Heclaimedtobesupremegovernoroftheislands，andhadunderhiscontroltwenty-onemenandthreewomen。Hegaveaveryfavourableaccountofthesalubrityoftheclimateandoftheproductivenessofthesoil。Thepopulationoccupiedthemselveschieflyincollectingsealskinsandseaelephantoil，withwhichtheytradedtotheCapeofGoodHope，Glassowningasmallschooner。Attheperiodofourarrivalthegovernorwasstillaresident，buthislittlecommunityhadmultiplied，therebeingfifty-sixpersonsuponTristan，besidesasmallersettlementofsevenonNightingaleIsland。Wehadnodifficultyinprocuringalmosteverykindofrefreshmentwhichwerequired-sheep，hogs，bullocks，rabbits，poultry，goats，fishingreatvariety，andvegetableswereabundant。Havingcometoanchorcloseinwiththelargeisland，ineighteenfathoms，wetookallwewantedonboardveryconveniently。CaptainGuyalsopurchasedofGlassfivehundredsealskinsandsomeivory。Weremainedhereaweek，duringwhichtheprevailingwindswerefromthenorthwardandwestward，andtheweathersomewhathazy。OnthefifthofNovemberwemadesailtothesouthwardandwestward，withtheintentionofhavingathoroughsearchforagroupofislandscalledtheAuroras，respectingwhoseexistenceagreatdiversityofopinionhasexisted。
Theseislandsaresaidtohavebeendiscoveredasearlyas1762，bythecommanderoftheshipAurora。In1790，CaptainManueldeOyarvido，，intheshipPrincess，belongingtotheRoyalPhilippineCompany，sailed，asheasserts，directlyamongthem。In1794，theSpanishcorvetteAtrevidawentwiththedeterminationofascertainingtheirprecisesituation，and，inapaperpublishedbytheRoyalHydrographicalSocietyofMadridintheyear1809，thefollowinglanguageisusedrespectingthisexpedition：“ThecorvetteAtrevidapractised，intheirimmediatevicinity，fromthetwenty-firsttothetwenty-seventhofJanuary，allthenecessaryobservations，andmeasuredbychronometersthedifferenceoflongitudebetweentheseislandsandtheportofSoledadintheManillas。Theislandsarethree，theyareverynearlyinthesamemeridian；thecentreoneisratherlow，andtheothertwomaybeseenatnineleagues’distance。”
TheobservationsmadeonboardtheAtrevidagivethefollowingresultsastheprecisesituationofeachisland。Themostnorthernisinlatitude52degrees37’24“S。，longitude47degrees，43’15“W。；
themiddleoneinlatitude53degrees2’40“S。，longitude47degrees55’15“W。；andthemostsoutherninlatitude53degrees15’22“S。，longitude47degrees57’15“W。
Onthetwenty-seventhofJanuary，1820，CaptainJamesWeddel，oftheBritishnavy，sailedfromStatenLandalsoinsearchoftheAuroras。Hereportsthat，havingmadethemostdiligentsearchandpassednotonlyimmediatelyoverthespotsindicatedbythecommanderoftheAtrevida，butineverydirectionthroughoutthevicinityofthesespots，hecoulddiscovernoindicationofland。Theseconflictingstatementshaveinducedothernavigatorstolookoutfortheislands；and，strangetosay，whilesomehavesailedthrougheveryinchofseawheretheyaresupposedtoliewithoutfindingthem，therehavebeennotafewwhodeclarepositivelythattheyhaveseenthem；andevenbeencloseinwiththeirshores。ItwasCaptainGuy’sintentiontomakeeveryexertionwithinhispowertosettlethequestionsooddlyindispute。{*3}