ER 3.

Passage towards the Cape of Good Hope and Search after Tristan da Cunha.
Arrival at False Bay.
Occurrences there.
Reports concerning the Grosvenor's People.
Departure from the Cape.

1788. April. Friday 25.

The westerly winds and stormy weather continuing gave me no reason to
repent of my determination. On the 25th at noon we were in latitude 54
degrees 16 minutes south and longitude 57 degrees 4 minutes west. The
nearest of the Falkland Islands by my reckoning then bore north 13
degrees west; distance 23 leagues. Our stock of water being sufficient to
serve us to the Cape of Good Hope I did not think it worth while to stop
at these islands as the refreshment we might obtain there would scarce
repay us for the expense of time: we therefore continued our course
towards the north-east and east-north-east.

May. Friday 9.

On the 9th of May at eight o'clock in the evening we were near the
situation of Tristan da Cunha, our latitude being 37 degrees 7 minutes
south and longitude 15 degrees 26 minutes west. All the afternoon the
weather had been clear enough for land of a moderate height to be seen at
least seven leagues; I therefore concluded that we had not yet passed the
meridian of the island; for the most western position given to it from
any authority is 15 degrees 0 minutes west.

As I wished to make this island we kept our wind on different tacks
during the night, that we might be nearly in the same place at daylight
in the morning as on the preceding evening: in the morning no land being
in sight we continued to steer to the eastward.

Saturday 10.

We ran on all day having clear weather but without seeing anything to
indicate our being near land. At noon our latitude observed was 37
degrees 27 minutes south which, being more to the southward than we had
reason to expect, I altered the course to the northward and steered
north-east all the afternoon. At six o'clock in the evening we were in
latitude 37 degrees 0 minutes south and longitude 12 degrees 42 minutes
west, having a clear horizon but not the least sign of being in the
neighbourhood of land. With the night came thick rainy weather and we
were now to the eastward of the situation ascribed to Tristan da Cunha; I
therefore determined to give over the search and to resume our course
towards the Cape of Good Hope.

The island of Tristan da Cunha, by Robertson's Elements, is laid down in
37 degrees 12 minutes south latitude and 13 degrees 23