illand is Tubai ; that it produces nothing but cocoa-nuts, and
is inhabited only by three families ; though it is vifited by
the inhabitants of the neighbouring iflands, who refort thither
to catch fifh, with which the coaft abounds.
Thurflay27. On the 27th, about noon, the peak of Bolabola bore
N. 25 W. and the north end of Otaha, N. 80 W. diftant three
leagues. The wind continued contrary all this day and the
Friday 28. night following. On the 28th, at fix in the morning, we were
Otaha. near the entrance of the harbour on the eaft fide o f Otaha,
which has been juft mentioned; 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 fhift in our favour, to land upon the iftand, and- traffic
with the natives for fuch refrefhments as were to be had. . In
this boat went Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, who landed upon
the iftand, and before night purchafed three hogs, twenty-
one fowls, and as many yams and plantains as the boat
would hold. Plantains we thought a more ufefnl re-
frefhment even than pork; for they were boiled and ferved
to the Ihip’s company as bread, and were now the more acceptable
as our bread was fo full of vermin, that notwith-
ftanding all poflible care, we had fometimes twenty of them
in our mouths at a time, every one o f which tailed as hot as
muftard. The illand feemed to be more barren than Ulietea,
but the produce was o f the fame kind. The people alfo exactly
refembled thofe that we had feen at the other iflands; they
were not numerous, but they flocked about the boat where-
ever Ihe went from 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 ufed towards their own Kings, uncovering their
fhoulders, and wrapping their garments round their breads;
and
and were fo folicitous to prevent its being negle&ed by any y^9-
of their people, that a man was fent with them, who called
r * , j Friday z8. out to every one they met, telling him what they were, and
what he was to do.
In the mean time, I kept plying off and on, waiting for
the boat’s return ; at half an hour after five, not feeing anything
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 anfwered with a gun, and foon after the
boat came on board. The Mafter 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 Saturday 29;
were clofe under the Peak of Bolabola, which was high,
rude, and craggy. As the iftand was altogether inacceffible
in this part, and we found it impoffible to weather it, we
tacked and flood off, then-tacked again, and after many trips
did not weather the fouth end of it till twelve o’clock at
night. At eight o’clock the next morning, we difcovered an Sunday 30.
iftand, which bore from us N. 63° W. diftant about eight
leagues; at the fame time the Peak of Bolabola bore N. £ E.
diftant three or four leagues. This iftand Tupia called Mau- Maurua.
Rita, and faid that it was fmall, wholly furrounded by a reef,
and without any harbour for flapping ; but inhabited, and
bearing the fame produce as the neighbouring iflands: the
middle of it rifes in a high round hill, that may be feen at
the diftance of ten leagues.
When we were off Bolabola, we faw but few people on
the fhore, and were told by Tupia that many of the inhabitants
were gone to Ulietea. In the afternoon we found our-
felves nearly the length of the fouth end of Ulietea, and to
L 1 2 wind