mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i3-009

--59--

from the fore crosstree was announced that directly in front
of us was seen a coast. We did not want to believe this be-
cause the longitude, which was determined with a clear horizon
according to lunar distances similar to dead reckoning, did
not allow for the supposition of inexactnesses in calculation,
and the maps did not show any islands here. Therefore, we
decided that the shore was one of the common phenomena so often
deceiving to sailors, which occurs because of refraction during
condensation of the atmosphere at the horizon. However, we
soon saw in front of us a group of low coral islands, the greater
part of which was covered with forest, above which coconut
palms majestically raised their crowned tops. The latitude
of this group was 8⁰ 4' S and the longitude 178⁰ 24' E. [north
of the Fiji Islands]. Taking this as a new discovery, we noti-
fied Captain Vasilev by telegraph about it, who, concurring
in this opinion, named them "Islands of Good Intent" after
our sloop from which they were sighted for the first time.

About midday, we approached the southern end of the group.
It consisted of four large and 12 small coral islands, connected
to each other by the same kind of underwater reef, clearly
indicated by the yellowish color of water and surf. By their
mutual positions they formed a spherical triangle and the
concave western arc had, in the middle, a passage into the
interior, about the width of one and one-half cables 'length [900. feet]. We
did not investigate the character of the ground and depth in
either the passage or the lagoon because of lack of time.