us much relief;
when about noon the heavens cleared for a short time, and allowed us a
little respite; the storm set in again with renewed violence, and for
four days and nights we were condemned to struggle with this tremendous
weather. It is surprising how such tempests can arise at so great a
distance from land. In the ship Rurik, in this same region, at the same
season of year, I have before met with similar though scarcely such
furious storms. On the 2nd of March the tropical wind returned, and
brought with it clearer weather. It was indeed very hot, (Reaumur's
thermometer did not fall even in the night below 24,) but the whole crew
continued in good health. On this evening we calculated that we were in
15 deg. 15' latitude, and 139 deg. 40' longitude; and just as the sun was
sinking, the man at the mast-head called out that land was in sight. The
pleasure of making a new discovery set all our telescopes in motion, and
before night set in we plainly distinguished a very low, thickly wooded
island. Since no navigator, to my knowledge, had ever been here before,
and the newest charts described nothing but empty space, we conceived we
had a right to consider ourselves the first discoverers, and named the
island, after our ship, Predpriatie: we now tacked to stand out to sea
for the night, and at break of day again made towards the island, under
feelings of strong excitement. The many telescopes which our eager
curiosity pointed towards its object, seemed each endued with the
magical power of conveying different images to the sight. Some of us saw
what others saw not, till these delusions of the imagination vanished
before the conviction produced by rising columns of smoke visible to
all, that the island was inhabited. We could soon afterwards, from the
mast-head, perceive its entire extent. The dazzling whiteness of the
coral shore fringed a bright green ground upon which rose a forest of
palms; and we distinguished canoes moving upon a large lake in the
centre of the island. By rapid degrees, we approached so near that every
object became perceptible with the naked eye. A tall, strong,
dark-coloured race of naked savages were assembling on the shore, gazing
on the ship in great agitation, with gestures of astonishment. Some were
arming with long spears and clubs, others kindling piles of wood,
probably, that the smoke might be a signal to neighbouring islands of
their requiring assistance against the unknown sea-monste