CAPTAIN COOK r s SECOND VOYAGE. 6ot

he was now well fatisfied no continent was to be found in this ocean, but what mu ft liefo Far to the fouth as to be totally inacceffible on account of ice ; and that if one fhouldbe found in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, it would be necelfary to have the wholefummer before them to explore it.

They now fleered north, inclining to the eaft, and in the evening they were over-taken by a furious florin at wefl-fouth-wefl attended with fnow and fleet. It came fofuddenly upon them, that before they could take in their fails, two old top-fails, whichthey had bent to the yards, were blown to pieces, and the.other fails much damaged.

On the 20th of February, as they advanced to the north, they felt a tnoft fenfiblechange in the weather. They fleered weft-fouth-weft, which they thought the mollprobable direction to find land.

On the 25th, Captain Cook was taken ill of the bilious cholic, which was fo violentas to confine him to his bed; fo that the management of the fhip was left toMr. Cooper, the firfl: officer, who conduced her much to his fatisfadlion. It wasfeveral days before the tnoft dangerous fymptoins of his diforder were removed ; duringwhich time Mr. Patten, the furgeon, was to him not only a fkilful phyfician, but anaffectionate nurfe. When he began to recover, a favourite dog belonging to Mr.Torfter fell a facrifice to his tender ftomach. They had no other frefh meat whateveron board; and the captain could eat of this flefh, as well as broth made of it, whenhe could tafle nothing elfe. Thus he received nourifhment and ftrength from foodwhich would have made mofl people in Europe Tick; fo true it is, that neceffity isgoverned by no law.

At eight o’clock in the morning, on the 1 uh of March, land was feen from themart-head, bearing weft, about twelve leagues dillant. They now tacked and endea-voured to get into what appeared to be a bay, on the weft fide of the point, or fouth-cafl fide of the ifland ; but before this could be accompliffied, night came upon them,a nd they flood on and off, under the land, till the next morning. This is calledEafter Ifland, or Davis’s Land.

When getting round the point, and coming before a fandy beach, they found found-mgs thirty and forty fathoms, fandy ground, and about one mile from the fhore.Here a canoe, conducted by two men, came off. They brought with them a bunchof plantains, which they lent into the fhip by a rope, and then they returned afhore.ft his gave the captain a good opinion of thefe iflanders, and infpired them with hopes°f getting fome refreflnnents, of which they were in great want.

. ft hey continued to range along the coaft, till they opened the northern point of theffie. While the fhip was plying in, a native came on board. The firfl thing he didV’as to meafure the length of the fhip, by fathoming her from the taffarel to the ftem;^Hl as he counted the fathoms, they obferved that he called the numbers by the•* a me names that they do at Otaheite ; neverthelefs his language was nearly unin-telligible to all of them.

Having anchored too near the edge of the bank, a frefh breeze from the land,•'bout three o’clock the next morning, drove them oft' it; on which the captain went‘ffiiore, accompanied by fome of the gentlemen, to fee what the ifland was likely toa ffbrd. They landed at a fandy beach, where fome hundreds of the natives werea ffembled, and who were fo impatient to lee them, that many of them fwam oft’ toJtieet the boats. Not one of them had fo much as a flick or weapon of any fort in hislan d> After diflributing a few trinkets among!! them, they made figns for fomethingto eat; on which they brought down a few potatoes, plantains, and fugar-canes, andexchanged them for nails, looking-giufles, and pieces of cloth.

v OL. XI. 4 H

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