December " ^rom young Otoo, I received this morning a prefent o f two hogs,
v.— --- > and fome fruit. Otoo the elder, now ftiled Pomarre, we underftood, was
at Eimeo, whither the melfengers requefted we would fend to acquaint
him with our arrival, on which he would inftantly repair to Matavai.
His abfence, however, had produced not the leaft inconvenience; for
notwithftanding we had not been vifited by any chief, yet the behaviour
o f the people was perfeftly civil and friendly. They fupplied us with
as much provilion as we could poflibly ufe, on very reafonable terms.
The greater part of this day, and all the fucceeding night, the tempeft
continued with unabated torrents o f rain.
ThurHaysg. “ On thurfday morning I received from Oparre a very bountiful prefent,
confifting of hogs and fruit, from young Otoo, with a meflage to
fignify that he might be expected next day at Matavai. In the evening,
the weather being a little more temperate, though the furf continued
to run too high to admit of our approaching the beach in the bay, we
landed at the back of point Venus, and were received by the natives
with great cheerfulnefs and cordiality. They treated us with the utmoft
hofpitality, and vied with each other to be foremofl in friendly attention's.
The wind having fhifted to the eaftward, the weather became ferene and
Friday 30. pleafant; and being informed the next morning, by fome of the natives,
that a Ihip was in fight, I repaired inftantly on fhore, and had the un-
fpeakable pleafure of perceiving it to be the Difcovery to the eaftward,
fleering for the bay. About ten o'clock, as fhe hauled in between the
reef and the Dolphin bank, I went on board to congratulate Captain
Vancouver; and to inform him o f our welfare and proceedings fince Our
feparation.”
It may not. be improper to obferve, that the feparation of the two
veflels was occafioned, as was firft conjectured, by circumftances unavoidable,
which occurred during a very heavy and violent ftorm. As
fome recompenee, however, for the anxiety attendant on lofing the company
of our little confort, we had to reflect, that, eventually, the gale
had been the fortunate means of our making fome additions to geography
The ifiands firft difcovered by the Chatham, and named Knight’s
ifland
ifland by Mr. Broughton, were the Snares, which we had palled in the De^ e r .
Difcovery a few hours before. As Mr. Broughton confidered our means <— „— >
for afcertaining their true pofition fuperior to what he poflefled, their
pofitive fituation as placed by us may be received as correft; but as
the Chatham pafled through them, the relative fituation to each other,
according to. Mr. Broughton’s obferyations, is to be preferred.
The Difcovery, pafled about 20 leagues to the north of Chatham
ifland; as did Captain Cook in march 1777, who alfo pafled, about the
fame diftance to the fouth of it, in june 1773 : on all thefe occafions, it
was not obferved, nor did we, in the Difcovery, fee the iflands difeo-
vered by the Chatham on the 23d of december, lying more to the eaftward
than Tobouai, and in latitude 23° 42', longitude 2x 2'' 49.
VOL. I. o CH A P TER