We continued to stand S.E. till four a.m. on the 27th, when we tacked to the west.  At sun-rise, having discovered a new land bearing south, and making in three hills, this occasioned us to tack and stand towards it.  At this time Montagu Isle bore N. 52 deg.  W., distant thirteen leagues; at noon it was nearly in the same direction, and the new land extended from S. 1/2 E. to S. by W., and the three hills seemed to be connected.  Our latitude by observation, was 18 deg. 1’ S., and the longitude, made from Port Sandwich, 1 deg. 23’ E. We continued to stand to the S.E., with a gentle breeze at S.W. and S.S.W. till the 28th at sun-rise, when, the wind veering to the south, we tacked and stood to the west.  The three hills mentioned above, we now saw, belonging to one island, which extended from S. 35 deg. to 71 deg.  W. distant about ten or twelve leagues.

1774 August

Retarded by contrary winds, calms, and the currents, that set to N.W., we were three days in gaining this space; in which time we discovered an elevated land to the south of this; It first appeared in detached hummocks, but we judged it to be connected.  At length, on the 1st of August, about ten a.m. we got a fine breeze at E.S.E., which soon after veered to N.E., and we steered for the N.W. side of the island.  Reaching it about two p.m., we ranged the west coast at one mile from shore, on which the inhabitants appeared in several parts, and by signs invited us to land.  We continued to sound without finding bottom, till we came before a small bay, or bending of the coast, where, near a mile from shore, we found thirty and twenty-two fathoms water, a sandy bottom.  I had thoughts of anchoring here, but the wind almost instantly veered to N.W.; which being nearly on shore, I laid this design aside.  Besides, I was unwilling to lose the opportunity that now offered of getting to the south-east, in order first to explore the lands which lay there.  I therefore continued to range the coast to the south, at about the same distance from shore; but we soon got out of soundings.  About a league to the south of this bay, which hath about two miles extent, is another more extensive.  Towards the evening, the breeze began to abate, so that it was sun-set before we got the length of it.  I intended not to stop here, and to stand to the south under an easy sail all night; but at eight o’clock, as we were steering S.S.E. we saw a light ahead.  Not knowing but it might be on some low detached isle, dangerous to approach while dark, we hauled the wind, and spent the night standing off and on, or rather driving to and fro; for we had but very little wind.