March". conquered, and too much upon our guard to fuller the leaft indignity by
' —v— furprize. I mull, however, do jullice to the hofpitality of our two
guides, who on our reaching the Ihore took upon them the office of con-
llables; and who had alfo each caufed a hog and a quantity of vegetables
to be prepared for our entertainment. On our return this repall was
ready, and we were much intreated by them to partake of it; but as it
was now pall fun fet, we were,under the neceffity of declining their
civility; on which they very obligingly put our intended fupper into the
boats. I prefented each of our guides with an acceptable acknowledgment,
and earneftly renewing my requell o f a fupply from the brook,
which they promifed Ihould be complied with the next day, we returned
on board.
Towards midnight the Chatham arrived, and anchored a little to the
wellward o f the Difcovery. I foon learned from Mr. Broughton that
as I had fufpected, his velfel had been becalmed the evening we parted,
until near one the next morning, when they Hood towards Mowee; but
on his not being able to fee the Difcovery at daylight, he fleered to the
north well along the fouthern fide o f that ifland, and found an eligible anchoring
place off its wellern part, with foundings regular and-good ; and
as the natives brought off a confiderable quantity of water, he had great
reafon to believe that article could there be readily procured. ■ • >
The few natives in our immediate neighbourhood, though they con-
dulled themfelves in a very civil-and fubmilfiye manner, yet brought us
Thurfday 8. fo little water in the courfe of the next day, that I was induced to give up
the idea o f obtaining a fupply by their means, and to proceed immediately
to Attowai; where I was allured We Ihould have that riecelTary
article completely within our own reach and power. After employing
the forenoon in fetting up our rigging, and in other ufeful occupations,
we weighed anchor, and fleered to the wellward.
Anxious to communicate the intelligence o f our progrefs to the officer
commanding the llorelhip, (this being one of the appointed rendezvous,)
I entrulled a letter to one of the natives, a very allive fenfible
fellow, who promifed to take great care of it, and to deliver it on the
velfel’s
velfel’s arrival in this b ay; and for the faithful difeharge o f this trull, he J»»*
was aflured of receiving a very handfome prefent; to which I promifed ---- -— '
him an additioni on my return. ’
Whyteete bay is formed, by the land falling a little back round the
fouth point of Wdahoo;; and 'although open above half the compafs
in the fouthern quarters-,Jit.is unqueftionably the.mqft eligible anchoring
place in the ifland.- - We foundIhe latitude of the Ihip’s'ftation by four
good meridional altitudes, to be 21° 16' 47" ; its longitude by the chronometer
262° 9' 37"; and the variation of the compafs to be 7° 50' eaft-
wardly. Mr. Arnold’s chronometer on board the Chatham gave the
longitude 201° 45' 30", allowing the rate as fettled at Otaheite; our
chronometer by the Portfmouth rate, ffiewed the longitude to be 203°
29' 50"; but 202° 9' 37" is to be received as its true longitude.
A fine breeze between five and fix brought us round the fouth weft
part of Wdahoo, which lies from the fouth point N. 82 w . 5 leagues
diftant. This point is low flat land, with a reef round it, extending
about a quarter of a mile from the ffiore. The reef and low land continue
fome diftance to the eaftward towards Whyteete bay, and form, ‘between
the fouth and fouth-weft points, a large open ffiallow bay, with high
land riling very irregularly at fome diftance from the beach ; which, towards
the fouth-weft point, appeared to be broken in two places, and to
form lagoons that feemed capable o f receiving boats and fmall craft.
One of the natives, who was accompanying us to Attowai, informed me,
that all along the Ihore off" thefe openings the bottom was rocky, and
Would cut our cables. This, with fome other circumftances, induced me
to believe, that there was not any where in this fpacious bay fuch good
anchorage as our laft ftation.
At eight in the evening, the weft point of lYoahoo bore n . k . 3 leagues
diftant. The Chatham being under the land becalmed, we foon loft fight
of her. We continued our courfe under all fail, and to our great furprize
came within, fight o f Attowai, by half pall four the next morning. The Friday 9.
eaft end, by compafs, bore N.by w . at a trifling diftance, having gained
almoft 6 leagues in the night’s run from land to land, more than the
log