t, and about
seven in the evening discovered from the mast-head five small islands,
which were judged to be the Bashees, and they had afterwards a sight
of Bottle Tobago Xima. By this means they had an opportunity of
correcting the position of the Bashee islands, which had been hitherto
laid down twenty-five leagues too far to the westward: For, by their
observations, they esteemed the middle of these islands to be in 21 deg.
4' north, and to bear from Botel Tobago Xima S.S.E. twenty leagues
distant, that island itself being in 21 deg. 57' north.[1]

[Footnote 1: The Bashee Islands were so called by Dampier from the
name of a liquor used by the natives. Four of them are inhabited, and
are tolerably fertile, producing sugar canes, pine apples, plantaines,
potatoes, &c. and having some hogs and goats. The inhabitants, who
are reckoned a harmless and peaceable race, are said to resemble the
Japanese, and probably are derived from them. The unfortunate Peyreuse
visited one of the most northerly of these islands, and found its
latitude to be 21 deg. 9' 13" N. Arrowsmith's map lays them down very
particularly. The passage betwixt Formosa and these islands is held
very dangerous on account of the rock called Vele Rete, the precise
situation of which is matter of discord among the navigators. Captain
Krusenstern went through this passage during the night, and that
a stormy one too, with perfect safety, keeping the middle of the
channel, and having men continually on the look-out. He seems to
prefer the position of Vele Rete and its reef of rocks, (of about two
miles circuit,) as given by Broughton, according to whose observations
the latitude is 21 deg. 43' 24", and the longitude 239 deg. 15'.--E.]

After getting a sight of the Bashee islands, they stood between the S.
and S.W. for Cape Espiritu Santo; and, the 20th of May at noon, they
first discovered that cape, which about four o'clock they brought
to bear S.S.W. about eleven leagues distant. It appeared to be of a
moderate height, with several round hummocks on it. As it was known
that there were centinels placed upon this cape to make signals to the
Acapulco ship, when she first falls in with the land, the commodore
immediately tacked, and ordered the top-gallant sails to be taken in,
to prevent being discovered; and, this being the station in which it
was resolved to cruise for the galleons, they kept the cape between
the south and the west, and endeavoured to confine