The boats were now hoisted in, and we made sail to the west, with a brisk gale at east, which continued till the 9th, when we had for a few hours, a breeze at N.W., attended with squalls of rain.  This was succeeded by a steady fresh gale at S.E., with which we steered N.W., being at this time in the latitude of 20 deg. 20’ S. longitude 176 deg. 8’ E.

On the 15th at noon, being in the latitude of 15 deg. 9’ south, longitude 171 deg. 16’ east, I steered west.  The next day the weather was foggy, and the wind blew in heavy squalls, attended with rain, which in this ocean, within the tropics, generally indicates the vicinity of some high land.  This was verified at three in the afternoon, when high land was seen bearing S.W.  Upon this we took in the small sails, reefed the top-sails, and hauling up for it, at half-past five we could see it extend from S.S.W. to N.N.W. half W. Soon after we tacked and spent the night, which was very stormy, in plying.  Our boards were disadvantageous; for, in the morning, we found we had lost ground.  This, indeed, was no wonder, for having an old suit of sails bent, the most of them were split to pieces; particularly a fore-top-sail, which was rendered quite useless.  We got others to the yards, and continued to ply, being desirous of getting round the south ends of the lands, or at least so far to the south as to be able to judge of their extent in that direction.  For no one doubted that this was the Australia del Espiritu Santo of Quiros, which M. de Bougainville calls the Great Cyclades, and that the coast we were now upon was the east side of Aurora Island, whose longitude is 168 deg. 30’ E.

The gale kept increasing till we were reduced to our low sails; so that, on the 18th, at seven in the morning, I gave over plying, set the top-sails double-reefed, bore up for, and hauled round the north end of Aurora Island, and then stretched over for the Isle of Lepers, under close-reefed topsails and courses, with a very hard gale at N.E.; but we had now the advantage of a smooth sea, having the Isle of Aurora to windward.  At noon the north end of it bore N.E. 1/2 N., distant four leagues; our latitude, found by double altitudes, and reduced to this time, was 15 deg. 1’ 30” south, longitude 168 deg. 14’ east.  At two o’clock p.m. we drew near the middle of the Isle of Lepers, and tacked about two miles from land; in which situation we had no soundings with a line of seventy fathoms.  We now saw people on the shore, and many beautiful cascades of water pouring down the neighbouring hills.  The next time we stood for this isle, we came to within half a mile of it, where we found thirty fathoms a sandy bottom; but a mile off we found no soundings at seventy fathoms.  Here two canoes came off to us, in one of which were three men, and in the other but one.  Though we made all the signs of friendship, we could not bring them nearer than a stone’s throw; and they made but a short stay before they retired ashore, where we saw a great number of people assembled in parties, and armed with bows and arrows.  They were of a very dark colour; and, excepting some ornaments at their breast and arms, seemed to be entirely naked.