»777- It was no fooner day-light, than we were vifited by fix or-
—v—-> feven canoes from different iflands, bringing with them,
befides fruits and roots, two pigs, feveral fowls, fome large
wood-pigeons, fmall rails, and large violet-coloured coots.
All thefe they exchanged with us for beads, nails.,-hatchets,
&c. They had alfo other articles of commerce; fuch as
pieces of their cloth, fiih-hooks, fmall baikets, mufical reeds,
and fome clubs, fpears, and bows. But I ordered, that no
curiofities ihould be purchafed. till the fhips ihould be fup-
plied with provifions, and leave given for that purpofe.
Knowing, alfo, from experience, that,, if all our people might,
trade with the natives, according to their own eaprice, perpetual
quarrels would enfue, I ordered that particular perfons
ihould manage the traffic both on board and on Chore, prohibiting
all others to interfere. Before mid-day, Mr. K ing’s,
boat returned with. Ceven hogs, fome fowls, a quantity of-
fruit and roots for ourfelves, and fome grafs for the cattle.
His party was very civilly treated at Komango. The inhabitants
did not feem to be numerous ;_and their huts, which»,
flood clofe to each other, within a plantain walk, were but;
indifferent. Not far from them, was a pretty large pond of:
frefh water, tolerably good; but there was not any appearance
of a ftream. With Mr. King, came on board the Chief
of the ifland, named Tooboulangee; and another, whofe,-
name was Taipa. They brought with them a hog, as a.
prefent to me, and promifed more the next day.
As foon as the boats were aboard, I flood for Annamooka
and the wind being fcant, I intended to go between Anna-
mooka-ette *, and the breakers to the South Eaft of k. But,.
* T h a t is,, Little Apnamooka..
OO
on drawing near, we met with very irregular foundings,
varying, every caft, ten or twelve fathoms. This obliged
me to give up the defign, and to go to the Southward of all;
which carried us to leeward, and made it neceffary to fpend
the night under fail. It was very dark; and we had the
wind, from every diredion, accompanied with heavy ihowers
o f rain. So that, at day-light the next morning, we found
ourfelves much farther off than we had been the evening
before; and the little wind that now blew, was right in our
teeth.
We continued to ply, all day, to very little purpofe; and,
in the evening, anchored in thirty-nine fathoms water;
the bottom coral rocks, and broken ihells; the Weft point
o f Annamooka bearing Eaft North Eaft, four miles diftant.
Tooboulangee and Taipa kept their promife, and brought
off to me fome hogs. Several others were alfo procured by
bartering, from different canoes that followed us; and as
much fruit as we could well manage. It was remarkable,
that, during the whole day, our vifiters from the iflands
would hardly part with any of their commodities to any body
but me. Captain Clerke did not get above one or two hogs.
At four o’clock next morning, I ordered a boat to be
hoifted out, and fent the Mailer to found the South Weft
fide of Annamooka; where there appeared to be a harbour,
formed by the ifland on the North Eaft, and by fmall iflots,'
and fhoals, to the South Weft and South Eaft. In the mean
time, the ihips were got under fail, and wrought up to the
ifland.
When the Mafter returned, he reported, that he had founded
between Great and Little Annamooka, where he found
ten and twelve fathoms depth of water, the bottom coral
fand;
Wedttef. .¿dk
May,
Thurfday i i