VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS.
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at a ſmall diſtance, to give it the appearance of being divided by a channel of the ſea. Near the Weſt part of the iſle in a ſmall bay was a part of the wreck of a ſhip, that appeared to have been but lately caſt away, as a whole wale plank was found undecayed. On ſome of the ſmall iſles in this bay, were the largeſt prickly pear-trees I had ever ſeen.
After weighing from Stephen's bay, it was with great difficulty we cleared it by night, from the light, variable winds and torrents of rain. When we had got well out, we hove to for day-light, and then made ſail for an inlet which bore from our anchoring birth, Weſt by South, to Weſt by North. By noon of the next day, we ſaw many more iſles and iſlets to the North and Weſtward of us: and at ſun-ſet, we ſaw breakers a long way to the Northward and Weſtward of Lord Hood's iſle. Our Latitude at Noon was 0° 31′ 51″ South. We now ſhortened ſail and ſtood on and off for the night. The next day we found ourſelves ſet conſiderably to the Southward and Weſtward; and in ſight of Charles Iſle, ſo named by the Buccaneers. March 20.At noon our Latitude was 1° 28′ 13″ South; the extremes of Charles Iſle bearing from Weſt 6° North, to Weſt 29° North. In the early part of the evening we got cloſe in with the South end of the iſland: we then ſhortened ſail, and ſtood off and on