shoals, which, instead
of following the coast to S.W., took a S.E. direction towards the hill we
had seen the preceding evening, and seemed to point out to us that it was
necessary to go round that land. At this time the most advanced point on
the main bore S. 68 deg. W., distant nine or ten leagues. About seven o'clock
we got a light breeze at north, which enabled us to steer out E.S.E., and
to spend the night with less anxiety. On some of the low isles were many of
those elevations already mentioned. Every one was now satisfied they were
trees, except our philosophers, who still maintained that they were
basaltes.[1]

About day-break on the 26th, the wind having shifted to S.S.W., we
stretched to S.E. for the hill before mentioned. It belonged to an island
which at noon extended from S. 16 deg. E. to S. 7 deg. W., distant six leagues.
Latitude observed 22 deg. 16' S. In the p.m. the wind freshened, and veering to
S.S.E., we stretched to the east, till two a.m., on the 27th, when we
tacked and stood to S.W., with hopes of weathering the island; but we fell
about two miles short of our expectations, and had to tack about a mile
from the east side of the island, the extremes bearing from N.W. by N. to
S.W., the hill W., and some low isles, lying off the S.E. point, S. by W.
These seemed to be connected with the large island by breakers. We sounded
when in stays, but had no ground with a line of eighty fathoms. The skirts
of this island were covered with the elevations more than once mentioned.
They had much the appearance of tall pines, which occasioned my giving that
name to the island. The round hill, which is on the S.W. side, is of such a
height as to be seen fourteen or sixteen leagues. The island is about a
mile in circuit, and situated in latitude 22 deg. 38' S., longitude 167 deg. 40' E.
Having made two attempts to weather the Isle of Pines before sun-set, with
no better success, than before, this determined me to stretch off till
midnight. This day at noon the thermometer was at 68 deg. 3/4 which is lower
than it had been since the 27th of February.

Having tacked at midnight, assisted by the currents and a fresh gale at E.
S.E. and S.E., next morning at day-break we found ourselves several leagues
to windward of the Isle of Pines, and bore away large, round the S.E. and
S. sides. The coast from the S.E., round by the S. to the W., was strewed
with sand-banks, breakers, and small low isles, most of which were cov