On Thursday the 3d of September, at five o’clock in the morning, we saw land bearing E.N.E. distant about five miles: in about half an hour we saw more land in the N.W. and at six, saw in the N.E. an Indian proa, such as is described in the account of Lord Anson’s voyage. Perceiving that she stood towards us, we hoisted Spanish colours; but when she came within about two miles of us, she tacked, and stood from us to the N.N.W. and in a short time was out of sight.

At eight o’clock, the islands which I judged to be two of the Piscadores, bore from S.W. by W. to W. and to windward, from N. by E. to N.E. and had the appearance of small flat keys. They were distant about three leagues; but many others, much farther off, were in sight. The latitude of one of those islands is 11° N. longitude 192° 30’ W.; and the other 11° 20’ N. longitude 192° 58’ W.

On the 7th, we saw a curlieu and a pewit, and on the 9th we caught a land-bird, very much resembling a starling.

On the 17th, we saw two gannets, and judged the island of Tinian to bear West, at about one and thirty leagues distance; our latitude being 15° N. and our longitude 212° 30’ W. At six o’clock, the next morning, we saw the island of Saypan, bearing W. by N. distant about ten leagues. In the afternoon, we saw Tinian, and made sail for the road; where, at nine o’clock in the morning, of Saturday the 19th, we came to an anchor in two and twenty fathom, sandy ground, at about a mile distant from the shore, and half a mile from the reef.

Voyaging Accounts