Having got the cutter repaired, and the supplies of wood and water completed, the Captain, after inscribing on a large tree at the watering place, the ship's name, date, &c., took leave of this kind and good natured people, and prepared to sail in the morning of the 13th. As Mr. Gilbert thought he saw the N.W. end of the island, Capt. Cook proposed to go round that end, and examine the opposite coast of New Caledonia. Accordingly, after getting outside the reef, on tuesday morning, he steered toward the N.W.; but it soon appeared, that the island extended in that direction beyond what Mr. Gilbert had observed; shoals and sandy isles were also seen to abound toward that extremity of the country; and while there appeared no good channel to pass through the reef, the latter was found to diverge widely from the island; so that, in following its course, the Resolution was, on thursday, far out of sight of land. Upon this, our navigator, not knowing how far this circuitous route might lead him from the present object of research, altered his plan, and returned to follow the coast of New Caledonia towards the S.E., as originally intended. In retracing his course on thursday afternoon, he was in danger of being driven against the reef by a tremendous swell, during an interval of calm; but a light breeze, aided by a favourable current, soon carried the ship into the open sea.
On saturday, the 17th, he was opposite his late anchorage at Observatory Isle. Proceeding in his course towards the S.E., he stood in for the coast, on tuesday, the 20th, to get a nearer view of it; and observed that the country had much the same appearance as at Balade. He again stood off;
