cation that the winds are variable, or wefterly out at fea; for with the fettled trade-wind the weather is clear. The meeting with wefterly winds, within the general limits of the eastern trade, has induced fome navigators to fuppofe that they were near fome large tract of land, of which, however, I think they are no indication. It has been found, both by us and the Dolphin, that the trade-wind, in these parts, does not extend farther to the fouth than twenty degrees, beyond which, we generally found a gale from the weftward; and it is reasonable to fuppofe, that when these winds blow ftrong they will drive back the easterly wind, and confequently incroach upon the limits within which they conftantly blow, and thus neceffarily produce variable winds, as either happens to prevail, and a fouth westerly fwell. This fuppofition is the more probable, as it is well known that the trade-winds blow but faintly for some distance within their limits, and therefore may be more easily stopped or repelled by a wind in the contrary direction: it is alfo well known, that the limits of the trade winds vary, not only at different seasons of the year,' but fometimes at the fame season in different years. There is therefore no reason to fuppofe, that fouth westerly winds, within these limits, are caufed by the vicinity of large tracts of land, especially as they are always accompanied with a large fwell, in the fame direction in which they blow; and we find a much greater furf beating upon the fhores of the fouth-weft fide of the islands that are fituated juft within the limits of the trade-wind, than upon any other part of them. The tides about these islands are perhaps as inconfiderable as in any part of the world. A fouth or S. by W. moon makes high water in the bay of Matavai, at Otaheite; but the water very feldom rifes perpendicularly above ten or twelve inches. The variation of the compass I found to be 4° 46' eafterly, this being the refult of a great number of trials made with four of Dr. Knight's needles, adapt 1769. 1769. ed to azimuth compaffes. These compaffes I thought the best that could be produced, yet, when applied to the meridian line, I found them to differ, not only one from another, fometimes a degree and an half, but the fame needle, half a degree from itself, in different trials made on the fame day; and I do not remember that I have ever found two needles which exactly agreed at the fame time and place, though I have often found the fame needle agree with itself, in several trials made one after the other. This imperfection of the needle, however, is of no confequence to navigation, as the variation can always be found to a degree of accuracy more than fufficient for all nautical purposes. July. Thurf. 13. CHAP. VII. A Defcription of feveral other Islands in the Neighbourhood of Otaheite, with various Incidents; a dramatic Entertainment; and many Particulars relative to the Cuftoms and Manners of the Inbabi tants. A FTER parting with our friends, we made an eafy fail, with gentle breezes and clear weather, and were informed by Tupia, that four of the neighbouring iflands, which he diftinguished by the names of HUAHEINE, ULIETEA, OTAHA, and BOLABOLA, lay at the distance of between one and two days fail from Otaheite; and that hogs, fowls, and other refreshments, with which we had of late been but sparingly supplied, were there to be procured in great plenty; but having discovered, from the hills of Otaheite, an island lying to the northward, which he called TETHUROA, I determined first to ftand that way, to take a nearer view of it. It lies N. W. diftant eight leagues from the northern extremity of Otaheite, upon which we had obferved the tranfit, and to which we had, for that reafon, given the name of POINT VENUS. We found it to be a fmall low ifland, and were told by Tupia, that it had no fettled inhabitants, but was occafionally visited by the inhabitants of Ota 14 heite, who fometimes went thither for a few days to fish; we therefore determined to fpend no more time in a farther examination of it, but to go in fearch of Huaheine and Ulietea, which he defcribed to be well peopled, and as large as Otaheite. 1769. July. At fix o'clock in the morning of the 14th, the wefter- Friday 14. moft part of EIMEO, or York Island, bore S. E. S. and the body of Otaheite E. S. At noon, the body of York Ifland bore E. by S. S. and Port-Royal bay, at Otaheite, S. 70° 45' E. diftant 61 miles, and an ifland which we took to be Saunders's Ifland, called by the natives TAPOAMANAO, bore S. S. W. We also faw land bearing N. W. N. which Tupia faid was Huaheine. On the 15th, it was hazy, with light breezes and Saturd. 15. calms fucceeding each other, fo that we could fee no land, and made but little way. Our Indian, Tupia, often prayed for a wind to his god, Tane, and as often boasted of his fuccefs, which indeed he took a very effectual method to fecure; for he never began his addrefs to Tane, till he faw a breeze fo near that he knew it must reach the fhip before his oraison was well over. On the 16th, we had a gentle breeze; and in the Sunday 16. morning about eight o'clock, being clofe in with the north-west part of the ifland Huaheine, we founded, Huaheine. but had no bottom with 80 fathom. Some canoes very foon came off; but the people feemed afraid, and kept at a distance till they difcovered Tupia, and then they ventured nearer. In one of the canoes, that came up to the fhip's fide, was the king of the island and his wife. Upon affurances of friendship, fre.. quently and earnestly repeated, their majefties and fome others came on board. At first they were ftruck with astonishment, and wondered at every thing that was fhewn them, yet they made no enquiries; and, feeming to be fatisfied with what was offered to their notice, they made no fearch-after other objects of curiofity, with which, it was natural to fuppofe, a building of fuch novelty and magnitude as the ship must abound. After fome time they became more familiar. I was given to understand, that the name of the king was OREE; and he propofed, as a mark of 1769. July. Mond 17. of amity, that we fhould exchange names. To this I readily confented; and he was Cookee, for fo he pronounced my name, and I was Oree, for the rest of the time we were together. We found these people to be very nearly the fame with those of Otaheite, in perfon, drefs, language, and every other circumstance, except, if Tupia might be believed, that they would not steal. Soon after dinner we came to an anchor, in a fmall but excellent harbour on the weft fide of the ifland, which the natives call OwHAREE, in eighteen fathom water, clear ground, and fecure from all winds. I went immediately a-fhore, accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, Mr. Monkhoufe, Tupia, King Cookee, and fome other of the natives, who had been on board ever fince the morning. The mo→ ment we landed, Tupia ftripped himself as low as the waist, and defired Mr. Monkhoufe to do the fame; he then fat down before a great number of the natives, who were collected together in a large house, or fhed; for here, as well as at Otaheite, a house confifts only of a roof fupported upon poles; the rest of us, by his defire, ftanding behind. He then began a fpeech, or prayer, which lafted about a quarter of an hour, the king, who flood over-against him, every now and then answering, in what appeared to be fet, refponfes. In the courfe of this harangue, he delivered at different times two handkerchiefs, a black filk neckcloth, fome beads, two fmall bunches of feathers, and fome plantains, as prefents to their Eatua, or God. In return for thefe, he received for our Eatua, a hog, fome young plantains, and two fmall bunches of feathers, which he ordered to be carried on board the ship. After thefe ceremonies, which we fuppofed to be the ratification of a treaty between us, every one was difmiffed, to go whither he pleafed; and Tupia immediately repaired to offer his oblations at one of the Morais. The next morning, we went on fhore again, and walked up the hills, where the productions were exactly the fame as thofe of Otaheite, except that the rocks and clay appeared to be more burnt. The houses were were neat, and the boat-houfes remarkably large; one that we measured was fifty paces long, ten broad, and, twenty-four feet high; the whole formed a pointed arch, like thofe of our old cathedrals, which was fupported on one fide by twenty-fix,' and on the other by thirty pillars, or rather pofts, about two feet high, and one thick, upon most of which were rudely carved the heads of men, and feveral fanciful devices, not altogether unlike those which we fometimes fee printed from wooden blocks, at the beginning and end of old books. The plains, or flat part of the country, abounded in bread-fruit, and cocoa-nut trees; in fome places, however, there were falt fwamps and lagoons, which would produce neither. 1769. July. We went again a-fhore on the 18th, and would have Tuesd. 18. taken the advantage of Tupia's company, in our perambulation; but he was too much engaged with his friends: we took however his boy, whofe name was TAYETO, and Mr. Bank's went to take a farther view of what had much engaged his attention before; it was a kind of cheft or ark, the lid of which was nicely fewed on, and thatched very neatly with palm-nut leaves: it was fixed upon two poles, and fupported on little arches of wood, very neatly carved; the use of the poles feemed to be to remove it from place to place, in the manner of our fedan chairs: in one end of it was a fquare hole, in the middle of which was a ring touching the fides, and leaving the angles open fo as to form a round hole within a fquare one. The firft time Mr. Banks faw this coffer, the aperture at the end was ftopped with a piece of cloth, which, left he fhould give offence, he left untouched; probably there was then fomething within, but now the cloth was taken away, and, upon looking into it, it was found empty. The general resemblance between this repofitory and the Ark of the Lord among the Jews is remarkable; but it is ftill more remarkable, that upon enquiring of the boy what it was called, he faid, Ewharre no Eatua, the house of the God: he could however give no account of its fignification or use. We had commenced a kind of trade with the natives, but it went on flowly; for when any thing was offered, not one of them would take it upon his own judgment, but |