16 A VOYAGE TOWARDS THE SOUTH POLE,
1 7 7 4 . Chore, I got the names of twenty iflands which lie between
. June' ■ the N. W. and N. E., fome of them in fight. Two of them,
Tuefday 28. ]je moft to the Weft, viz. Amattafoa and Oghao, are
remarkable on account of their great height. In Amattafoa,
which is the wefternmoft, we judged there was a volcano,
by the continual column of fmoke we faw daily amending
from the middle of it.
Both Mr. Cooper and myfelf being on Chore at noon, Mr.
Wales could not wind up the watch at the ufual time ; and,
as we did not come on board till late in the afternoon, it was
forgotten till it was down. This circumftance was of no
confequence, as Mr. Wales had had feveral altitudes of the
fun at this place, before it went down; and alfo had opportunities
of taking fome after.
Wednef. 29. At day-break on the 29th, having got under fail with a
'light breeze at Well, we flood to the North for the two high
iflands ; but the wind, learning upon us, carried us in
amongft the low ides and fhoalsCo that we had to ply, to
clear them. This gave time for a great many canoes, from
all parts, to get up with us. The people in them brought
for traffic various articles ;• fome roots, fruits, and fowls,
but of the latter not many. They took- in exchange fmall
nails, and pieces of any kind of cloth. I believe, before
they went away, they ftripped the moft of our people of the
few clothes the ladies o f Otaheite had left them; for the
paflion for curiofities was as great as ever. Having got
clear of the low ifl.es, we made a ftreteh to the South, and
did but fetch a little to windward of the fouth end of Ana-
mocka; fo that we got little by this day’s plying. Here
we fpent the night, making fhort boards over that fpace
with
with which we had made ourfelves acquainted the preced-
ing day.
On the 30th at day-break ftretched out for Amattafoa, with
a gentle breeze at W. S. W. Day no fooner dawned than
we faw canoes coming from all parts. Their traffic was
much the fame as it had been the day before, or rather
better; for out o f one canoe I got two pigs, which were fcarce
articles here. At four in the afternoon, we drew near the ifland
o f Amattafoa, and palled between it and Oghao, the channel
being two miles broad, fafe and without foundings. While
we were in the pafiage, we had little wind and calms. This
gave time fora large failing double canoe, which had been
following us all the day, as well as fome others With paddles,
to come up with us.
I had now an opportunity to verify a thing I was before
in doubt about; which was, whether or no fome of
thefe canoes did not, in changing tacks, only drift the fail,
and fo proceed with that end foremoft, which before was
the ftern. The one we now faw wrought in this manner.
The fail is latteen, extended to a latteen yard above, and to
a boom at the foot; in one word, it is like a whole mizzen,
fuppofing the whole foot to be extended to a boom. The
yard is flung nearly in the middle, or upon an equipoife.
When they change tacks they throw the veflel up in the
wind, eafeoff the fheet, and bring the heel or tack-end of
the yard to the other end of the boat, and the fheet in like
manner: there are notches, or fockets, at each end of the
veflel in which the end of the yard fixes. In fhort, they
work juft as thofe do at the Ladrone Iflands, according to Mr.
-Walter’s defeription *. When they want to fail large, or be-
Vol. II.
* See Loi d An fun’s Voyage.
D fore