The sight of these islands served only to increase the misery of our situation.  We were very little better than starving with plenty in view; yet to attempt procuring any relief was attended with so much danger that prolonging of life, even in the midst of misery, was thought preferable, while there remained hopes of being able to surmount our hardships.  For my own part I consider the general run of cloudy and wet weather to be a blessing of Providence.  Hot weather would have caused us to have died with thirst; and probably being so constantly covered with rain or sea protected us from that dreadful calamity.

As I had nothing to assist my memory I could not then determine whether these islands were a part of the New Hebrides or not:  I believe them to be a new discovery which I have since found true but, though they were not seen either by Monsieur Bougainville or Captain Cook, they are so nearly in the neighbourhood of the New Hebrides that they must be considered as part of the same group.  They are fertile and inhabited, as I saw smoke in several places.

The wind was at south-east with rainy weather all day.  The night was very dark, not a star could be seen to steer by, and the sea broke continually over us.  I found it necessary to counteract as much as possible the effect of the southerly winds to prevent being driven too near New Guinea, for in general we were forced to keep so much before the sea that if we had not, at intervals of moderate weather, steered a more southerly course we should inevitably from a continuance of the gales have been thrown in sight of that coast:  in which case there would most probably have been an end to our voyage.

Saturday 16.

In addition to our miserable allowance of one 25th of a pound of bread and a quarter of a pint of water I issued for dinner about an ounce of salt pork to each person.  I was often solicited for this pork, but I considered it more proper to issue it in small quantities than to suffer it to be all used at once or twice, which would have been done if I had allowed it.

At noon I observed in 13 degrees 33 minutes south, longitude made from Tofoa 19 degrees 27 minutes west; course north 82 degrees west, distance 101 miles.  The sun breaking out through the clouds gave us hopes of drying our wet clothes, but the sunshine was of short duration.  We had strong breezes at south-east by south and dark gloomy weather with storms of thunder, lightning, and rain.  The night was truly horrible, and not a star to be seen; so that our steerage was uncertain.

Sunday 17.

At dawn of day I found every person complaining, and some of them solicited extra allowance, which I positively refused.  Our situation was miserable:  always wet, and suffering extreme cold in the night without the least shelter from the weather.  Being constantly obliged to bale to keep the boat from filling was perhaps not to be reckoned an evil as it gave us exercise.