thing of Captain, Wallis’s vifit to Otaheite in 1765 ; nor of
Several o t h e r memorable occurrences, fuch as the ccnqtteil
of Ulietea by thofe of Bolabola, which had preceded the
arrival of the Europeans. To Mr. Anderfon I am alfo indebted
for their names, Orououte, Otirreroa, and Tavee;
the firft, born at Matavai in Otaheite; the feeond, at Ulietea;
and the third at Huaheine.
The landing of our gentlemen on this' illand, though
they failed in the object of it cannot bur be confidered as
a very fortunate eircumftance. It has proved, as we have
feen, the means of bringing to, our knowledge a matter-of
fail, not only very curious, but very inftructive. The application
of the above narrative is obvious, It will ferve to
explain, better than a thoufand conjectures of fpeculative
reafoners, how the detached parts of the earth, and, in
particular, how the iilands of the South Sea, may have
been firft peopled; efpecially thofe that lie remote from
any inhabited continent, or from each other*.
* Such accidents as this here related, probably happen frequently in the Pacific-
Ocean. In 1696, two canoes, having on board thirty perfons of both fexes,' were
driven, by contrary winds and tempeftuous weather, on-the ifle o f Samal,- one of the
Philippines, after being toft about at fea feventy days, and having performed a voyage,
from an ¡Hand called by them Amorfot, 300 leagues to the.Eaft of Samal. Five of
the number who had embarked, died of "the hardfhips fuffered during this extraordinary
pafiage. See a particular account of them, and of the iilands they belonged to, ill
Lettres Edlfimitcs fir Curiettfe^Tom. xv. from p. r9.fi. to p. 215. In the fame Volume,
from p. 282. to p. 320. we have the relation of a fimilar adventure; in 1721, when two
canoes, one containing twenty-four, and the other fix perfons, men, women, and
children, were driven, from an illand they called Farroilep, Northward to the ifle of
Guam, or Guahan, one of the Ladroncs or Mariannes. But thefe had not failed fo
far as their countrymen, who reached Samal as above,, and they had been at fea only
twenty days. There feems to be no reafon to doubt the general authenticity of thefc
two relations. The information contained in the letters of the Jefuits, about thefe
-iflands, now known under the name of the Carolines, and difcovered to the Spaniards
hr the arrival of the canoes at Samal and Guam, has been ad°Pted by all our later
writers. See Prefldent de Broile’s Voyages aux 'Terres Aujtrales, Tom. ii. from
p. 443. to p. 490. See alfo the Modern Umverjitl Hi/lory. ■ j
This ifland is called Wateeoo by the natives.' It lies in
the latitude of 20° 1' South, and in the longitude aoi° 45'.
Eaft, and is about fix leagues in circumference. It is a
beautiful fpot, with aSurface compofed of hills and plains,
and covered with verdure of many-hues. Our gentlemen
found the foil, where they pafled the day, to be light and
Sandy. But farther up the country, a different forr, perhaps,
prevails; as we Saw from the Ihip, by the help of
our glaffes, a rcddilh call upon the riling grounds. - There
the inhabitants have their houfes; for we could perceive
•two or three, which were long and fpacious. Its produce,
with the addition of hogs, we found to be the fame as at
the la ft ifland we had vifited, which the people of this, to
whom we pointed out its pofition, called Owhavarouah ; a
name fo different from Mangeea Nooe Nainaiwa, which we
learnt from its own inhabitants, that it is highly probable
Owhavarouah is another ifland.
From the circumftances already mentioned, it appears,
that Wateeoo can be of little ufe to any ihip that wants re-
freihment, unlefs in a cafe o f the moft abfolute neceflity.
The natives, knowing now the value of fome of our commodities,
,might be induced to bring off fruits and hogs, to
a Ihip Handing off and on, or to boats lying off the reef, as
ours did. It is doubtful, however, if any freih. water could
be procured. For, though fome was brought, in cocoa nut
Shells, to the gentlemen, they were told, that it was at a
confiderable diftance j and, probably, it is only to be met
with in fome ftagnant pool, as no running ftream was any
where feen.
According to OmaPs report of what he learnt in conversation
with his three countrymen, the manners of thefe
D d -2 iflanders,