four midshipmen, to go up the valley
by the river as high as they could, and examine the soil and produce of
the country, noting the trees and plants which they should find, and
when they saw any stream from the mountains, to trace it to its source,
and observe whether it was tinctured with any mineral or ore. I
cautioned them also to keep continually upon their guard against the
natives, and directed them to make a fire, as a signal, if they should
be attacked. At the same time I took a guard on shore, and erected a
tent on a point of land, to observe an eclipse of the sun, which, the
morning being very clear, was done with great accuracy.

Hours. Min. Sec.
The immersion began, by true time, at-- 6 51 50
The emersion, by true time, was at- - - 8 1 O
The duration of the eclipse was- - - - 1 9 10

The latitude of the point, on which the observation was made, was 17 deg.
30'S., the sun's declination was 19 deg. 40'N., and the variation of the
needle 5 deg. 36' E.

After the observation was taken, I went to the queen's house, and shewed
her the telescope, which was a reflector. After she had admired its
structure, I endeavoured to make her comprehend its use, and fixing it
so as to command several distant objects, with which she was well
acquainted, but which could not be distinguished with the naked eye, I
made her look through it. As soon as she saw them, she started back with
astonishment, and, directing her eye as the glass was pointed, stood
some time motionless and silent; she then looked through the glass
again, and again sought in vain, with the naked eye, for the objects
which it discovered. As they by turns vanished and re-appeared, her
countenance and gestures expressed a mixture of wonder and delight which
no language can describe. When the glass was removed, I invited her, and
several of the chiefs that were with her, to go with me on board the
ship, in which I had a view to the security of the party that I had sent
out; for I thought that while the queen and the principal people were
known to be in my power, nothing would be attempted against any person
belonging to the ship on shore. When we got on board, I ordered a good
dinner for their entertainment, but the queen would neither eat nor
drink; the people that were with her eat very heartily of whatever was
set before them, but would drink only plain water.

In the evening our