matter of surprise to every one, how these two men could
contrive to lose themselves. The land over which they had to travel,
from the sea-coast to the _lagoon_, where the boats lay, was not more
than three miles across, nor was there any thing to obstruct their
view, for the country was a flat, with a few shrubs scattered upon
it, and from many parts of it, the masts of the ships could easily be
seen. But this was a rule of direction they never once thought of;
nor did they recollect in what quarter of the island the ships had
anchored, and they were as much at a loss how to get back to them, or
to the party they had straggled from, as if they had but just
dropped from the clouds. Considering how strange a set of beings the
generality of seamen are, when on shore, instead of being surprised
that these two men should thus lose their way, it is rather to be
wondered at, that no more of the party were missing. Indeed, one
of those who landed with me was in a similar situation; but he had
sagacity enough to know that the ships were to leeward, and got
on board almost as soon as it was discovered that he had been left
behind.

As soon as Captain Clerke knew that one of the stragglers was still in
this awkward situation, he sent a party in search of him; but neither
the man nor the party having come back, the next morning I ordered two
boats into the _lagoon_, to go different ways, in prosecution of the
search. Not long after, Captain Clerke's party returned with their
lost companion; and my boats having now no object left, I called
them back by signal. This poor fellow must have suffered far greater
distress than the other straggler, not only as having been lost
a longer time, but as we found that he was too squeamish to drink
turtle's blood.

Having some cocoa-nuts and yams on board, in a state of vegetation, I
ordered them to be planted on the little island where we had observed
the eclipse, and some melon-seeds were sown in another place. I also
left, on the little island, a bottle containing this inscription:

_Georgius, Tertius, Rex, 31 Decembris, 1777._
_Naves {Resolution, Jac. Cook, Pr._
_{Discovery, Car. Clerke, Pr._

On the 1st of January, 1778, I sent boats to bring on board all our
parties from the land, and the turtles they had caught. Before this
was completed it was late in the afternoon, so that I did not think
proper to sail till next morning. We got at t