hen examined the
quantity of bread remaining and found 38 days allowance, according to the
last mode of issuing a 25th of a pound at breakfast and at dinner.

Fair weather and moderate breezes at east-south-east and south-east.

Being ready for sea I directed every person to attend prayers. At four
o'clock we were preparing to embark when about twenty of the natives
appeared, running and hallooing to us, on the opposite shore. They were
each armed with a spear or lance and a short weapon which they carried in
their left hand: they made signs for us to come to them. On the top of
the hills we saw the heads of many more: whether these were their wives
and children or others who waited for our landing, meaning not to show
themselves lest we might be intimidated, I cannot say but, as I found we
were discovered to be on the coast, I thought it prudent to make the best
of our way for fear of being pursued by canoes, though, from the accounts
of Captain Cook, the chance was that there were very few if any of
consequence on any part of the coast. I passed these people as near as I
could with safety: they were naked and apparently black, and their hair
or wool bushy and short.

I directed my course within two small islands that lie to the north of
Restoration Island, passing between them and the mainland towards Fair
Cape with a strong tide in my favour, so that I was abreast of it by
eight o'clock. The coast we passed was high and woody. As I could see no
land without Fair Cape I concluded that the coast inclined to the
north-west and west-north-west: I therefore steered more towards the
west; but by eleven o'clock at night we met with low land which inclined
to the north-east, and at three o'clock in the morning I found that we
were embayed, which obliged us to stand back for a short time to the
southward.

Sunday 31.

At daybreak I was exceedingly surprised to find the appearance of the
country entirely changed, as if in the course of the night we had been
transported to another part of the world; for we had now a low sandy
coast in view, with very little verdure or anything to indicate that it
was at all habitable to a human being except a few patches of small trees
or brushwood.

Many small islands were in sight to the north-east about six miles
distant. The eastern part of the main bore north four miles, and Fair
Cape south-south-east five or six leagues. I took the channel between the
nearest island and the mainlan