r, were
eaten by every one, except Mr. Nelson, whom I fed with a few small
pieces of bread soaked in half a glass of wine, and he continued to
mend.

In my walk round the island, I found several cocoa-nut shells, the
remains of an old wigwam, and the backs of two turtle, but no sign of
any quadruped. One of my people found three sea-fowl's eggs.

As is common on such spots, the soil is little other than sand, yet it
produced small toa-trees, and some others, that we were not acquainted
with. There were fish in the lagoon, but we could not catch any. As our
wants, therefore, were not likely to be supplied here, not even with
water for our daily expence, I determined to sail in the morning, after
trying our success in the night for turtle and birds. A quiet night's
rest also, I conceived, would be of essential service to those who were
unwell.

From the wigwam and turtle-shell being found, it is certain that the
natives sometimes resort to this place, and have canoes: but I did not
apprehend that we ran any risk by remaining here. I directed our fire,
however, to be made in the thicket, that we might not be discovered in
the night.

[Sidenote: 1789. JUNE 1.]

At noon, I observed the latitude of this island to be 11 deg. 47' S. The
main land extended towards the N W, and was full of white sand-hills:
another small island lay within us, bearing W by N 1/4 N, three leagues
distant. My situation being very low, I could see nothing of the reef
towards the sea.

[Sidenote: Tuesday 2.]

Tuesday, June the 2d. The first part of this day we had some light
showers of rain; the latter part was fair, wind from the S E, blowing
fresh.

Rest was now so much wanted, that the afternoon was advantageously spent
in sleep. There were, however, a few not disposed to it, and those I
employed in dressing some clams to take with us for the next day's
dinner; others we cut up in slices to dry, which I knew was the most
valuable supply we could find here. But, contrary to our expectation,
they were very scarce.

[Sidenote: 1789. JUNE 2.]

Towards evening, I cautioned every one against making too large a fire,
or suffering it after dark to blaze up. Mr. Samuel and Mr. Peckover had
the superintendence of this business, while I was strolling about the
beach to observe if I thought it could be seen from the main. I was just
satisfied that it could not, when on a sudden the island appeared all in
a blaze, that might have been seen at a m