A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels | Page 5

of 22° 57-1/2' S.:
Apparent time, A.M. H.M.S.
Beginning, by Mr King, at 0 32 50 | Mr Bligh, at 0 33 25 > Mean long.
186° 57-1/2'. Myself, at 0 33 35 |
End, by Mr King at 1 44 56 | Mean long. 186° 28-1/2'. Mr Bligh at 1 44
6 > Time keep. 186° 58-1/2'. Myself, at 1 44 56 |
The latitude and longitude are those of the ship, at 8^h 56^m a.m.,
being the time when the sun's altitude was taken for finding the
apparent time. At the beginning of the eclipse, the moon was in the
zenith, so that it was found most convenient to make use of the sextants,
and to make the observations by the reflected image, which was
brought down to a convenient altitude. The same was done at the end,
except by Mr King, who observed with a night telescope. Although the
greatest difference between our several observations is no more than
fifty seconds, it, nevertheless, appeared to me that two observers might
differ more than double that time, in both the beginning and end. And,
though the times are noted to seconds, no such accuracy was pretended

to. The odd seconds set down above, arose by reducing the time, as
given by the watch, to apparent time.
I continued to stretch to the E.S.E., with the wind at N.E. and N.,
without meeting with any thing worthy of note, till seven o'clock in the
evening of the 29th, when we had a sudden and very heavy squall of
wind from the N. At this time we were under single reefed topsails,
courses, and stay-sails. Two of the latter were blown to pieces, and it
was with difficulty that we saved the other sails. After this squall, we
observed several lights moving about on board the Discovery, by which
we concluded, that something had given way; and, the next morning,
we saw that her main-top-mast had been lost. Both wind and weather
continued very unsettled till noon, this day, when the latter cleared up,
and the former settled in the N.W. quarter. At this time, we were in the
latitude of 28° 6' S., and our longitude was 198° 23' E. Here we saw
some pintado birds, being the first since we left the land.
On the 31st, at noon, Captain Clerke made a signal to speak with me.
By the return of the boat which I sent on board his ship, he informed
me, that the head of the main-mast had been just discovered to be
sprung, in such a manner as to render the rigging of another top-mast
very dangerous; and that, therefore, he must rig something lighter in its
place. He also informed me, that he had lost his main-top-gallant-yard,
and that he neither had another, nor a spar to make one, on board. The
Resolution's sprit-sail top-sail yard which I sent him, supplied this want.
The next day, he got up a jury top-mast, on which he set a
mizen-top-sail, and this enabled him to keep way with the Resolution.
The wind was fixed in the western board, that is, from the N., round by
the W. to S., and I steered E.N.E. and N.E., without meeting with
anything remarkable, till eleven o'clock in the morning of the 8th of
August, when land was seen, bearing N.N.E., nine or ten leagues
distant. At first, it appeared in detached hills, like so many separate
islands; but, as we drew nearer, we found that they were all connected,
and belonged to one and the same island. I steered directly for it, with a
fine gale at S.E. by S.; and at half-past six o'clock in the afternoon, it
extended from N. by E., to N.N.E. 3/4 E., distant three or four leagues.

The night was spent standing off and on; and at day-break the next
morning, I steered for the N.W., or lee-side of the island; and as we
stood round its S. or S.W. part, we saw it every where guarded by a reef
of coral rock, extending, in some places, a full mile from the land, and
a high surf breaking upon it. Some thought that they saw land to the
southward of this island; but, as that was to the windward, it was left
undetermined. As we drew near, we saw people on different parts of
the coast, walking, or running along the shore, and in a little time after
we had reached the lee-side of the island, we saw them launch two
canoes, into which above a dozen men got, and paddled toward us.
I now shortened sail, as well to give these canoes time to come up with
us, as to sound for anchorage. At the distance of about half a mile from
the reef,