r five leagues. I observed our latitude to be 18
degrees 58 minutes south; our longitude was, by account, 3 degrees 4
minutes west from the island of Tofoa, having made a north 72 degrees
west course, distance ninety-five miles, since yesterday noon, I divided
five small cocoanuts for our dinner, and every one was satisfied. During
the rest of that day we discovered ten or twelve other islands, none of
which we approached. At night I served a few broken pieces of breadfruit
for supper, and performed prayers.

_Tuesday, 5th._--The night having been fair, we awoke after a tolerable
rest, and contentedly breakfasted on a few pieces of yams that were found
in the boat. After breakfast we examined our bread, a great deal of
which was damaged and rotten; this, nevertheless, we were glad to keep
for use. We passed two islands in the course of the day. For dinner I
served some of the damaged bread, and a quarter of a pint of water.

_Wednesday, 6th._--We still kept our course in the direction of the North
of New Holland, passing numerous islands of various sizes, at none of
which I ventured to land. Our allowance for the day was a quarter of a
pint of cocoanut milk, and the meat, which did not exceed two ounces to
each person. It was received very contentedly, but we suffered great
drought. To our great joy we hooked a fish, but we were miserably
disappointed by its being lost in trying to get it into the boat.

As our lodgings were very miserable, and confined for want of room, I
endeavored to remedy the latter defect by putting ourselves at watch and
watch; so that one-half always sat up while the other lay down on the
boat's bottom, or upon a chest, with nothing to cover us but the heavens.
Our limbs were dreadfully cramped, for we could not stretch them out; and
the nights were so cold, and we so constantly wet, that after a few
hours' sleep, we could scarcely move.

_Thursday, 7th._--Being very wet and cold, I served a spoonful of rum and
a morsel of bread for breakfast. We still kept sailing among the
islands, from one of which two large canoes put out in chase of us; but
we left them behind. Whether these canoes had any hostile intention
against us must remain a doubt: perhaps we might have benefited by an
intercourse with them; but, in our defenceless situation, to have made
the experiment would have been risking too much.

I imagine these to be the islands called Feejee, as their extent,
direction, and d