Nothing worthy of notice happened till Monday the 24th, when, about ten o’clock in the morning, we discovered another island, bearing S.S.W. distant about seven or eight leagues: we steered for it, and found it to be low, but covered with wood, among which were cocoa-nut trees in great abundance. It had a pleasant appearance, and a large lake in the middle, like King George’s Island: it is near thirty miles in circumference, a dreadful sea breaks upon almost every part of the coast, and a great deal of foul ground lies about it. We sailed quite round it, and when we were on the lee-side, sent out boats to sound, in hopes of finding anchorage: no soundings, however, were to be got near the shore, but I sent the boats out a second time, with orders to land, if it were possible, and procure some refreshments for the sick: they landed with great difficulty, and brought off about two hundred cocoa-nuts, which, to persons in our circumstances, were an inestimable treasure. The people who were on shore, reported that there were no signs of its having ever been inhabited, but that they found thousands of sea fowl sitting upon their nests, which were built in high trees: these birds were so tame that they suffered themselves to be knocked down without leaving their nests: the ground was covered with land crabs, but our people saw no other animal. At first I was inclined to believe

Voyaging Accounts