of the neighbouring islands, who refort thither to catch fish, with which the coaft abounds.

1769.

July.

On the 27th, about noon, the peak of Bola- Thursd, 27. bola bore N. 25 W. and the north end of Ota

ha, N. 80 W. diftant three leagues.

The wind continued contrary all this day and the night fol. lowing. On the 28th, at fix in the morning, we Friday 28. were near the entrance of the harbour on the eaft fide of OTAHA, which has been juft men- Otaha. tioned; and finding that it might be examined. without lofing time, I fent away the Mafter in the long boat, with orders to found it; and, if the wind did not shift in our favour, to land up... on the island, and traffic with the natives for fuch refreshments as were to be had. In this. boat went Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, who landed upon the island, and before night pur-. chafed three hogs, twenty-one fowls, and as many yams and plantains as the boat would hold. Plantains we thought a more useful refreshment even than pork; for they were boiled and served to the ship's company as bread, and were now the more acceptable as our bread was fo full of vermin, that notwithstanding all poffible care, we had fometimes twenty of them in our mouths at a time, every one of which tasted as hot as muftard. The inland feemed to be more barren than Ulietea, but the produce was of the fame kind. The people also exactly refembled thofe that we had feen at the other

1769. July.

inlands; they were not numerous, but they flocked about the boat wherever fhe went from Friday 28. all quarters, bringing with them whatever they had to fell. They paid the ftrangers, of whom they had received an account from Tupia, the fame compliment which they used towards their own Kings, uncovering their fhoulders, and wrapping their garments round their breasts; and were fo folicitous to prevent its being neglected by any of their people, that a man was fent with them, who called out to every one they met, telling him what they were, and what he was to do.

Saturd. 29.

In the mean time, I kept plying off and on, waiting for the boat's return; at half an hour after five, not feeing any thing of her, I fired a gun, and after it was dark hoifted a light; at half an hour after eight, we heard the report of a mufquet, which we answered with a gun, and foon after the boat came on board. The Master reported, that the harbour was fafe and commodious, with good anchorage from twenty-five to fixteen fathom water, clear ground.

As foon as the boat was hoifted in, I made fail to the northward, and at eight o'clock in the morning of the 29th, we were clofe under the Peak of

craggyabola, which was high, rude, and

As the inland was altogether inacceffible in this part, and we found it impoffible to weather it, we tacked and ftood off, then

tacked

weather the fouth end of it till twelve o'clock at

1769:

July.

night. At eight o'clock the next morning, we Sunday 30. discovered an island, which bore from us N. 63° W. diftant about eight leagues; at the fame time the Peak of Bolabola bore N. E. diftant three

2

or four leagues. This ifland Tupia called MAURUA, and faid that it was fmall, wholly Maurua, furrounded by a reef, and without any harbour for shipping; but inhabited, and bearing the fame produce as the neighbouring iflands: the middle of it rises in a high round hill, that may be seen at the distance of ten leagues.

When we were off Bolabola, we faw but few people on the shore, and were told by Tupia that many of the inhabitants were gone to Ulietea. In the afternoon we found ourselves nearly the length of the fouth end of Ulietea, and to windward of fome harbours that lay on the weft fide of this island, Into one of these harbours, though we had before been ashore on the other fide of the island, I intended to put, in order to stop a leak which we had sprung in the powder room, and to take in more ballaft, as I found the ship too light to carry fail upon a wind. As the wind was right against us, we plied off one of the harbours, and about three o'clock in the afternoon on the ift of Auguft, we came to an anchor in the entrance of the chanpel leading into it in fourteen fathom water, be

ing

Auguft. Tuesday 1.

Augufti

1769. ing prevented from working in, by a tide which fet very strong out. We then carried out Tuesday 1. the, kedge-anchor, in order to warp into the

harbour; but when this was done, we could not trip the bower-anchor with all the purchase we could make; we were therefore obliged to lie Wednef. 2. ftill all night, and in the morning, when the tide. turned, the fhip going over the anchor, it tripped of itself, and we warped the ship into a pro-. per birth with ease, and moored in twenty-eight fathom, with a fandy bottom. While this was doing, many of the natives came off to us with hogs, fowls, and plantains, which they parted with at an easy rate.

When the ship was fecured, I went on fhore to look for a proper place to get ballast and wa ter, both which I found in a very convenient fituation.

This day Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander fpenton fhore very much to their fatisfaction; every body feemed to fear and refpect, them, placing in them at the fame time the utmost confidence, behaving as if confcious that they poffeffed the power of doing them mifchief, without any propenfity to make ufe of it. Men, women, and children crowded round them, and followed them wherever they went; but none of them were guilty of the leaft incivility: on the contrary, whenever there happened to be dirt or water in the way, the men vied with each other to

carry

carry them over on their backs. They were conducted to the houfes of the principal people, and were received in a manner altogether new: the people, who followed them while they were in their way, rushed forward as foon as they came to a house, and went haftily in before, them, leaving however a lane fufficiently wide, for them to pass. When they entered, they found those who had preceded them ranged on, each fide of a long matt, which was fpread up, on the ground, and at the farther end of which fat the family in the first house they entered they found some very young women or children, dreffed with the utmoft neatnefs, who kept their ftation, expecting the ftrangers to come up to them and make them prefents, which they did with the greatest pleasure; for prettier children, or better dreffed they had never feen. One of them was a girl about fix years old; her gown or upper garment, was red; a large quantity of; plaited hair was wound round her head, the ornament to which they give the name of Tamou, and which they value more than any thing they poffefs. She fat at the upper end of a matt thirty feet long, upon which none of the spectators prefumed to fet a foot, notwithstanding the crowd; and she leaned upon the arm of a welllooking woman about thirty, who was probably her nurfe. Our gentlemen walked up to her, and as foon as they approached, fhe ftretched

Out

1769.

August, Wednef. 2.