to the Atlantic Ocean, to return to England by whatever route he fhould think beft for the farther improvement of geography, Captain Gore demanded of the principal officers their fentiments, in writing, refpecting the manner in which thefe orders might moft effectually be obeyed. The refult of our opinions, which he had the fatisfaction to find unanimous, and entirely coinciding with his own, that the condition of the fhips, of the fails and cordage, made it unfafe to attempt, at fo advanced a feafon of the year, to navigate the fea between Japan and Afia, which would otherwife have afforded the largeft field for difcovery; that it was therefore advisable to keep to the eastward of that ifland, and in our way thither to run along the Kuriles, and examine more particularly the islands that lie nearest the northern coaft of Japan, which are reprefented as of a confiderable fize, and independent of the Ruffian and Japanese governments. Should we be fo fortunate as to find in thefe any fafe and commodious harbours, we conceived they might be of importance, either as places of fhelter for any future navigators, who may be employed in exploring thefe feas, or as the means of opening a commercial intercourfe among the neighbouring dominions of the two empires. Our next object was to furvey the coaft of the Japanese Iflands, and afterwards to make the coaft of China, as far to the northward as we were able, and run along it to Macao.

This plan being adopted, I received orders from Captain Gore, in cafe of feparation, to proceed iately to Macao; and, at fix o'clock in the the 9th of October, having cleared the vatika Bay, we fteered to the fouth

eaft,

eaft, with the wind north-weft and by weft. At midnight we had a dead calm, which continued till noon of the 10th. Being in foundings of fixty and seventy fathoms water, we employed our time very profitably in catching cod, which were exceedingly fine and plentiful; in the afternoon a breeze fprung up from the weft, with which we ftood along the coaft to the fouthward.

After experiencing very blowing weather and adverfe winds, which put us out of the courfe originally intended, at day-break of the 26th, we had the pleasure of defcrying high land to the weftward, which proved to be Japan.

We ftood on till nine, when we were within two leagues of the land, and faw the fmoke of several towns or villages, and many houfes near the fhore, in pleasant and cultivated fituations.

On the 29th, at nine o'clock, the wind fhifting to the fouthward, and the fky lowering, we tacked and stood off to the east, and foon after saw a veffel close in with the land, ftanding along the fhore to the northward; and another in the offing, coming down on us before the wind. Objects of any kind, belonging to a country fo famous, and yet fo little known, it will be eafily conceived, muft have excited a general curiofity, and accordingly every foul on board was upon deck, in an inftant, to gaze at them. As the veffel to windward approached us, the hauled farther off thore; upon which, fearing that we should alarm them by the appearance of a pursuit, we brought the fhips to, and the paffed ahead of us, at the diftance of about half a mile. It would have been eafy for us to have spoken with them; but perceiving by their manoeuvres, that they were much frightened, Captain Gore was not willing

to augment their terrors; and, thinking that we fhould have many better opportunities of communication with this people, fuffered them to go off without interruption.

At noon the wind freshened, and brought with it a good deal of rain; by three it had increased fo much, that the fea ran as high as any one on board ever remembered to have seen it.

At eight in the evening, the gale fhifted to the weft, without abating the leaft in violence, and, by raising a sudden fwell, in a contrary direction to that which prevailed before, occafioned the ships to ftrain and labour exceedingly. During the storm, several of the fails were split on board the Refolution.

From the 29th of October to the 5th of November, we continued our course to the southeaft, having very unfettled weather, attended with much lightning and rain. On both days we paffed great quantities of pumice ftone, feveral pieces of which we took up, and found to weigh from one ounce to three pounds. We conjectured that these ftones had been thrown into the sea by eruptions of various dates, as many of them were covered with barnacles, and others quite bare.

On the 15th, we saw three islands, and bore away for the fouth point of the largeft, upon which we observed a high barren hill, flattish at the top, and when feen from the west south-weft, presents an evident volcanic crater. The earth, rock, or fand, for it was not eafy to diftinguish of which its surface is compofed, exhibited various colours, and a confiderable part we conjectured to be fulphur, both from its appearance to the eye, and the strong fulphureous smell which we perceived, as we approached the point. Some of

the

the officers on board the Refolution, which paffed nearer the land, thought they faw fteams rifing from the top of the hill. From these circumftances, Captain Gore gave it the name of Sulphur Ifland.

Captain Gore now directed his courfe to the weft fouth-weft, for the Baihee Islands, hoping to procure at them such a supply of refreshments as would help to fhorten his stay at Macao; but unfortunately he overfhot them, from an inaccuracy in the chart to which he trufted.

In the forenoon of the 29th, we paffed feveral Chinese fishing boats, who eyed us with great indifference. Being now nearly in the latitude of the Lema Islands, we bore away weft by north, and, after running twenty-two miles, faw one of them nine or ten leagues to the weftward.

In the morning of the 30th, we ran along the Lema Ifles. At nine o'clock, a Chinese boat, which had been before with the Refolution, came along-fide, and wanted to put on board us a pilot, which, however, we declined, as it was our bufinefs to follow our confort.

We rejoiced to fee the Refolution foon after fire a gun, and hoift her colours as a fignal for a pilot. On repeating the fignal, we faw an excellent race between four Chinese boats; and Captain Gore, having engaged with the man, who arrived first, to carry the fhip to the Typa for thirty dollars, fent me word that as we could eafily follow, that expence might be faved to us. Soon after, a fecond pilot, getting on board the Refolution, infifted on conducting the fhip, and, without farther ceremony, laid hold of the wheel, and began to order the fails to be trimmed. This occafioned a violent difpute, which at laft was VOL. VII. Ff

com

compromised by agreeing to go fhares in the mo

ney.

In obedience to the inftructions given to Captain Cook by the Board of Admiralty, it now be came neceffary to demand of the officers and men their journals, and what other papers they might have in their poffeffion, relating to the hiftory of our voyage. The execution of these orders feemed to require fome delicacy as well as firmness. As foon, therefore, as I had affembled the fhip's company on deck, I acquainted them with the orders we had received, and the reafons which I thought ought to induce them to yield a ready obedience. At the fame time I told them, that any papers, which they were defirous not to have fent to the Admiralty, fhould be fealed up in their prefence, and kept in my own cuftody, till the intentions of the Board, with regard to the publication of the Hiftory of the Voyage, were fulfilled; after which, they fhould faithfully be reftored back to them.

It is with the greateft fatisfaction I can relate, that my propofals met with the approbation and the cheerful compliance both of the officers and men; and I am perfuaded that every fcrap of paper, containing any tranfactions relating to the voyage, were given up. Indeed, it is doing bare juftice to the feamen of this fhip to declare, that

were the most obedient, and the best difpofen I ever knew, though almoft all of them

nd had never before ferved in

to windward till fix in the ame to anchor on the 1ft of

In