blaze of a candle, while the body
continues perfectly dark.

Friday 3.

The 3rd in the morning we saw a seal. Captain Cook has remarked seeing
seaweed when nearly in the same place. Our latitude 40 degrees 21 minutes
south, longitude 215 degrees east. Variation of the compass 7 degrees 45
minutes east. Being now well to the eastward of the Society Islands I
steered more to the northward.

We continued to have the southern oceanic birds accompany us and a few
whales. The people caught albatrosses and fattened them in the same
manner which they had done when off Cape Horn. Some of these measured
near eight feet between the tips of the wings when spread.

Thursday 9.

On Thursday the 9th we had the misfortune to lose one of our seamen,
James Valentine, who died in the night of an asthmatic complaint. This
poor man had been one of the most robust people on board until our
arrival at Adventure Bay, where he first complained of some slight
indisposition for which he was bled, and got better. Some time afterwards
the arm in which he had been bled became painful and inflamed: the
inflammation increased, with a hollow cough, and extreme difficulty of
breathing, to his death.

Monday 13.

The 13th in the afternoon we saw two land birds like what are called
sand-larks. Our latitude at this time was 28 degrees 3 minutes south and
longitude 223 degrees 26 minutes east.

Tuesday 14.

The next morning we saw a tropic bird and some fish. The winds were light
and variable with calms from this time to the 19th, when a breeze sprang
up from the north-east, which gradually came round to the eastward and
proved to be the tradewind. Our latitude on the 19th at noon was 24
degrees 13 minutes south, longitude 222 degrees 17 minutes east.
Variation of the compass 5 degrees 19 minutes east.

Saturday 25.

On the 25th at half-past seven in the morning we saw the Island Maitea,
called Osnaburg by Captain Wallis, who first discovered it. At noon it
bore south-west by west one-quarter west, six miles distant. Our latitude
17 degrees 50 minutes south, longitude 212 degrees 24 minutes east.
Variation five degrees east. As Captain Wallis and Captain Cook had both
passed near the south side, I ran along the north side, which is
remarkably steep. The island is high and round and not more than three
miles in its greatest extent. The south side, where the declivity from
the hill is more gradual, is the chief place of residence of the natives