Saturday, 20th January, 1872. Brig at anchor off a beach on N.W. coast of Espiritu Santo. Both boats assure trading for yams of which there was a great abundance, though of last season's crop, but they were in a good state of preservation on account of their having been coated with lime and kept hung up in a dry place. In the afternoon, got under weigh and stood along the coast to the north with a very light breeze which freshened during the night.

Sunday, 21st  Santa Maria, Vanua Lava, Uruparapara and other islands of Banks group in sight. Dead calm at day and very hot. Caught a shark. St. Bartholomew men would not eat it.

Monday 22nd To the North of Uruparapara. Light southerly wind. Three islands of Torres Group in sight. Passed between the two most southerly ones. Very nearly drifted ashore on one of them. Sent the boat ashore to trade as a number of natives were on the beach gesticulating and holding up green branches. When the boat was close enough, the natives on shore fired a volley of arrows into her, wounding one of the boat's crew (a Tanna man) in the arms. It very fortunately turned out to be a fish arrow instead of a poisoned one. The fire was returned from the boat after she had pulled out a little, but those ashore were not at all intimidated as they stood and yelled and danced, while those in the boat fired away two tins of powder amongst them. A light breeze sprang up in the afternoon.

Tuesday 23rd Western side of Northernmost Island in Torres group in sight, and the schooner Daphne standing. Breeze light. Missed a St. Bartholomew's man (supposed to have fallen overboard in the night).

Wednesday 24th Off Eastern side of "Vanikoro" {Vanikolo}. Wind NW. Two canoes coming off. Schooner in sight {Daphne?}. Heavy squall with much rain came on suddenly and drove us four miles out to sea. Saw no more of canoes or schooners. Tremendous surf in the reef which runs along the west side of the island. Here, La Perouse met his fate and a more sombre, miserable, black looking place it is for South Sea Island. Towards the middle of the day wind shifted round to the west and in the evening to NW. Much rain, and blowing hard. Reefed both top sails and double reefed trysail.

Thursday 25th Still blowing from NW and wet, heavy sea running. Toward afternoon wind moderated to a nice stiff breeze. In the evening carried all sail.

Friday 26th Running with very heavy squalls from N.W. Reefed both topsails and trysail, but like yesterday it moderated in the evening and we carried all sail.

Saturday 27th On the starboard tack since 6 am. Blowing rain from N.W. Topsails and Trysail reefed, a number of whale birds in sight. At 10 am, wore ship, and double reefed fore topsail in a heavy squall from the West. In evening, wind moderated and we carried all lower sails. {We saved a great deal of rain water this day and the two preceeding ones}.      

Sunday 28th Fine stiff breeze from NW. No rain. Sailed over supposed position of "Jesus Island".

Monday 29th Still a fine breeze. No rain. Late in evening loosed Main top gallant sail, and shook reefs out of both topsails.

Tuesday 30th Very light breeze, no rain. In the evening wind freshened and shifted to the East.

Thursday Feb 1st Light Easterly breeze. On the look out for land. At 9.1/2 pm reefed topsails in a heavy squall. When squall cleared away, saw lights on the lee bow. Braced sharp up.

Friday 2nd Fresh Easterly breeze. Very low land in sight on the weather beam. About 12 saw land on the lee bow. Bore away for it. Very low land thickly wooded with coconuts. Hove to. Several canoes came off in one of which was a white man who had been several years on the island. A long reef runs out from the N point of the island -- Clark's {Onatoa Atoll}. Stood out to sea at night and laid off and on till 2 am when we stood on to the North.

Saturday 3rd 6 am. Land in sight from Mast head on weather bow. Braced up and stood for it. Anchored about 2.1/2 miles from shore after having sailed round a reef known on the Charts as the 'Nautilus Shoal' {Tabiteuea Atoll}. Natives came off in most beautiful canoes, made of planks sewed together with sinnet. Traded freely, mats, sinnet, baskets, shells, endage, & for tobacco. No other trade of use. They make their own pipes of hardwood, and are stark naked except the women who wear a short grass 'liku'. Boat went ashore and brought off a woman and a man to look after her.

Sunday 4th Got under weigh and stood in 2.1/2 miles closer. Let go in 7 fathoms. A great many canoes came off. Many natives remained aboard during the day trading for tobacco. 1 good mat for a small piece of villanous tobacco with 6d per pound. Bought several copper bolts from natives and had the puggery taken off my hat while on my head - 8 men 4 women.

Monday 5th Several canoes which had apparently been fishing all night came alongside to sell fish, of which they had a great quantity (flying fish_. After buying what they had, prevailed on 5 men and a boy to remain aboard. Saw a sail in the distance - Drummond's {Tabiteuea Atoll}. Got underweight and anchored at another island about 20 miles aft - Sydenham {Nonouti Atoll}. Great number of well built houses on the beach. White man came off and took tea with us. Schooner supposed to be the one seen yesterday anchored about half a mile from us.

Tuesday 6th Schooner got under weight and ran out under our stern with a fine stiff breeze. Sent boat ashore and she quickly was filled with coconuts & mats, for tobacco. Boat went back again but brought nothing - (Only one canoe visited us that day and she did not stop long and brought nothing to sell).

Wednesday 7th Got under weigh and stood round the Eastern side of the island, and in the afternoon sighted another island {Woodville}, 4 miles north of the Equator. Too late to find an anchorage, so stood off and on all night in close proximity to another island - Corea (?){Kuria}.

Thursday 8th Saw natives on the beach, also very curious little houses built on piles about 10 feet from the ground, just like big pigeon boxes. A native beckoned us to send the boat ashore. Did not do so {though we ought}. White sandy beach. Long but deep shoal jutting out from West Side of Island. 5 or 6 fathoms of water. Foul bottom (?). Came to an anchor at another Island called Maiana {Hall's Island}. One came off with 4 immense men in it. Sold us some coconuts & hats. Boat went ashore after tea and brought off some more coconuts.

Friday 9th Same canoe came off again early in the morning with coconuts. Afterwards a man & wife, and an old man and his daughter, and 6 young men came off and remained aboard. Old man cried and would not go ashore. In afternoon got under weigh (17 fathoms) and stood out. Old man sea sick. Got close under an island - Tarawa {Knox/Knoy's Island}. Reefed topsails and laid off and on all night--

Saturday 10th Came to an anchor about a mile from shore. Captains boat went ashore. Plenty fine houses but all deserted. No coconuts on trees; an old long boat lying on the beach. Got under weigh again and sailed along the coast. Got in amongst a lot of shoals. Grounded one one, scraped over and let go in 4.1/2 fathoms.

Sunday 11th Almost calm. Laid at anchor at low water. Several shoals on both sides of us were bare, (tide must have a rise and fall of 11 feet). Natives tried to catch fish with pork for bait --

Monday 12th At daylight boat went ashore and bought a load of nuts and molasses (tika maimai) and fish. Hove up anchor, and backed out from amongst the shoals with a light breeze off the land. Stood to the Northward --

Tuesday 13th Wind changed during the night to a light but fair breeze from S.W. Sighted Pitts Is. {Makin/Butaritari}.

Wednesday 14th Fair Wind. Course N & W. Heavy rain during the Night --

Thursday 15th Close to a small island - Mulgrave's {Mili/Mille}. Tremendous tide up. Several most wonderful canoes came off full of men and women, like the pictures one sees of "Tartars". Some of the men were tatooed all over the body. 10 very fine guys or stays to the mast of each canoe. Very fine coloured mats round the loins of several. The others had immense likus of stained "vau". They wear their hair which is straight and fine, tied in a knot on top of their head. 6 men 1 boy and 1 woman remained on board by the request of the Dr.

Friday 16th Running to the West under fore sail and two topsails. Plenty rain. Brig rolling much. Made an island at 1 pm - Elizabeth {Jaluit/Bonham Island}. Ran round one side of it. 2 canoes came off with some natives who wore shoes & spoke a few words of English. Seemed to belong to the same race as those of Mulgraves, but much more civilized. Some of the old ones as at Mulgraves had the lobes of their ears distended to such an immense length that they wore the loop so formed over the top of their ears to keep it out of the road. Island seemed to consist of an immense circular reef with occasional canoe openings and Islets upon it. Inside, the water seemed calm and smooth. One half caste boy (?) in canoe got several immense halawas about 15 lbs in weight, each which the Kingsmill men were glad to get to eat.

Saturday 17th Morning broke after an awful wet and squally night (during 7 hours of which the brig was lying close to, close-hauled under reefed fore and main topsails, as she rolled so much before the wind-) Catching plenty rainwater. Plenty sea birds flying wildly about. The first sun for some time. Still running to the Westward.

Sunday 18th Rain all gone, breeze moderate, fine bright sunshiny day. Running to the West under all sail (except trysail etc.). In the evening it rained again. Passed supposed position of Hope Island (?). During he night Brig rolled boat "in the davitts" into the water, and as far down on the other side.

Monday 19th Dull morning. Running to the West. A very heavy rain shower after breakfast, in which I had a capital fresh water bathe, and washed clothes. Dull sky with frequent rain squalls during the day and at night. At 2 am braced sharp up under reefed topsails and waited for daylight --

Tuesday 20th Running to the Westd. At 9.1/2 am mist cleared away, and we saw high land on the Weather beam to the Northd. Braced sharp up (on the Starboard tack) and stood in for it. Plenty rain, not much wind. Strongs Island, the most easternmost Isle of the Carolines 2 "takeas" came off with men who looked like Malays, wore clothes & spoke English. Showed us a good anchorage which the Captain reconnoitred to the boat, but it was so late that we did not join that night and stood off  and on (Ualan native name) ---

Wednesday 21st About 8 miles off the land, and not a breath of wind, no rain and very hot. After 10 am rain squalls followed by glimpses of sunshine. Let go everything in a whirlwind but it passed astern, carrying away nothing but the mainstay sail. Further off at night than in the morning. Tremendous rain squalls in the night. Reefed both topsails. Laid off and on.

Thursday 22nd Stood in shore. 3 small canoes came off, one man piloting us in, but after getting inside got no bottom at 17 fathoms. Both boats out and pulled her head around. Made more sail and stood out again, very nearly ashore. Tried it again and succeeded in getting in all right, and letting go in 17 fathoms, stern close to horses heads when swung by tide. Much rain. Boat went ashore and fetched off some very large pigs, and coconuts. Saw several sharks. Caught one. Kingsmill men cut him up into small pieces and eat him, the liver being reserved as an especial delicacy till afterwards, when it was cut up and a piece given to each man by the chief. Heard that a vessel had taken away a lot of men who got drifted here, and their canoes from "Bonham" some 600 miles away. This was verified by seeing loss of Marshals Group manufactured mats amongst the natives, and one of the 8 canoes stranded on the beach, dismantled. Houses with roofs turned up at the end, and illegable hierogliphics painted on the ends. Like the pictures of Chinese houses. Raining still --

Friday 23rd Both boats ashore trading for pigs, coconuts & taro. Saw no yams. Raining still - one of the King's sons came in a whale boat and wished the Captain to go round to the weather side of the Island and buy some cattle.

Saturday 24th No rain until 11 am. White men came in canoe from other side of Island with a Fiji man whom we recognised as one of the Daphne's boats crew. White man said he came to the island 6 years before in a Fiji Schooner with his wife, A Fiji native. He wished a passage back to Fiji for himself. Wife, children & an esquimaux bitch which he had brought from the Arctic where he had been for 2 seasons in whalers, one of which had called at the island, and aboard of which he had shipped as cooper, wife remaining on the island during his absence. Boats ashore trading coconuts & pigs. Trade cloth and soap only --

Sunday 25th At anchor all day. Very hot. Went up a river in the boat and had a bathe & filled the boat with coconuts, which the Tanna men climbed for. Saw several stone with overgrown with vegetation of all sorts, also deserted house in which we took shelter during a very heavy rain shower.

Monday 26th Hot 2 boatloads of stones for ballast. Other boat getting water. Crew bought several mats (which had come from Bonham?) off the natives.

Tuesday 27th Got a line on some rocks and made sail, with a whale boat belonging to the King's son towing ahead, and got out of the narrow harbour with some little difficulty increased by the confusion of catching some Marshalls men who jumped overboard, and tried to swim ashore.

Wednesday 28th A Little rain. Hove to off McAskills Island {Pingelap}. Boat went ashore and got some coconuts very cheap for tobacco. One white man was on the island and he said there had been an attack made on some natives by a schooner 2 days before, who had either killed or taken one away. Girls very shy in consequence.

Friday March 1st Fine breeze. All sail, rain showers, sighted land in the afternoon - Ascention {Ponape/Pohnpei}. 2 whale boats and one canoe came off with two whites and a Maori, who all 3 stopped aboard that night. Laid off and on, equally.

Saturday March 2nd Ran into the harbour, being piloted by one of the white men who had been over 20 years on the island. Anchored, and were soon surrounded by canoes full of girls of all ages from 10 to 20, gaudily dressed and splendidly tattooed all over their legs from their ankles upwards to where? Also their arms & hands as far up as the elbow. Skins rubbed with turmeric, a great deal of which is used on the Island, both in cooking and for dying their cloth. Everything smells of it. I went up a river in a small canoe with one native who took me to his house, and shewed me several beauties of the district who resided in his house and the adjoining ones, and in consideration of a large knife as a bonus to him in the first place, I was rewarded with the use of his youngest daughter while the vessel remained at the Island. The Shenandoah sunk several whalers here, and we were anchored just over the remains of one. 2 arctic ones had been here a week or so ago (no more expected as 33 had been abandoned in the ice last season).

Sunday 3rd Rained all day. Capt ashore, all hands enjoying themselves. Plenty intoxicating liquor, which the natives dilute from coconut toddy.

Monday 4th Capt returned. Yams commenced to come aboard. Natives had been digging them all Sunday very coarse looking yams.

Tuesday 5th Light breeze. Favorable for getting out but waiting for yams. Warm. In the afternoon I went up in a canoe to a Sumatra Man's house where I stopped all night hearing most strange stories from several Malays that were there. The host gave a Walrus tusk, and wished to give me an "Epitome" for 1860 (Noreie's) which I declined. He treated me like a king in every way. Splendid 'Kava' on this Island. Natives eat dogs.

Wednesday 6th The Sumatra man and a Manilla man then took me in a small canoe and shewed me some most wonderful ruins. High walls & 4 dungeons of stone. No traditions that he knew of as to how they came there. After I got back to the Brig, I found that the steward had bolted during the night and 8 women with him. He took several articles belonging to the crew &c. &c. Heavy rain from 12 am to 12 pm. Slept ashore in a 2 story {sic} wooden house which had been occupied by a man called Capt Pease formerly who was taken for piracy &c &c.

Thursday 7th Calm. Pilot not off. Got boats out and towed vessel out to sea, when light breeze sprung up and we got well away with a freshening breeze to the vicinity of a small double Island. 2 canoes came off with sugar cane etc. We left the island in the night --

Friday 8th Strong breeze. Reefed topsails at 4 am. Wind moderated towards afternoon. On the look out for a large reef laid down on the charts but which we did not see.

Saturday 9th Running to the Westd with a nice moderate breeze. Passed small uninhabited Island (------) Immense number of birds on it, and a reef running off from the shore on one side.

Sunday 10th Running to the Westd. Rain squalls. This day 1 year ago I landed in Levuka. Bad luck ever since.

Monday 11th Running to the Westd. In the afternoon got close to some small Islands -- Hall's Group. Very long reef. 2 canoes came off very similar to the Marshall's canoes. But with only one guy instead of 10. Very deep keels, one carried a smaller canoe on deck as a dingy. A house like a large beehive on the opposite side to the 'cama', otherwise both men and canoes very much resembled those of Marshall's, and were Chinese hats, and a sort of poncho of native cloth woven by them selves. They wore something like ebony in their ears, and for necklaces--only two came on deck.

Tuesday 12th 6 am. Black rain squalls. Stood to the southwd and afterward changed the course to the Westd when we came to an awful long reef in the form of a circle and about 60 miles in circumference. Lots of little Islets of coral formation on the reef, and 6 or 7 big Volcanic islands like Mologai and Naigau inside the Lagoon. Skirted the reef round toward the Westd. Passed a large piece of white looking drift wood like American pine floating to windward, and saw & tremendous canoes standing out for us inside the reef. They could not get over the reef so we saw no more of them, but stood on and laid off and on in a large bight in the West side of the reef still morning.

Wednesday 13th Fine morning. 4 large canoes fishing on the reef. These islands are known as Haugelas {Hogolu/Truk Islands} and the natives are said to be very civilized. But hostile. No whites have ever lived on any of them.

Thursday 14th Port tack heading for Fiji stiff breeze. Land on Port quarter in the distance.

Friday 15th Several small islands ahead seemed to have a circular reef right round them, with the exception of one or two that stood on the reef its self. 2 canoes came off. Natives. Cloth Hats, ornaments & colour similar to those of Hall's Group. Canoes painted red above water and black beneath. Hasamy's Group {Namoluk Islands}. Cloth dyed with turmeric (?).

Saturday 16th In the morning off Mortlocks Group. Natives like those of yesterday. Some of them spoke a little English. Noticed a piece X of American Pine in the planking of one of the canoes. It had evidently been cut out of some piece of drift wood. No rain. Stiff breeze. Heading for New Ireland. 

Sunday 17th Warm. In the Doldrums. Brig rolling, in afternoon heavy squalls rain. Reefed topsails.

Monday 18th Dull. Very light breeze. Plenty fish, and blubbers knocking about. Saw 2 sharks. Caught one. The next one broke the line and carried off our hook. Towards noon a rain squall then a fair Northly Breeze. Running to the South? Rained in the night --

Tuesday 19th In the morning a large square rigged vessel on the starboard tack. She passed close by but showed no colours. Seemed to have had bad weather as here starboard bulwarks were smashed. We supposed that she was a Dutch Barque bound to China. The crew wore red shirts. Nice light East wind. No rain during day. At night rain Wind came up from South.

Wednesday 20th Close hauled heading for 'New Guinea'. Wind S.

Thursday 21st Light breeze from north. Cloudy on Equator.

Friday 22nd Calm. Several sharks astern. Capt caught one with the hook off styleards, and a bowline. The next one carried off the hook. They still stopped alongside. Very light Northerly wind. Warm. At night a very heavy shower of rain then a strong Westerly Wind. Reefed both topsails.

Saturday 23rd Light West? Wind. Warm. Murky sky. During night wind increased much. Reefed both topsails.

Sunday 24th Strong NW wind. Murky sky. Land on lee bow towards afternoon. Got close under it by sundown -- Sanfrancisco Island {Mahur}. Saw several canoes coming off, but only one reached us before dark, an outrigger 6 powerful men in it, with short woolly hair reddened with some pigment. Black skins and teeth (result of the beetlenut). As it was getting dark and it was pretty rough they went ashore after having given us to understand that they wanted {to} come off again on the morrow with yams and (by signs). At 11 pm while standing off the land a terrific squall from the Westwd caught on and raged for more than an hour and the try sail boom got adrift, but thanks to the coolness of Saul, the mate, without doing any serious damage. This is a most curious Island. The coconut trees grow up on the hills and ledges of rocks. The shore is all undermined by the sea and it looks just like a big mushroom sticking out of the water. Two similar islands to the southward. San Joseph (San Jose) & San Antonio {Mali} are within a mile or two of each other, and a bit Island like Tanna at the Back of them to the South West.  

Monday 25th Unable to stand in to trade as it was very squally and thick. Laid on and off. Current from SW seemed to drift us towards the NE. Caught eight of the Islands several times during the day through the mist. Much rain filled both casks on deck.

Tuesday 26th Squally. Got under the lee of the second small island. One canoe like a whale boat came off with 21 men in it. It was of planking sewed together with some sort of bark, and stuff resembling pitch run into the seams. The men sat on moveable thwarts and paddled with long pointed paddles like the Solomon Islanders have. Several smaller outrigger ones put off but could not reach us on account of the sea that was on. At dinner time It came on as bad as before and we thought it was going to last, but in the afternoon it moderated sufficiently for a large outrigger canoe (the outrigger was almost as long as the canoe it self) to get out to us from the most Southerly small Isle which was the largest of the three. Seven men were in her. In the evening running to the Eastd under Reefed main topsail, Foresail, and reefed Fore topsail. Raining. New Ireland.

Wednesday 27th Running to the Eastd. Several small islands in sight - Fead's Islands, and Goodman's Isle into which we were standing along a long reef when at 12 am a terrific squall with much rain from the Westd caught us, and & we were forced to run before it. Topsails down on the caps, sheets eased up, but smooth water under the lee of the reef. It lasted about half an hour. The wind then changed to the S.W. but in the evening wind was again from the West. Much rain. Running under double reefed squalls. A Mills man caught a large Booby on the jib-boom.

Thursday 28th Much rain. Wind moderated a little. Still running before it. In the afternoon wind was moderated down to a light 3 knot breeze from S.W.

Friday 29th Raining. Very little wind. A very handsome young Mortlock man died suddenly about 9 am. He had been suffering from a cold in his chest. His friends cut his pigtail off, and Bill rolled him up in mats & a blanket with a large stone at his feet, and he was then hove overboard. In the afternoon moderate West Wind with drizzling rain. Course by Compass E & S. Drizzly all night.

Saturday 30th Splendid Westly Wind. All sail set. Doctor very sick and foolish. Caught another booby. Had a heavy rain squall at 10 minutes past 2 am (31st).

Sunday 31st Splendid WNW wind. Going well. Kingfisher lit on fore yard. Rain at night but not very much.

Monday April 1st Wind W & N. Going middling. Showery in the daytime and rain nearly all night.

Tuesday 2nd In the morning light NW wind which increased till 2 pm, when it died away to almost a calm. After tea the Doctor made a rush on deck, tomahawk in hand, and threw himself into the sea over the quarter, and tried to swim away from the ship. Saul cut the lashings of the boat and he, scotty and Jim, and 2 Tanna men quickly pulled after him, and just succeeded in catching him before he sank. He was nearly choked with salt water. I kept awake all night lest he should try it again. 

Wednesday 3rd In the morning very light westerly wind. Warm. Shortly after dinner the wind came up strong from SSW with rain.

Thurday 4th Just as day light broke a whirlwind came along astern of us and nearly came aboard. It passed close to us. After which we had a strong WNW wind. Brig going her best. Warm, no rain.

Friday 5th Good NW wind until 3 pm when it changed to NE. Warm with cloudy sky without rain. Same longitude as Tanna. Doctor very restless and noisy all night.

Saturday 6th Light wind. Going slowly. Warm. Longitude 171.1/2 East. after sundown wind died away and black clouds came up at 8 pm from NE & S from which we had a continual series of showers from different quarters. The rest of the night crawling to the East.

Sunday 7th In the morning land birds in sight but murky horizon, so we saw no land. Though the captain said there was one on the chart. Saw a large square rigged vessel at noon, and in the afternoon saw another which we met and sent the boat aboard of just before sundown. She was a French Bark. (St. Augustin?) bound to 'Hong Kong' with coal. Captain gave us a lot of coal, 2 bottles of rum & some rice. He refused payment, so our cap' sent aboard for a large Ascention pig which he made the French Man a present of. He said we were the 4th vessel he had sighted since daylight, and said he had had no rain the previous night but could see there was something up to the Northd. He advised us to not go any further to the South as he had just lost the SE Trades 2 days before. Calm all night.

Monday 8th Very light breeze. Crawling to the Eastd. Wind kept shifting about during the day, but the centre of what there was, was about NW. Rained at night time.

Tuesday 9th Light NW wind. The night warm. Rain.

Wednesday 10th NE wind. Warm. Doctor in a terrible state. Lying amongst the natives whom he got to drench him with buckets of salt water, when the cap' was below eating. Nothing. Mind wandering very much. Tanna man caught booby on top gallant yard.

Thursday 11th In the morning fresh NE wind. Warm. 4.1/2 Knots. Then almost calm all the afternoon and most part of night.

Friday 12th Good fresh breeze. Going well all day. Passed 'Rotumah' in the night when breeze grew very light --

Saturday 13th Fresh Breeze again. A slight shower of rain after breakfast. Painting Ship. Light Breeze. Going to the South.

Sunday 14th Warm. Light North. Wind going {to} the South. Kept a look out all afternoon for Hunters {Kili} Island (?).

Monday 15th Warm. Light Northly Wind going to the Southd slowly. On the Fiji Chart at last. At 11 am a tremendous spout formed on the Lee Beam and lasted 20 minutes. Luffed up 2 points, and it passed astern & broke. It was a most wonderful sight. Light breeze all the afternoon and night which was fine. Natives caught a boatswain bird.

Tuesday 16th Several of the 'Yassawas' in sight on the port bow. Light Northly Wind after sundown. Rain & Wind from NW. till 8 pm when it changed into a light N Wind with drizzling rain, till midnight when it cleared up and we had a fine night, the wind having freshened.

Wednesday 17th Westerly Wind. With much rain, and thunder. Viti Levu in sight on the Port beam. Passed between Benga {Mbenga} and Kantoi {Kandavu?} sighting 'Vatu Lele' close, and the Flying Fish shoal. After we cleared the 'Rewa' the wind drifted to the Southard following us right round. But died away towards morning of 18th.

Thursday 18th Under 'Agau' {Ngau} Batjoke {Batiki} Nairau {Nairai}. Ovalau &c. all in sight. Calm with light puffs found mostly from NE (?) at 4 pm. Pilot came aboard and we went in at the Wai Tobi passage letting go just inside the passage as there was no wind to carry us farther.