the 14th. Fresh breezes and cloudy weather, wind
southerly. Constantly shipping water, and very wet, suffering much cold
and shiverings in the night. Served the usual allowance of bread and
water, three times a day.

At six in the morning, we saw land, from S W by S eight leagues, to N W
by W 3/4 W six leagues, which I soon after found to be four islands, all
of them high and remarkable. At noon discovered a rocky island N W by N
four leagues, and another island W eight leagues, so that the whole were
six in number; the four I had first seen bearing from S 1/2 E to S W by
S; our distance three leagues from the nearest island. My latitude
observed was 13 deg. 29' S, and longitude, by account, from Tofoa, 15 deg. 49'
W; course since yesterday noon N 63 deg. W; distance 89 miles.

[Sidenote: Friday 15.]

Friday, May the 15th. Fresh gales at S E, and gloomy weather with rain,
and a very high sea; two people constantly employed baling.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 15.]

At four in the afternoon I passed the westernmost island. At one in the
morning I discovered another, bearing W N W, five leagues distance, and
at eight o'clock I saw it for the last time, bearing N E seven leagues.
A number of gannets, boobies, and men of war birds were seen.

These islands lie between the latitude of 13 deg. 16' S and 14 deg. 10' S: their
longitude, according to my reckoning, 15 deg. 51' to 17 deg. 6' W from the
island Tofoa[*]. The largest island may be twenty leagues in circuit,
the others five or six. The easternmost is the smallest island, and most
remarkable, having a high sugar-loaf hill.

[*] By making a proportional allowance for the error afterwards found in
the dead reckoning, I estimate the longitude of these islands to be from
167 deg. 17' E to 168 deg. 34' E from Greenwich.

The sight of these islands served but to increase the misery of our
situation. We were very little better than starving, with plenty in
view; yet to attempt procuring any relief was attended with so much
danger, that prolonging of life, even in the midst of misery, was
thought preferable, while there remained hopes of being able to surmount
our hardships. For my own part, I consider the general run of cloudy and
wet weather to be a blessing of Providence. Hot weather would have
caused us to have died with thirst; and perhaps being so constantly
covered with rain or sea protected us from that dreadful calamity.

As I had nothing to assist my memory, I coul