At noon of the 23d, the latitude, by account, was 21 deg. 5’, and longitude 123 deg. 20’; at six in the evening, being now only twenty-one leagues from the Bashee Islands, according to the situation in Mr Dalrymple’s map, and the weather squally attended with a thick haze, we hauled our wind to the N.N.W., and handed the fore top-sail.

During the whole of the 24th it rained incessantly, and the wind still blew a storm; a heavy sea rolled down on us from the north, and in the afternoon we had violent flashes of lightning from the same quarter.  We continued upon a wind to the N.N.W. till nine o’clock, when we tacked, and stood to the S.S.E., till four in the morning of the 25th, and then wore.  During the night there was an eclipse of the moon, but the rain prevented our making any observation; unfortunately, at the time of the greatest darkness, a seaman, in stowing the main-top-mast stay-sail, fell overboard, but laying hold of a rope, which providentially was hanging out of the fore-chains into the water, and the ship being quickly brought in the wind, he was got on board without any other hurt than a slight bruise on his shoulder.  At eight, the weather clearing, we bore away but the wind blew still so strong, that we carried no other sail than the fore-sail, and the main-top-sail close-reefed.  About this time we saw a land-bird resembling a thrush, and a sugar-cane; at noon, the latitude, by observation, was 21 deg. 35’, and longitude 121 deg. 35’.

As our situation in longitude was now to the west of the Bashee, according to Mr Dalrymple’s map, I perceived that Captain Gore was governed, in the course he was steering, by the opinions of Commodore Byron and Captain Wallis, with whom he sailed when they passed these islands.  The former placing it near four degrees to the westward, or in longitude 118 deg. 15’.  In consequence of this opinion, at two, we stood to the southward, with a view of getting into the same parallel of latitude with the islands, before we ran down our longitude.  At six, we were nearly in that situation, and consequently ought to have been in sight of land, according to Mr Wallis’s account, who places the Bashees near three degrees more to the eastward than Mr Byron.  The gale, at this time, had not in the least abated; and Captain Gore, still conceiving that the islands must undoubtedly lie to the westward, brought the ships to, with their heads to the N.W., under the fore-sail and balanced mizen.

At six in the morning of the 26th, the wind having considerably abated, we bore away west; set the top-sails, and let out the reefs.  At noon, the latitude, by observation, was 21 deg. 12’, and longitude 120 deg. 25’.  We saw, this day, a flock of ducks, and many tropic-birds, also dolphins and porpoises, and still continued to pass several pumice-stones.  We spent the night upon our tacks, and, at six in the morning of the 27th, again bore away west in search of the Bashees.