discoveries cannot be known to that
degree of accuracy which is necessary to distinguish them from others. We
were obliged to have recourse to his chart for the latitudes and longitudes
of the isles he discovered, as neither the one nor the other is mentioned
in his narrative. Without waiting to examine this island we continued to
steer to the west, all sails set, till six o'clock in the evening, when we
shortened sail to three top-sails, and at nine brought-to.

The next morning at four a.m. we made sail, and at daybreak saw another of
these low islands, situated in the latitude of 17 deg. 4', longitude 144 deg. 30'
W., which obtained the name of Adventure Island. M. de Bougainville very
properly calls this cluster of low overflowed isles the Dangerous
Archipelago. The smoothness of the sea sufficiently convinced us that we
were surrounded by them, and how necessary it was to proceed with the
utmost caution, especially in the night.

At five o'clock p.m. we again saw land, bearing S.W. by S., which we
afterwards found to be Chain Island, discovered in my former voyage. But as
I was not sure of it at this time, and being desirous of avoiding the delay
which lying by in the night occasioned, I hoisted out the cutter, and
manned her with an officer and seven men, with orders to keep as far a-head
of the ships, with a light at her masthead, as a signal could be
distinguished, which she was to make in case she met with any danger. In
this manner we continued to run all night; and, at six o'clock the next
morning, I called her on board, and hoisted her in. For it did not appear
she would be wanted again for this purpose, as we had now a large swell
from the south, a sure sign that we were clear of the low islands;
therefore I steered for Otaheite without being apprehensive of meeting with
any danger.[9]

[1] Great shoals of cetaceous fish, of a perfectly black colour, with
a white spot before the back-fin, passed by us. They were fired at
from our vessel, and one of them being shot through the head, could no
longer plunge under water, but began to beat about furiously on the
surface, and tinged the sea with its blood. It seemed to be about
three yards long, and was slender and blunt-headed, from whence our
sailors called it the Bottle-nose, a name which Dale applies to a very
different fish, the beaked whale, of which the beak or nose resembles
the neck of a bottle."--G.F.

[2] "B