Aug 10, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Aug 12, 1792
Revised Sep 16 2021
[The bearings and distances of the various islands were placed in a separate column on this page, giving me an excuse to omit them.]
1 pm: Fresh Breezes and dark cloudy Weather
4 pm: Dark cloudy Weather
6 pm: Distant 3 Leagues from No 2
9 pm: small rain
12 mid: Thick rainy Weather shortened Sail for the Assistant
4 am: Squally – In 1st Reefs of Fore and Mizen topsails
6 am: Out reefs – Land seen from NWbW to NbyE – ½ past 6 Bore away – Set Studding sails
9 am: Washed below and aired with Fires – A Cask of Spruce Beer broached as before – People washing and mending their Clothes
12 noon: Distant at Noon from No 3 4 or 5 Leagues – A small Island between us and
the Shore – Squally Weather with heavy rain
Assistant in Company
No 2 is a large Island and if the Land seen to the Westward called No 3 is a Continuation of it, it must be at least [blank] Leagues in Circumference – Off the 4th key to the NW is a reef extending [blank] or [blank] Miles from it – On one of these Keys, I think No 4, we saw Smoke a sure Sign of Inhabitants and on the Neck which runs out to the Westward are Abundance of Cocoa nuts, but in general the Island has a barren Appearance. the NE Point will be in Latitude [blank] and Longitude [blank] East by the Lunar
The South Western Extremity of No 3 is terminated by a remarkable high Mountain which can be seen at an immense Distance and is in Latitude [blank] and Longitude [blank] East
In speaking of these Islands in general, our Account will certainly be very favourable. I make no Doubt
but what I have said of Island V might with little Variation be applied to the whole had we seen them
sufficiently – the Inhabitants of A which were the only Indians that came near the Ship, were
stout and of the Middling Size. they were remarkable in having the first joints of the little Finger
cut off; one had lost the second joint of one of his Fingers and another only the first Joint on one
Hand. it is most probable they are cut off at the Death of their Friends as is practiced by some other
Indian Nations. One of them had ye Lobes of his Ears perforated and stretched so much that a Man might
put his Hand thro'. they expressed some Curiosity and when they were shown the Bread fruit Plants and some
other things they said "Me'boo" signifying I suppose that they had such on shore
Aug 10, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Aug 12, 1792