longitude 168° 14' east. At two o'clock p.m. we drew near the middle of the
Isle of Lepers, and tacked about two miles from land; in which situation we
had no soundings with a line of seventy fathoms. We now saw people on the
shore, and many beautiful cascades of water pouring down the neighbouring
hills. The next time we stood for this isle, we came to within half a mile
of it, where we found thirty fathoms a sandy bottom; but a mile off we
found no soundings at seventy fathoms. Here two canoes came off to us, in
one of which were three men, and in the other but one. Though we made all
the signs of friendship, we could not bring them nearer than a stone's
throw; and they made but a short stay before they retired ashore, where we
saw a great number of people assembled in parties, and armed with bows and
arrows. They were of a very dark colour; and, excepting some ornaments at
their breast and arms, seemed to be entirely naked.

As I intended to get to the south, in order to explore the land which might
lie there, we continued to ply between the Isle of Lepers and Aurora; and
on the 19th, at noon, the south end of the last-mentioned isle bore south
24° east, and the north end north, distant twenty miles. Latitude observed
15° 11'. The wind continued to blow strong at S.E., so that what we got by
plying in the day, we lost in the night. On the 20th, at sun-rise, we found
ourselves off the south end of Aurora, on the N.W. side of which, the coast
forms a small bay. In this we made some trips to try for anchorage; but
found no less than eighty fathoms water, the bottom a fine dark sand, at
half a mile from shore. Nevertheless, I am of opinion that, nearer, there
is much less depth, and secure riding; and in the neighbourhood is plenty
of fresh water and wood for fuel. The whole isle, from the sea-shore to the
summits of the hills, seemed to be covered with the latter; and every
valley produced a fine stream of the former. We saw people on the shore,
and some canoes on the coast, but none came off to us. Leaving the bay just
mentioned, we stretched across the channel which divides Aurora from