s insane, but how he came to be swimming so far from the
land we could not conjecture. At six o'clock we made sail and ran all
night to the south-west and south-west by south, between the islands
Huaheine and Ulietea. The next morning I altered the course, steering
more to the westward for the Friendly Islands.

Thursday 9.

On the 9th at nine o'clock in the morning the weather became squally and
a body of thick black clouds collected in the east. Soon after a
water-spout was seen at no great distance from us, which appeared to
great advantage from the darkness of the clouds behind it. As nearly as I
could judge it was about two feet diameter at the upper part, and about
eight inches at the lower. I had scarce made these remarks when I
observed that it was advancing rapidly towards the ship. We immediately
altered our course and took in all the sails except the foresail, soon
after which it passed within ten yards of our stern, making a rustling
noise but without our feeling the least effect from its being so near us.
The rate at which it travelled I judged to be about ten miles per hour
going towards the west in the direction of the wind. In a quarter of an
hour after passing us it dispersed. I never was so near a water-spout
before: the connection between the column, which was higher than our
mastheads, and the water below was no otherwise visible than by the sea
being disturbed in a circular space of about six yards in diameter, the
centre of which, from the whirling of the water round it, formed a
hollow; and from the outer part of the circle the water was thrown up
with much force in a spiral direction, and could be traced to the height
of fifteen or twenty feet. At this elevation we lost sight of it and
could see nothing of its junction with the column above. It is impossible
to say what injury we should have suffered if it had passed directly over
us. Masts I imagine might have been carried away, but I do not apprehend
it would have endangered the loss of a ship.

Saturday 11.

As we sailed very near the track made in former voyages I had little
reason to expect that we should at this time make any new discovery:
nevertheless on the 11th at daylight land was seen to the
south-south-west at about five leagues distance, which appeared to be an
island of a moderate height. On the north part was a round hill: the
north-west part was highest and steep: the south-east part sloped off to
a low point.

The wind had