iolence, and the sea ran so high,
as to oblige us to close-reef the topsails. During the last three days, the
ships had outrun their reckoning at the rate of twenty miles a-day, and as
we could not attribute the whole of this to the effects of a following sea,
we imputed it in part to a current, which, according to my own
calculations, had set forty-two miles to the S.S.W., between the noon of
the 19th and the noon of the 20th; and is taken into the account in
determining the situation of the island.

After passing Sapata, we steered to the westward; and at midnight sounded,
and had ground with fifty fathoms of line, over a fine sandy bottom. In the
morning of the 20th, the wind becoming more moderate, we let out the reefs,
and steered W. by S. for Pulo Condore. At noon, the latitude was 8 deg. 46' N.,
longitude 106 deg. 45' E.; and at half-past twelve we got sight of the island,
bearing W. At four, the extremes of Pulo Condore, and the islands that lie
off it, bore S.E. and S.W. by W.; our distance from the nearest islands
being two miles. We kept to the N. of the islands, and stood for the
harbour on the S.W. end of Condore, which, having its entrance from the
N.W. is the best sheltered during the N.E. monsoon. At six, we anchored,
with the best bower, in six fathoms, veered away two-thirds of the cable,
and kept the ship steady with a stream-anchor and cable to the S.E. When
moored, the extremes of the entrance of the harbour bore N. by W., and
W.N.W. 1/4 W.; the opening at the upper end S.E. by E. 3/4 E.; our distance
from the nearest shore a quarter of a mile.

As soon as we were come to anchor, Captain Gore fired a gun, with a view of
apprising the natives of our arrival, and drawing them toward the shore,
but without effect. Early in the morning of the 21st, parties were sent to
cut wood, which was Captain Gore's principal motive for coming hither. In
the afternoon, a sudden gust of wind broke the stream-cable, by which the
Discovery was riding, and obliged us to moor with the bower-anchors.

None of the natives having yet made their appearance, notwithstanding a
second gun had been fired, Captain Gore thought it adviseable to land, and
go in search of them, that no time might be lost in opening a trade for
such provisions as the place could afford; with this view he appointed me
to accompany him, in the morning of the 22d; and, as the wind at this time
blew strong from the E., we did not think it prudent to coas