otnote 75: St Juan de Nova is in lat. 17 deg. 50' S. and long. 45 deg. 30'E.
from Greenwich--E.]

[Footnote 76: In lat. 17 deg. S. and long. 60 deg. E. is an island or bank
called Nazareth, Corados, or Garajos, a long way however from St Juan de
Nova.--E.]

The 3d August, in lat 13 deg. 35' by observation, and longitude 22 deg. 30' from
the Cape, we saw _Mal-Ilha_, one of the Comoros, about twelve leagues
off, having on the east part of it a very fair sugar-loaf hill.[77] At
the same time with this island, we had sight of that named Comoro,
bearing N.N.W. by W. being high land. At six a.m. of the 4th we were
close in with _Mal-Ilha_, and standing in for some place in which to
anchor, while some eight or nine miles from the shore, we saw the ground
under the ship in not less than eight or ten fathoms. The Hosiander, two
miles nearer the land, had four or five fathoms, and her boat was in
three fathoms. We then sent both our boats to sound, which kept shoaling
on a bank in eight, ten, and twelve fathoms, and off it only half a
cable's length had no ground with 100 fathoms. At the north end of
Mal-Ilha there is a fair big high island, about five or six miles in
circuit.[78] A bank or ledge of rocks extends all along the west side of
Mal-Ilha, continuing to the small high island; and from this little
island to Mal-Ilha may be some eight or nine miles, all full of rocks,
two of them of good height. Being at the north end of this ledge, and
the little island bearing S.E. you may steer in with the land, keeping
the island fair aboard; and within the rocks or broken ground and
Mal-Ilha there is a bay with good anchorage. To the eastwards, on coming
in from the ledge of rocks, there is a great shoal, the outermost end of
which is N.E. or N.E. by E. from the small island five or six miles, and
no ground between that we could find with forty or fifty fathoms line.
In fine, all the north side of Mal-Ilha is very dangerous, but the
above-mentioned channel is quite safe. I would have come to anchor here,
as there is a town about a mile east from the before-mentioned bay, the
people being very good, and having abundance of refreshments, as beeves,
goats, hens, lemons, cocoa-nuts in great plenty, and excellent water,
but could not get in, owing to the wind being directly south.

[Footnote 77: Mohilla, the Mal-ilha of the text, is in lat. 16 deg. 44 deg. S.
and long. 44 deg. E. from Greenwich. Its difference of long. from the Cape
of