’ 777- endeavour to find a landing-place. With this view, I went
' i in one of them myfelf, taking with me fuCh articles to
give the natives, as I thought might ferve to gain their
good-will. I had no fooner put off from the ihip, than the
canoe, with the two men, which had left us not long before,
paddled towards my boat; and, having come along-
fide, Mourooa flept into her, without being aiked, and
without a moment’s hefitation.
Omai, who was with me, was ordered to inquire of him,
where we could land ; and he directed us to two different
places. ButT faw, with regret, that the attempt could not
be made at either place, unlefs at the riik of having our
boats filled with water, or even ftaved to pieces. Nor were
we more fortunate in our fearch for anchorage ; for we
could find no bottom, till within a cable’s length of the
breakers. There we met with from forty to twenty fathoms
depth, over, lharp coral rocks; fo that anchoring would
have been attended with much more danger than landing.
While we were thus employed in reconnoitring the
ihore, great numbers o f the natives thronged down upon
the reef, all armed as above mentioned. Mourooa, who
was now in my boat, probably thinking that this warlike
appearance hindered us from landing, ordered them to
retire back. As many-of them complied, I judged he muff
be a perfon of fome eonfequence among them. Indeed, if
we underftood him right, he was the king’s brother. So'
great was the curiofity of feveral of them, that they took
to the water, and, fwimming off to the boats, came, on
board them without referve. Nay, we found it difficult
to keep them out; and ftill more difficult to prevent
their carrying off every thing they could lay their hands
upon.
upon. At length; when they perceived that we were returning
to the ihips, they all left us, except our original
viiiter Mourooa. He, though hot without evident figns of
fear, kept his place in my boat, and accompanied me on
board the fhip-. .
The cattle and other new objedfs, that prefented them-
felves to him there, did not ftrike him with fo much fur-
prife as one might have expecTed. Perhaps his mind was-
too much taken up about his own fafety, to allow him to
attend to other things. It is certain, that he feemed very
uneafy; and the ihip, on our getting on board, happening
to be ftandirig off ihore; this circumftance made him the
more fo. I could get but little new information from him';
and therefore, after he had made a ihort ilay, I ordered
a boat to carry him in toward the land. As foon as he got
out of the cabin, he happened to Humble over one of the
goats. His curiofity now overcoming his fear, he Hopped,,
looked at it, and aiked Omai, what bird this was i and not
receiving an immediate anfwer from him, he repeated the
queftion to fome of the people upon deck. The Boat having
conveyed him pretty near to the furf, he leaped into-
the fea, and fwam afhore. He had no fooner landed; than
the multitude of his countrymen gathered rounddiim, as if
with an eager curiofity to learn from him what he had
feen ; and in this fituation they remained, when we loft
fight of ftierrt. As ibon as the boat returned, we hoified her '
in, and made-fail from the land'to the Northward.
Thus were we obliged to leave, unyiiited, this fine ifland,.
which feemed capable of fupplying all our wants. It lies
in the latitude of ai° 57' South ; and in the longitude of
2010 53' Eafl. Such parts of the coafi, as fell, under our-
■4, , , obfervation,.