1769. April. fmall iflands and reefs that circumfcribe the lake have the appearance of a chain, and we therefore gave it the name of CHAIN ISLAND. Its length Saturd. 8. seemed to be about five leagues, in the direction of N. W. and S. E. and its breadth about five miles. The trees upon it appeared to be large, and we saw smoke rifing in different parts of it from among them, a certain fign that it was inhabited. The middle of it lies in latitude 17° 23'S. and longitude 145° 54′ W. and is diftant from Bird Island forty-five leagues, in the direction of W. by N. The variation here was, by feveral azimuths, found to be 4° 54′E. On the 10th, having had a tempeftuous night Monday 10 with thunder and rain, the weather was hazy till about nine o'clock in the morning, when it cleared up, and we faw the island to which Captain Wallis, who first discovered it, gave the name of Ofnaburgh Island, called by the natives Maitea, bearing N. W. by W. distant about five leagues, It is a high round island, not above a league in circuit; in fome parts it is covered with trees, and in others a naked rock. In this direction it looked like a high crown'd hat; but when it bears North, the top of it has more the appearance of the roof a house. We made its latitude to be 17° 48' S. its longitude 148° 10' W. and its diftance. from Chain Island 44 leagues, in the direction of W. by S. VOL. II. Υ СНАР. 1769. April. CHA P. VIII. The Arrival of the Endeavour at Otaheite, called by Captain Wallis, King George the III's Ifland. Rules eftablished for Traffic with the Natives, and an Account of feveral Incidents which happened in a Vifit to Tootabah and Toubourai Tamaida, two Chiefs. A BOUT one o'clock, on Monday the 10th of April, fome of the people who were Monday 10. looking out for the island to which we were bound, faid they faw land ahead, in that part of the horizon where it was expected to appear; but it was fo faint that, whether there was land in fight or not, remained a matter of difpute till Tuesday 11. funfet. The next morning, however, at fix o'clock, we were convinced that thofe who faid they had discovered land, were not mistaken; it appeared to be very high and mountainous, extending from W. by S. S. to W. by N. N. and we knew it to be the fame that Captain Wallis had called King George the III.'s Ifland. We were delayed in our approach to it by light airs and calms, fo that in the morning of the Wednes. 12. 12th we were but little nearer than we had been the the night before; but about feven a breeze fprung up, and before eleven feveral canoes. were seen making towards the fhip: there were but few of them, however, that would come near; and the people in those that did, could not be perfuaded to come on board. In every canoe there were young plantains, and branches of a tree which the Indians call E'Midho; thefe, as we afterwards learnt, were brought as tokens of peace and amity, and the people in one of the canoes handed them up the fhip's fide, making fignals at the fame time with great earnestness, which we did not immediately understand; at length we gueffed that they wished these symbols fhould be placed in fome confpicuous part of the fhip; we, therefore, immediately stuck them among the rigging, at which they expreffed the greatest fatisfaction. We then purchased their cargoes, confifting of cocoa-nuts, and various kinds of fruit, which after our long voyage were very acceptable. 1769. April. Wednef. 12. We stood on with an easy sail all night, with Thursd, 131 foundings from 22 fathom to 12, and about feven o'clock in the morning we came to an anchor in 13 fathom, in Port-royal bay, called by the natives Matavai. We were immediately furrounded by the natives in their canoes, who gave us cocoa-nuts, fruit refembling apples, bread-fruit, and fome fmall fishes, in exchange for beads and other trifles. They had with them a pig, Y 2 |