This small island is situated in 19° 31′ S. lat. 157° 19′ E. long.
We soon came in sight of the westernmost point of Guadal-canal.
On the 7th, about noon, we descried the largest of Hammond's islands, N. 4° W. to E. 6° N. at the distance of 5,130 toises, we being in 8° 49′ S. lat. 155° 9′ E. long. We now left this archipelago, and made sail for the northern coast of Louisiade.
The survey which we had taken of the Arsacides, left us no room to doubt of their being the archipelago of Solomon, discovered by Mendana; as had been supposed upon the same grounds by Citizen Fleurieu, in his excellent work upon the discoveries of the French.
On the 9th, the Esperance informed us of the death of an unfortunate man of her crew (Mahol), who had been wounded in the forehead, seventeen days before, by an arrow from one of the savages of the island Sainte Croix. The wound, however, had cicatrized very well, and, for fourteen days, the man had felt no troublesome symptom whatever; when he was suddenly attacked with a violent tetanas, under which he expired in three days time.
Many of our company supposed that the arrow with which he was wounded had been poisoned;but
