evening, having very irregular soundings, the depth changing at once from twenty-four fathom to seven.  At four we had seen the land from the mast-head, bearing N.W. by N.; it appeared to be very low, and to stretch from W.N.W. to N.N.E., distant four or five leagues.  We now hauled close upon a wind till seven, then tacked and stood to the southward till twelve, at which time we wore and stood to the northward till four in the morning, then laid the head of the vessel off till daylight, when we again saw the land, and stood in N.N.W., directly for it, with a fresh gale at E. by S. Our soundings during the night were very irregular, from seven to five fathom, suddenly changing from deep to shallow, and from shallow to deep, without in the least corresponding with our distance from the land.  At half an hour after six in the morning, a small low island, which lay at the distance of about a league from the main, bore N. by W. distant five miles:  This island lies in latitude 8 deg. 13’ S., longitude 231 deg. 25’ W.; and I find it laid down in the charts by the names of Bartholomew and Whermoysen.  We now steered N.W. by W.W.N.W., W. by N.W. by S., and S.W. by W., as we found the land lie, with from five to nine fathom; and though we reckoned we were not more than four leagues from it, yet it was so low and level that we could but just see it from the deck.  It appeared, however, to be well covered with wood, and, among other trees, we thought we could distinguish the cocoa-nut.  We saw smoke in several places, and therefore knew there were inhabitants.  At noon we were about three leagues from the land; the westermost part of which that was in sight bore S. 79 deg.  W. Our latitude, by observation, was 8 deg. 19’ S., and longitude 221 deg. 44’ W. The island of St Bartholomew bore N. 74 E. distant 20 miles.