f t fome ftnall cups of pure brandy, which they relifhed fo
well, and repeated fo often, that they were foon obliged to
lie down to deep. We returned to the fhip about five
o clock in the afternoon; and the day being remarkably
warm, we went alhore to bathe in a beautiful fountain,
which we had conftantly made ufe of for that purpofe
during our flay. A fragrant fhrubbery hung round it,
fcreening from the fun the water, which was temperately
cool, and perfedlly limpid. We found the ufe of this bath
extremely refreihing; and the natives had probably experienced
the fame efFedt, as they conftantly reforted to it
every morning and evening. Such pleafing fpots are frequent
in thefe iflands ; they contribute greatly to their em-
bellifliment, and without doubt, are inftrumental in pre-
ferving the health of the inhabitants.
We palled the next days in various excurfions towards
the hills, where we collefted a few plants, which we had
not met with before. Thefe hills exaftly refembled thole
of Taheitee, but were fomewhat lower. We found a romantic
valley between them, furrounded by a foveft of various
trees and fhrubs, and furnilhed with a beautiful rivulet,
which fell in many cafcades over broken rocks and
precipices.
Th 4 On our returning from our laft walk, we received a very
interefting piece of intelligence from the natives. One of
them, juft arrived from the illand Huahine, told us that
two
two Ihips lay at anchor there, one of them confiderably
larger than ours, but the other about the fame lize. Captain
Cook called the man into his cabin, where he repeated
the fame ftory to us, and confirmed it, by alferting that he
had been on board the leffer Ihip, and had been made
drunk there. We enquired for the names of the captains,
and he tolds that of. the greater Ihip was Tabane, and the
other Tonno. Thefe were the names by which the natives
defigned Mr. Banks and captain Furneaux. Captain Cook
was therefore furprifed to hear them named, and enquired
of what ftature thefe perfons were. The native very
readily told us, that the one whom he called Tabane was a
tall man, but the other confiderably lefs. This anfwer cor-
refponded extremely well with truth ; but as it was very
improbable that captain Furneaux would remain at Huahine,
after hearing that his fenior officer lay fo near him, we
concluded that the fliips muft belong to fome other nation.
At our return to the Cape of Good Hope, we heard that
captain Furneaux had failed from that fettlement long before
the time when he was fuppofed to be at Huahine, and
that Mr. Banks had not left Europe. We have fince learnt
that M. St. Denis, a French navigator, has been in the South
Seas at the time in queftion with two fhips.
The chief, O-Rea, at firft confirmed this news, but afterwards
fufpeding that it might haften our departure, he
D 2
7 774*
June.
was