distinctly the isles in that quarter; but, presently after, we discovered a
reef of rocks a-head, extending on each bow farther than we could see. As
we could not weather them, it became necessary to tack and bear up to the
south, to look for a passage that way. At noon the southernmost island bore
S.W., distant four miles. North of this isle were three others, all
connected by breakers, which we were not sure did not join to those we had
seen in the morning, as some were observed in the intermediate space. Some
islands were also seen to the west of those four; but Rotterdam was not yet
in sight. Latitude 20° 23' S. longitude 174° 6' W. During the whole
afternoon, we had little wind; so that at sunset, the southernmost isle
bore W.N.W., distant five miles; and some breakers, we had seen to the
south, bore now S.S.W. 1/2 W. Soon after it fell calm, and we were left to
the mercy of a great easterly swell; which, however, happened to have no
great effect upon the ship. The calm continued till four o'clock the next
morning, when it was succeeded by a breeze from the south. At day-light,
perceiving a likelihood of a passage between the islands to the north and
the breakers to the south, we stretched in west, and soon after saw more
islands, both to the S.W. and N.W., but the passage seemed open and clear.
Upon drawing near the islands, we sounded, and found forty-five and forty
fathoms, a clear sandy bottom. I was now quite easy, since it was in our
power to anchor, in case of a calm; or to spend the night, if we found no
passage. Towards noon some canoes came off to us from one of the isles,
having two or three people in each; who advanced boldly alongside, and
exchanged some cocoa-nuts, and shaddocks, for small nails. They pointed out
to us Anamocka, or Rotterdam; an advantage we derived from knowing the
proper names. They likewise gave us the names of some of the other isles,
and invited us much to go to theirs, which they called Cornango. The breeze
freshening, we left them astern, and steered for Anamocka; meeting with a
clear passage, in which we found unequal sounding, from forty to nine
fathoms, depending, I believe, in a great measure, on our distance from the