We found a few deserted huts and a small plantain walk but little taken care of, from which we could only collect three small bunches of plantains.  After passing this place we came to a deep gully that led towards a mountain near a volcano and, as I conceived that in the rainy season very great torrents of water must pass through it, we hoped to find sufficient for our use remaining in some holes of the rocks; but after all our search the whole that we collected was only nine gallons.  We advanced within two miles of the foot of the highest mountain in the island, on which is the volcano that is almost constantly burning.  The country near it is covered with lava and has a most dreary appearance.  As we had not been fortunate in our discoveries, and saw nothing to alleviate our distresses except the plantains and water above-mentioned, we returned to the boat exceedingly fatigued and faint.  When I came to the precipice whence we were to descend into the cove I was seized with such a dizziness in my head that I thought it scarce possible to effect it:  however by the assistance of Nelson and others they at last got me down, in a weak condition.  Every person being returned by noon I gave about an ounce of pork and two plantains to each, with half a glass of wine.  I again observed the latitude of this place 19 degrees 41 minutes south.  The people who remained by the boat I had directed to look for fish or what they could pick up about the rocks; but nothing eatable could be found:  so that upon the whole we considered ourselves on as miserable a spot of land as could well be imagined.

I could not say positively from the former knowledge I had of this island whether it was inhabited or not; but I knew it was considered inferior to the other islands, and I was not certain but that the Indians only resorted to it at particular times.  I was very anxious to ascertain this point for, in case there had been only a few people here, and those could have furnished us with but very moderate supplies, the remaining in this spot to have made preparations for our voyage would have been preferable to the risk of going amongst multitudes, where perhaps we might lose everything.  A party therefore sufficiently strong I determined should go another route as soon as the sun became lower, and they cheerfully undertook it.

About two o’clock in the afternoon the party set out but, after suffering much fatigue, they returned in the evening without any kind of success.

At the head of the cove about 150 yards from the waterside there was a cave; the distance across the stony beach was about 100 yards, and from the country into the cove there was no other way than that which I have already described.  The situation secured us from the danger of being surprised, and I determined to remain on shore for the night with a part of my people that the others might have more room to rest in the boat with the master, whom I directed to lie at a grapnel and be watchful in case we should be attacked.  I ordered one plantain for each person to be boiled and, having supped on this scanty allowance with a quarter of a pint of grog, and fixed the watches for the night, those whose turn it was laid down to sleep in the cave, before which we kept up a good fire yet notwithstanding we were much troubled with flies and mosquitoes.