^793- leave, and we embarked for the Clip, leaving them to meditate on their
>— ,— > new fituation, and the various turns of fortune that had confpired to
place them in fuch comfortable circumftances.
On my arrival on board I found, our friends who had been employed
in procuring us fupplies had returned with little fuccefs. Seventeen
middling fized hogs, a few potatoes, and fome taro, without any yams,
was the whole amount of their colleftion. Our flock of water.was completely
replenilhed; and being fatisfied from the report o f thecchiefs that
no additional quantity of provifions- was to be had at this ifland, I informed
them that we Ihould depart the firft favorable opportunity,
They inquired i f I intended to vilit the north fide, as Poorey and Too
. would in that cafe continue on board for the purpofe o f aflifting us in
procuring fome yams, which they faid. were more plentiful there than
on the fouth fide o f the ifland; but as nothing lefs than a very tempting
opportunity would have induced me to -go thither, I declined giving them
further trouble, and having prefented them with fuch articles as their
fervices and the occafion demanded, they took their leave, with expref-
fions of the higheft fatisfaftion, promifing to pay every attention, and
afford all poflible afliftance and proteSion, to their countrywomen
whom we had juft landed, and in whofe future happinefs and. welfare
they knew we had great intereft.
A light breeze of wind fpringing up from the land, about ten at night
we put to fea and flood to the weftward, to take die advantage of the
fouth-wefterly winds, which we were led to believe prevailed generally
at this feafon o f the year.
Saturday 30. On faturday morning Attowai bore by compafs from n . 2 0 e . to
s. 77 e . ; Onehow, s. 64 w . to s. 85 w. -; and Oreehooa, weft. But,
inftead of the promifed fouth-weft wind, we were met by a frelh trade
wind from the north-eaft. As this circumftance precluded our making a
fpeedy furvey o f the north fide of the ifland, I gave up that objeft for
the prefent.
A report having prevailed that Captain Cook had erroneoufly fepa-
rated Oreehooa from Onehow, it being afferted that the inhabitants
walked from one place to the other ; and that Captain King had been
mifinformed
mifinformed as to the number o f inhabitants being four thoufand. As
thefe faffs could be eafily afcertained, we fleered over for Oreehooa,
and paffed Within a quarter or half a mile o f its Ihores. It was foon
proved that Oreehooa is politively feparated from Onehow, by a channel
about a mile in breadth ; and though the depth of the fea appeared
by its colour to be irregular, it was manifeftly far too deep for people
to walkacrofs from one ifland to the other. As this channel lies immediately
open, and is expofed to the whole force and influence o f the
trade wind, and the fwell of the fea confequent upon it, (neither of
which were very moderate at the time of our examination,) it is natural
to infer, that if the channel did admit o f foot paffengers crofting it,
the caufeway would have been vifible above the furface o f the water; or,
from the violence with which the fea broke on the contiguous Ihores,
that it certainly would have broken over a fpace fo {hallow, as to
allow people to pafs and repafs on fo o t; but the fea did not break in
any part o f the channel, which, on the contrary, feemed to be nearly
of a fuflficient depth to admit of a paffage for the Difcovery. With re-
fpeft to the population, Captain King muft doubtlefs have been led into
error. The ifland of Oreehooa is o f very fmall extent, and wholly
compofed of one rugged, naked, barren rock, to all appearance defti-
tute of foil, and prefenting no indication of its being, or having ever
been the refidence o f human creatures.
Having completely fatisfied our minds in thefe refpecls, we hauled
our wind to the north-weft, and with all fail fet, we bad adieu to the
Sandwich iflands for the prefent, and made the belt o f our way towards
Nootka.
V ol. II. H h BO OK