rs, and a considerable part we conjectured to be
sulphur, both from its appearance to the eye, and the strong sulphurous
smell which we perceived as we approached the point. Some of the officers
on board the Resolution, which passed nearer the land, thought they saw
steams rising from the top of the hill. From these circumstances, Captain
Gore gave it the name of _Sulphur Island_. A low, narrow neck of land
connects this hill with the south end of the island, which spreads out into
a circumference of three or four leagues, and is of a moderate height. The
part near the isthmus has some bushes on it, and has a green appearance,
but those to the N.E. are very barren, and full of large detached rocks,
many of which were exceedingly white. Very dangerous breakers extend two
miles and a half to the east, and two miles to the west, off the middle
part of the island, on which the sea broke with great violence.

The north and south islands appeared to us as single mountains of a
considerable height; the former peaked, and of a conical shape; the latter
more square and flat at the top. Sulphur Island we place in latitude 24 deg.
48', longitude 141 deg. 12'. The north island in latitude 25 deg. 14', longitude
141 deg. 10'. The south island in latitude 24 deg. 22', and longitude 141 deg. 26'. The
variation observed was 3 deg. 30' E.

Captain Gore now directed his course to the W.S.W., for the Bashee Islands,
hoping to procure, at them, such a supply of refreshments as would help to
shorten his stay in Macao. These islands were visited by Dampier, who gives
a very favourable account, both of the civility of the inhabitants, and of
the plenty of hogs and vegetables, with, which the country abounds; they
were afterwards seen by Byron and Wallis, who passed them without landing.

In order to extend our view, in the day-time, the ships spread between two
and three leagues from each other, and during the night, we went under an
easy sail; so that it was scarcely possible to pass any land that lay in
the neighbourhood of our course. In this manner we proceeded, without any
occurrence worth remarking, with a fresh breeze from the N.E., till the
22d, when it increased to a strong gale, with violent squalls of wind and
rain, which brought us under close-reefed top-sails.

At noon of the 23d, the latitude, by account, was 21 deg. 5', and longitude
123 deg. 20'; at six in the evening, being now only twenty-one leagues from the
Bashee Islands