A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
1793* to become fufpicious of the motives of our vifit, in confequence o f the
March. 1 A '
i - _ ; late murders at Woahoo. The reports that had been propagated re-
fpe&ing this unfortunate melancholy bufinefs, made me defirous of feeing
Titeeree and Taio, in order to obtain from them the real circumftances
o f this fad affair. This I communicated to the chief, and told him fur-
ther, that if the offenders Ihould prove to have been natives, thofe who
were concerned fhould be given up to juftice; but that neither Titeeree
nor Taio fhould receive the leaft injury, if I found that they were innocent
; and, as a pledge of my pacific difpofition towards Titeeree, I returned
by the chief fuch a prefent as I knew would be worthy his acceptance,
and would be moll likely to infure his confidence in my fin-
cerity. I was not deficient in due acknowledgments to the meffenger,
in order to feeure the faithful difcharge of his embaffy. He informed
me, that the belt anchorage was near the north-weft part-of the ifland,
called Raheina, and that if I would proceed thither, Titeeree would not
hefitate, under this, and my other affurarices 'of friendship, to pay us a
vifit. Thefe I repeated again, and after telling him that I purpofed' to
anchor near the fpot he had pointed out, the chief departed, apparently
mucfrgratified with the execution of his commiffion.
Towards fun-fet we palled to the fouth-weft of Mprgjdnney,',and
meeting there a light breeze from the n. e. we worked up into a large
bay on the fouth-weft fide of Mowee, lying before the low ifthmus that
unites the two large lofty bodies of land which compofe the ifland. Here,
about midnight, we anchored in 39 fathoms water, muddy bottom; and
Monday 11. at day light on monday morning found we had taken a ftation towards
the eaftern fide of the bay. Morokinney, and the s. e . point of Tahow-
rowa in a line, bearing by compafs s. 11 e . ; the fouth point of Mowee
s. 39 e . ; the neareft fhore e . by N . two miles, and the wefternmoft part
o f Mowee in fight n . 56 w .
The appearance o f this fide of Mowee was fcarcely lefs forbidding
than that of its fouthern parts, which we had palled the preceding day.
The fhores, however, were not fo fteep and rocky, and were moftly
conipofed o f a fandy beach; the land did not rife fo very abruptly from
the fea towards the mountains, nor was its furface. fo much broken with
hills
hills and deep, chafms ; yet the foil had little appearance of fertility, and ^793-
no cultivation was to be feen. A few habitations were promifcuoufly 1
fcattered near the water fide, and the inhabitants who came off to us, like
thofe feen the day before, had little ito difpofe of.
The weather was Cloudy, and the wind at the ftation we had taken
was very unpleafant, in confequence o f the trade wind from the n . e .
reaching us at intervals in furious fqualls, over the low land of the ifthmus.
A ftrong current fetting to the s.E. at the fame time,- obliged us
to remain at anchor, and wait for a more favorable opportunity to
proceed.
About noon we had the company o f a chief named To-mo-ho-mo-ho,
who faid, he was younger brother to Titeeree, and that he had come
by his orders to conduft us to the heft anchorage at Raheina, where
Titeeree himfelf would fhortly meet us. Tomokovioho produced a certificate
from Mr. Brown of the Butterworth, recommending him as a very
ufeful, friendly, and honeft man. His canoe was a very fine one ; this
he requefted might be towed a-ftern o f the fhip, which he recommended
fhould get under fail that We might arrive before dark at Raheina; but
in the event of any delay, directions had been given for fires to be
made in fuch fituations, as would enable him to place the fhip with
fecurity.
As the wind and weather were more fettled, thefe requefts were complied
with; and thus, provided with a pilot, the Chatham and ourfelves
flood acrofs the bay under double-reefed topfails, until we had fhut in the
ifthmus; when, the high land intercepting the current o f the trade wind,
the gale was fucceeded by light.baffling airs. With thefe, and the aflift-
ance o f th e lights- on the fhores, we arrived at our deftination about half
paft eight in the evening^ when we anchored in 25 fathoms water, on a
bottom of fand, ftones, and coral.
The next morning, we difeovered our fituation to be in the place Tuefday u .
pointed out in our former vifit to thefe iflands by Mr. Broughton, who
then mentioned another anchoring place in Mowee, a little to the fouth-
ward o f a remarkable round hill, on a fandybeach, projedling its rocky
bafe into the fea. Its top, having the appearanCe of a crater, acquired for it
3 the