ll hauled in, we steered by the sound of
the breakers, which were distinctly heard till we got clear of the
coast.

We knew this island to be inhabited, by smoke which we saw in different
parts of it, and we gave it the name of _Bow Island_. Mr Gore, my second
lieutenant, said, after we had sailed by the island, that he had seen
several of the natives, under the first clump of trees, from the deck;
that he had distinguished their houses, and seen several canoes hauled
up under the shade; but in this he was more fortunate than any other
person on board. The east end of this island, which, from its figure, we
called the Bow, lies in latitude 18 deg. 23' S. and longitude 141 deg. 12' W. We
observed the variation of the compass to be 5 deg. 38' E.

On the next day, Thursday the 6th, about noon, we saw land again to the
westward, and came up with it about three. It appeared to be two
islands, or rather groups of islands, extending from N.W. by N. to S.E.
by S. about nine leagues. Of these, the two largest were separated from
each other by a channel of about half-a-mile broad, and were severally
surrounded by smaller islands, to which they were joined by reefs that
lay under water.

These islands were long narrow strips of land, ranging in all
directions, some of them ten miles or upwards in length, but none more
than a quarter of a mile broad, and upon all of them there were trees of
various kinds, particularly the cocoa-nut. The south-eastermost of them
lies in the latitude of 18 deg. 12' S. and longitude 142 deg. 42' W. and at the
distance of twenty-five leagues in the direction of W.1/2 N. from the
west end of Bow Island. We ranged along the S.W. side of this island,
and hauled into a bay which lies to the N.W. of the southermost point of
the Group, where there was a smooth sea, and the appearance of
anchorage, without much surf on the shore. We sounded, but we found no
bottom with one hundred fathom, at the distance of no more than three
quarters of a mile from the beach, and I did not think it prudent to go
nearer.

While this was doing, several of the inhabitants assembled upon the
shore, and some came out in their canoes as far as the reefs, but would
not pass them: When we saw this, we ranged, with an easy sail, along the
shore; but just as we were passing the end of the island, six men, who
had for some time kept abreast of the ship, suddenly launched two canoes
with great quickness and dexterity, and three of t