The journal of the voyage to the Fijis, kept by him, was given to the Peabody Museum of Salem by his children and is now printed for the first time by the kind permission of the Museum authorities who have also supplied valuable material to illustrate the volume. Accompanying the journal was a log book, kept during the voyage, from which additional information has been abstracted and is included among the footnotes. Mr. Israel O. Endicott, a son of William Endicott, has obligingly furnished biographical information. Thanks are also due to Mr. Charles C. Willoughby, Director of the Peabody Museum of Archæology and Ethnology, Cambridge, Mr. Perry Walton, Boston, The Essex Institute and Mr. Henry W. Wright, Salem, for assistance in illustrating the book. FOOTNOTES: [1] See _Wreck of the Glide_, Boston, 1846. WILLIAM ENDICOTT’S NARRATIVE [Illustration: WILLIAM ENDICOTT From a photograph made about 1860.] WILLIAM ENDICOTT’S NARRATIVE On May 21st, 1829, I went on board the ship _Glide_, then lying in Salem harbour, having engaged to perform a voyage in her to the South Pacific Ocean for the purpose of procuring a cargo of beche-le-mer, tortoise shell and sandalwood. At meridian, all hands being on board, we got underweigh with a moderate east wind, and stood out to sea with all sail set. At 5 P. M. we were obliged to anchor outside the harbour where we lay until the following day at 11 A. M. when we weighed again and succeeded in getting to sea. We shaped our course for the Cape de Verde Islands in order to be sufficiently to the eastward where we expected to meet the South East trades, and soon lost sight of the American shores. Nothing of importance occurred on the passage till the 15th of June, when we saw one of the Cape de Verdes. We passed it and steered to the southward till the 1st of July when we first met the South East trade wind. We continued to steer to the southward, by the wind, until we reached the latitude of 32° south, when the wind becoming more variable, enabled us to proceed more directly on our course; to double the Cape of Good Hope, proceed to the eastward and touch at New Zealand, as was determined by the Captain, and to endeavour to procure some fresh stock. After arriving into the latitude of 40° south, we experienced a succession of gales and blowing weather, which lasted with but little cessation until the 31st of August, when we saw Van Diemens Land,[2] from whence we steered direct for the northern part of New Zealand. The wind and weather proved favourable and on the 14th of Sept. we saw the island of New Zealand and on the 17th anchored in the Bay of Islands,[3] 117 days from Salem, with one man sick.