and as we wanted nothing that it could
afford, we thought it imprudent as well as cruel to risk a contest, in
which the natives must have suffered by our superiority, merely to
gratify an idle curiosity; especially as we expected soon to fall in
with the island where we had been directed to make our astronomical
observation, the inhabitants of which would probably admit us without
opposition, as they were already acquainted with our strength, and might
also procure us a ready and peaceable reception among the neighbouring
people, if we should desire it.

To these islands we gave the name of _The Groups_.

On the 7th, about half an hour after six in the morning, being just at
day-break, we discovered another island to the northward, which we
judged to be about four miles in circumference. The land lay very low,
and there was a piece of water in the middle of it; there seemed to be
some wood upon it, and it looked green and pleasant; but we saw neither
cocoa-trees nor inhabitants: It abounded, however, with birds, and we
therefore gave it the name of _Bird-Island_.

It lies in latitude 17 deg. 48' S. and longitude 143 deg. 35' W. at the distance
of ten leagues, in the direction W. 1/2 N. from the west end of the
Groups. The variation here was 6 deg. 32' E.

On the 8th, about two o'clock in the afternoon, we saw land to the
northward, and about sun-set came abreast of it, at about the distance
of two leagues. It appeared to be a double range of low woody islands
joined together by reefs, so as to form one island, in the form of an
ellipsis or oval, with a lake in the middle of it. The small islands and
reefs that circumscribe the lake have the appearance of a chain, and we
therefore gave it the name of _Chain Island_. Its length seemed to be
about five leagues, in the direction of N.W. and S.E. and its breadth
about five miles. The trees upon it appeared to be large, and we saw
smoke rising in different parts of it from among them, a certain sign
that it was inhabited. The middle of it lies in latitude 17 deg. 23' S. and
longitude 145 deg. 54' W. and is distant from Bird Island forty-five
leagues, in the direction of W. by N. The variation here was, by several
azimuths, found to be 4 deg. 54' E.

[Illustration: THE ISLAND OF OTAHEITE]

On the 10th, having had a tempestuous night, with thunder and rain, the
weather was hazy till about nine o'clock in the morning, when it cleared
up, and we saw the island to which Capt