This fish is commonly about three feet
long and two in circumference, having a very sharp head, with a small
mouth, full eyes, and a semilunar tail. It is very fleshy, and makes
good broth. About noon we were in sight of three small islands, all low
land, but very green and pleasant, especially to us, who had been so
long of seeing any land. We had this day an observation of the sun, by
which we found our latitude to be 50' N. and as the eastermost of these
islands was four leagues S.E. of the ship, it must of consequence be in
lat. 0 deg. 42' N.[211]
[Footnote 211: The only islands in modern maps which agree with the
slight notice in the text, are Frevilla, or St David's Isle,, nearly in
lat. 1 deg. N. and long. 135 deg. E. from Greenwich: Yet it is singular that
Funnell should have passed through the numerous group of the Carolines
without seeing any of them. - E.]
As we were fearful of entering upon an unknown coast in the dark, we
stood off all night, which was well for us, as we found ourselves at
day-break next morning, 7th May, within a ship's length of a great reef
of rocks, which extended from one island to the other, and thinking to
have gone between the islands, we had nearly run upon this dangerous
ledge.
