»791- navigators, I fleered for it, in order to be fatisfied of its extent, producicember.
° . t i t - - i tions, and other circumftances worthy obfervation. In the forenoon,
eight fets o f lunar diftances were obtained ; which, as before, nearly cor-
refponding with each other, gave, by their mean refult, when reduced to
noon, 2i5°42'4o", thefe, with thofe taken the preceding day, comprehending
14 fets of diftances, gave by their mean refult 215° 39'. The latitude,
by feveral fextants, was determined to be 2j°g4'.
Since feeing the land in the morning, we had run eleven leagues ; and
had approached it fufficiently near to perceive, that all we had at firft
feen was united. It now bore, by compafs, from N. 29E. to N.43E.
about g leagues diftant, with a fmall ifland lying off its eaftern fide N.45E.-
Affifted by a gentle s . e . gale, with fine pleafant weather, at three in
the afternoon we were within about a league of the lhore ; yet no bottom
was to be gained at the depth o f 180 fathoms. Several canoes came off
to the Ihip, and all means were ufed to invite them on board. They
declined our entreaties, but feemed very folicitous that we fhould accept
their invitations to land: which they fignified by waving their paddles
towards the coaft, and by defiring us, in the language o f the Great South-
Sea nation, to go nearer to the lhore. We bore away with that intent, but
foon again brought to, on obferving that two or three canoes were paddling
in great hafte towards the Ihip. After fome perfuafion, four men in one
o f the canoes came near enough to receive fome prefents, which feemed to
pleafe them exceedingly; and though their countrymen appeared to rebuke
them for their ralhnefs, the example was fhortly followed by feveral
others. It was not, however, without Ihewing every affurance of friendlhip,
that any could be prevailed upon to come on board, until at length, the
man who had brought about this intercourfe feemed determined to
eftablilh it, by complying with our defires. On his entering the Ihip,
he trembled andwas much agitated; apprehenfion, aftonilhment, and
admiration, equally appearing at the fame inftant; and though, on
his being made welcome after the ufual falhion, and prefented with a
fmall iron adz, his countenance became more ferene and cheerful,
yet he Hill appeared .in a ftate of great anxiety. He foon communicated
his reception and treatment to his furrounding countrymen; and we
fhortly
fhortly had as many .vifitors as it was pleafant to entertain. They all feemed D‘JJ^,er
perfectly well acquainted with the ufes to which they could apply iron, 1-, <
and how to eftimate its value amongft, themfelves ; as alfo the manner in
which it was regarded by Europeans. They made no fcruple, even with
fome force, to take articles o f iron out of our hands; and, in lieu of
them, with great courtefy and addrefs prefented, ip return, fome few filh,
filhing-hooks, lines, and other trifles, which they feemed to wifh fhould
be accepted as prefents, and not received in exchange. Looking-glaffes,
beads, and other trinkets of little importance, at firft attrafted their
attention, and were gladly accepted.; but no fooner did they difcover that
articles made o f iron were common amongft us, than they refufed all
other prefents, and wanted to barter every other gift for iron. I could
not prevail on any of them to accept a few medals.
Their vifit feemed prompted only by curiofity, as they were completely
unarmed, and brought with them neither articles o f food, nor
manufacture. A few fpears, and a club or, two, were feen in one or two
o f the canoes on ly ; two or three indifferent flings for ftones were alfo
noticed; with which they parted without the leaft reluftance.
We lay to until five o’clock in the hope of obtaining the name of this
ifland, or of any other which might exift in its neighbourhood, fince
thefe people were evidently of the Great South-Sea nation; fpeaking,
with fome little difference of dialeft, the fame language; and refembling
the Friendly iflanders, more than the inhabitants of any other Country.
On this occafion, Toviereroo the Sandwich iflander was of little affiftance;
having been taken at an early period from home, and having been long
abfent, he had fo much forgotten his mother tongue, as to be fcarcely
able to underftand the language of thefe people better than ourfelves.
Two or three of them remained on board nearly an hour ; but fo unfixed
and unfteady was their attention, which wandered from objeft to objeft,
that it was impoffible to gain from them any information. Their anfwers
to almoft every queftion were in the affirmative ; and our enquiries as to
the name of their ifland, &c. were continually interrupted by inceffant
invitations to go on fhore. At length, I had reafon to believe the name
o f the ifland was, Oparo; and that of their chief, Korie. Although I
L 2 .could