we were obliged to pump hourly in our passage from Cape, Horn. The sails and rigging also required repair, and, on examining the provisions, a considerable quantity was found damaged, particularly the bread.---Fresh meat, with soft bread, and plenty of vegetables, were issued daily to the ship's company, the whole time we remained here. A few days after our arrival, I went over to Cape Town, and waited on his excellency M. Vander Graaf, the governor, who obligingly arranged matters so much to our advantage, that we scarcely felt the inconvenience of being at a distance from the Cape Town, whence we received all our supplies.

Having remained thirty-eight days at this place, and my people having received all the advantage that could be derived from the refreshments of every kind that could be met with, we sailed on the first of July.

A gale of wind blew on the 20th, with a high sea; it increased after noon with such violence that the ship was driven almost forecastle under before we could get the sails clewed up. The lower yards were lowered, and the top-gallant-mast got down upon deck, which relieved her much. We lay-to all night, and in the morning bore away under

a reefed-foresail. The sea still running high, in the afternoon it became very unsafe to stand on; we therefore lay-to all night, without any accident, excepting that a man at the steerage was thrown over the wheel and much bruised. Towards noon the violence of the storm abated, and we again bore away under the reefed foresail.

In a few days we passed the island of St. Paul, where there is good fresh water, as I was informed by a Dutch Captain, and also a hot spring, which boils fish as completely as if done by a fire. Approaching to Van Diemens' Land, we had much bad weather, with snow and hail, but nothing was seen to indicate our vicinity to the coast on the 13th of August, except a seal, which appeared at the distance of twenty leagues from it. We anchored in Adventure Bay on Wednesday the 20th. In our passage hither from the Cape of Good Hope, the winds were chiefly from the westward, with very boisterous weather. The approach of strong southerly winds is announced by many birds of the albatross or peterel tribe, and the abatement of the gale, or a shift of wind to the northward, by their keeping away. The thermometer also varies five or six degrees in its height, when a change of these winds may be expected.

In the land surrounding Adventure Bay are many forest trees, one hundred and fifty feet high; we saw one which measured above thirty-three feet in girth; and it will give some idea of the strength of vegetation, that from some of the old stumps of trees cut down ten years before, I saw shoots twentyfive feet high, and fourteen inches in circumference. We observed several eagles, some beautiful blue plumaged herons, and parroquets in great variety.

The natives not appearing, we went in search of them towards Cape Frederic Henry. Soon after, coming to a grapnel close to the shore, (for it was impossible to land,) we heard their voices, like the cackling of geese, and twenty persons came out of the woods. We threw trinkets ashore, tied up in parcels, which they would not open out until I made an appearance of leaving them; they then did so, and taking the articles out, put them on their heads. On seeing this, I returned towards them, when they instantly put every thing out of their hands, and would not appear to take notice of any thing that we had given them. After throwing a few more beads and nails on shore, I made signs for them to go to the ship, and they, likewise, made signs for me to land; but as this could not be effected, I left them, in hopes of a nearer

intervrew at the watering place. On first coming in sight, they made a prodigious clattering in their speech, and held their arms over their heads. We recollected one man, whom we had formerly seen among the party of the natives that came to us in 1777, and who is particularised for his humour, in the account of Captain Cook's last voyage. They spoke so quick, that it was impossible to catch one single word they uttered. Their colour is of a dull black, their skin scarified about the breast and shoulders. One was distinguished by his body being coloured with red ochre, but all the others were painted black, with a kind of soot, so thick laid over their faces and shoulders, that it was difficult to ascertain what they were like. They ran very nimbly over the rocks, had very quick sight, and caught the small beads and nails, which I threw to them, with great dexterity. They talked to us sitting on their heels, with their knees close into their armpits, and were perfectly naked.

On Thursday, the 4th of September, we sailed out of Adventure Bay, steering first towards the east-south-east, and then to the northward of east, when, on the 19th, we came in sight of a cluster of small rocky islands, which I named Bounty Isles. Soon afterwards we frequently observed the sea, in

the night time, to be covered by luminous spots, caused by amazing quantities of small blubbers, or medusa, which emit a light, like the blaze of a candle, from the strings or filaments extending from them, while the rest of the body continues perfectly dark.

On Thursday the 9th, we had the misfortune to lose one of our seamen, James Valentine, who died in the night, of an asthmatic complaint. This poor man had been one of the most robust people on board, until our arrival at Adventure Bay, where he first complained of some slight indisposition, for which he was bled, and got better. Some time afterwards, the arm in which he had been bled, became painful and inflamed: the inflammation increased, with a hollow cough, and extreme difficulty of breathing to his death.

We discovered the island of Otaheite on the 25th of October, and before casting anchor next morning in Matavai Bay, such numbers of canoes came off, and, after the natives ascertained we were friends, so many of them had come on board, and crowded the deck, that in ten minutes I could scarcely find my own people. The whole distance which the ship had run, in direct and contrary courses, from the time of leaving England until reaching Otaheite, was twenty-seven thousand and -eighty-six miles, which, on an average, was