are about two hundred
leagues off the coast of Chili. Westerly winds came on about the 23d of
February, and lasted to the 3d of March, the weather varying much, but
almost every day bringing rain about noon, accompanied with thunder.
This seemed strange to Bougainville, as this ocean under the tropic had
always been renowned for the uniformity and freshness of the E. and S.E.
trade-winds, supposed to last throughout the year. In the month of
February, four astronomical observations were made for determining the
longitude. The first, made on the 6th, differed 31' from the reckoning,
the latter being to the westward. The second, on the 11th, differed 37'
45", in the opposite direction. By the third, made on the 22d, the
reckoning was 42' 30", westward in excess; and that of the 27th shewed a
difference of 1' 25" in the same line. At this time they had calms and
contrary winds. The thermometer, till they came to 45 deg. latitude, had
always kept between 5 deg. and 8 deg. above the freezing point; after that, it
rose successively, and when they were between 27 deg. and 24 deg. latitude,
varied upwards a good deal. A sore throat prevailed among the crew of
the frigate ever since leaving the straits, and was attributed, whether
justly or not, to the snow waters they had been in the habit of using
there. It was not, however, very obstinate, readily yielding to simple
remedies; and at the end of March, it is said, there was no body on the
sick list.

On the 21st of this month, a tunny was caught with some little fish, not
yet digested in its belly, which are noticed never to go any great
distance from the shore. This accordingly was held as an indication of
land being near, and indeed a just one, in the present instance; for
about six in the morning of the next day, they got sight of four little
isles at one time, bearing S.S.E. 1/2 E., and of another about four
leagues west. The former, Bougainville called _les quatre Facardins_,
but being too far to windward for him at present, he preferred standing
for the single one a-head. On approaching this, it was discovered to be
surrounded with a very level sand, and to have all its interior parts
covered with thick woods surmounted by cocoa-trees. So delightful an
appearance as it presented, lost none of its charms in the eyes of men
who longed for the refreshments of dry land and the vegetable world. But
their desires must have consumed them, had this been the only shore
which could