The north and south islands appeared to us as single mountains of a considerable height; the former peaked, and of a conical shape; the latter more square and flat at the top. Sulphur Island we place in latitude 24° 48', longitude 141° 12'. The north island in latitude 25° 14', longitude 141° 10'. The south island in latitude 24° 22', and longitude 141° 26'. The variation observed was 3° 30' E.
Captain Gore now directed his course to the W.S.W., for the Bashee Islands, hoping to procure, at them, such a supply of refreshments as would help to shorten his stay in Macao. These islands were visited by Dampier, who gives a very favourable account, both of the civility of the inhabitants, and of the plenty of hogs and vegetables, with, which the country abounds; they were afterwards seen by Byron and Wallis, who passed them without landing.
In order to extend our view, in the day-time, the ships spread between two and three leagues from each other, and during the night, we went under an easy sail; so that it was scarcely possible to pass any land that lay in the neighbourhood of our course. In this manner we proceeded, without any occurrence worth remarking, with a fresh breeze from the N.E., till the 22d, when it increased to a strong gale, with violent squalls of wind and rain, which brought us under close-reefed top-sails.
At noon of the 23d, the latitude, by account, was 21° 5', and longitude 123° 20'; at six in the evening, being now only twenty-one leagues from the Bashee Islands, according to the situation in Mr Dalrymple's map, and the weather squally attended with a thick haze, we hauled our wind to the N.N.W., and handed the fore top-sail.
During the whole of the 24th it rained incessantly, and the wind still blew a storm; a heavy sea rolled down on us from the north, and in the afternoon we had violent flashes of lightning from the same quarter. We continued upon a wind to the N.N.W. till nine o'clock, when we tacked, and stood to the S.S.E., till four in the morning of the 25th, and then wore. During the night there was an eclipse of the moon, but the rain prevented our making any observation; unfortunately, at the time of the greatest darkness, a seaman, in stowing the main-top-mast stay-sail, fell overboard, but laying hold of a rope, which providentially was hanging out of the fore-chains into the water, and the ship being quickly brought in the wind, he was got on board without any other hurt than a slight bruise on his shoulder. At eight, the weather clearing, we bore away but the wind blew still so strong, that we carried no other sail than the fore-sail, and the main-top- sail close-reefed. About this time we saw a land-bird resembling a thrush, and a sugar-cane; at noon, the latitude, by observation, was 21° 35', and longitude 121° 35'.