jape' t0 P°fl;er*ty> that thefe feas may be navigated, and that it is
— »— practicable to go on difcoveries, even in the very depth of
winter.
During our flay in the Sound, I had obferved that this
fecond vifit made to this country, had not mended the
morals of the natives of either fex. I had always looked
upon the females of New Zealand to be more chafte than
the generality of Indian women. Whatever favours a few
of them might have granted to the people in the Endeavour,
it was generally done in a private manner, and the men did
not feem to intereft themfelves much in it. But now, I was
told, they were the chief promoters of a lhameful traffic,
and that, for a fpike-nail, or any other thing they value,
they would oblige the women to proftitute themfelves,
whether they would or no; and even without any regard
to that privacy, which decency required.
During our flay here, Mr. Wales loft no opportunity to
obferve equal altitudes of the fun, for obtaining the rates
of the watches. The refult of his labours proved that Mr.
Kendal’s, was gaining 9", 5 per day, and Mr. Arnold’s,
lofing 94", 158 per day, on mean time.
CH AP .
C H A P . IX.
Route from New Zealand to Otaheite, with an Account o f
fome low Ifands, fuppofed to be the famé that were féen
by M. de Bougainville.
ON the 7th of June, at four in the morning, the wind ,773,
being more favourable, we unmoored, and at feven . Ja"e'
weighed and put to fea, with the Adventure in company.
We had no fooner got out of the Sound, than we found the
wind at South ; fo that we had to ply through the Straits.
About noon the tide of ebb fetting out in our favour, made
our boards advantageous ; fo that, at five o’clock in the
evening, Cape Pallifer, on the Ifland of Eahei-nomauwe,
bore S. S. E. 4 S. and Cape Koamaroo, or the S. E. point of
the Sound, N. by W. £ W. ; prefently after it fell calm; and
the tide of flood now making againfi us, carried us, at a
great rate, back to the North. A little before high-water,
the calm was fucceeded by a breeze from the North, which
foon incrèafed to a brifk gale. This, together with the ebb,
carried us, by eight o’clock the next morning, quite through Tuefday s;.
the Strait. Cape Pallifer at this time bore E. N. E. and at
noon N. by W. diftarit feven leagues.
This day at noon, when we attended the winding up of
the watches, the fufee of Mr. Arnold’s would not turn
round; fo that, after feveral unfuccefsful trials, we were
obliged to let it go down.
After getting clear of the Straits, I directed my courfe'
S. E. by E.. having a gentle gale, but variable, between the
S i Norths