he experiment.

I imagine these to be the islands called Feejee, as their extent,
direction, and distance from the Friendly Islands, answers to the
description given of them by those Islanders. Heavy rain came on at four
o'clock, when every person did their utmost to catch some water, and we
increased our stock to 34 gallons, besides quenching our thirst for the
first time since we had been at sea; but an attendant consequence made
us pass the night very miserably, for, being extremely wet, and no dry
things to shift or cover us, we experienced cold and shiverings scarce
to be conceived. Most fortunately for us, the forenoon turned out fair,
and we stripped and dried our cloaths. The allowance I issued to-day,
was an ounce and a half of pork, a tea-spoonful of rum, half a pint of
cocoa-nut milk, and an ounce of bread. The rum, though so small in
quantity, was of the greatest service. A fishing-line was generally
towing, and we saw great numbers of fish, but could never catch one.

At noon, I observed, in latitude 16 deg. 4' S, and found I had made a
course, from yesterday noon, N 62 deg. W, distance 62 miles; longitude, by
account, from Tofoa, 7 deg. 42' W.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 8.]

The land I passed yesterday, and the day before, is a group of islands,
14 or 16 in number, lying between the latitude of 16 deg. 26' S and 17 deg. 57'
S, and in longitude, by my account, 4 deg. 47' to 7 deg. 17' W from Tofoa; three
of these islands are very large, having from 30 to 40 leagues of
sea-coast.

[Sidenote: Saturday 9.]

Saturday, 9th May. Fine weather, and light winds from the N E to E by S.

This afternoon we cleaned out the boat, and it employed us till sun-set
to get every thing dry and in order. Hitherto I had issued the allowance
by guess, but I now got a pair of scales, made with two cocoa-nut
shells; and, having accidentally some pistol-balls in the boat, 25[*] of
which weighed one pound, or 16 ounces, I adopted one, as the proportion
of weight that each person should receive of bread at the times I served
it. I also amused all hands, with describing the situation of New Guinea
and New Holland, and gave them every information in my power, that in
case any accident happened to me, those who survived might have some
idea of what they were about, and be able to find their way to Timor,
which at present they knew nothing of, more than the name, and some not
that.

[*] It weighed 272 grains.

At night I served a qu