At three o’clock in the afternoon we weighed, and stood over from St. Christina for La Dominica, in order to take a view of the west side of that isle; but, as it was dark before we reached it, the night was spent in plying between the two isles. The next morning we had a full view of the south-west point, from which the coast trended north-east, so that it was not probable we should find good anchorage on that side, as being exposed to the easterly winds. We had now but little wind, and that very variable, with showers of rain. At length we got a breeze at east north-east, with which we steered to the south. At five o’clock in the afternoon, Resolution Bay bore E. N. E. 1/2 E. distant five leagues, and the island Magdalena south-east about nine leagues, distant. This was the only sight we had of this isle. From hence I steered S. S. W. 1/2 W. for Otaheite, with a view of falling in with some of those isles discovered by former navigators, especially those discovered by the Dutch, whose situations are not well determined. But it will be necessary to return to the Marquesas; which were, as I have already observed, first discovered by Mendana, a Spaniard, and from him obtained the general name they now bear, as well as those of the different isles. The nautical account of them, in Mr. Dalrymple’s Collection of Voyages to the South Seas[5], is deficient in nothing but situation. This was my chief reason for touching at them: the settling this point is the more useful, as it will, in a great measure, fix the situations of Mendana’s other discoveries.