11 deg. 37' S. and Longitude
190 deg. 19' 30" W.[67-2]

On the 13th August a little before noon we saw an island bearing about
N.W. by N. In general it is high, but to the West and North West the
mountain tapered down to a round point of moderate height. It abounds
with wood, even the summits of the mountain are covered with trees. In
the S.E. end there was the appearance of a harbour, and from that place
the reef runs along the South side to the Westernmost extremity. In some
places its distance is not much more than a mile from the shore, in other
places it is considerably more. Although we were sometimes within less
than a mile of the reef we saw neither house nor people. The haziness of
the weather prevented us from seeing objects distinctly, yet we saw smoke
very plain, from which it may be presumed that the island is inhabited.
It is six or seven leagues long and of considerable breadth. I called it
Pitt's Island. Its Latitude is 11 deg. 50' 30" S. South point, and Longitude
193 deg. 14' 15" W.[68-1]

At midnight between the 16th and 17th of August breakers were discovered
ahead and upon our bow, and not a mile from us. We were lying to and
heaving the lead at the time and had no ground at 120 fathoms. We wore
the ship and stood from them and in less than an hour after more breakers
were seen extending more than a point before our lee beam, but we made
more sail and so got clear of them all. At daylight we put about with the
intention of examining the breakers we had seen in the night and we made
two boards, but perceiving that I could not weather them without some
risk I bore up and ran round its N.W. end. It is a double reef enclosing
a space of deeper water like the lagoon islands so common in these seas,
and probably will become one in the course of time. The sea breaks pretty
high upon it in different parts, but there is no part of the reef
absolutely above water. It is about seven miles long in the direction of
N.W. by N. Its breadth is not so much. Called it Willis's shoal. It lies
in Latitude 12 deg. 20' S. and Longitude 200 deg. 2' W.[69-1]

We pursued our course to the Westward and on the 23rd saw the land
bearing from N.E. to N. by W. The Easternmost land when first seen was
ten or twelve leagues from us and it cannot be far to the Westward of the
land seen by Mons. Bougainville and called by him Louisiade, and probably
joins to it. The cape is in Latitude 10 deg. 3' 32" S. and Longitude 212 deg.
14'