jui t anchored at the Nore. Next day the Difcovery proceeded,
v.—V— > in obedience to my order; but the Refolution was ordered
to remain at the Nore till I ffiould join her, being at this
time in London.
As we were to touch at Otaheite and the Society Iflands,
in our way to the intended fcene of our freih operations, it
had been determined not to omit this opportunity (the only
one ever likely to happen) of carrying Omai back to his native
country. Accordingly, every thing being ready for our de-
Monday 24. parture, he and I fet out together from London on the 24th,
at fix o’clock in the morning. We reached Chatham between
ten and eleven o’clock; and, after dining with Com-
miffioner Proby, he very obligingly ordered his yacht to
carry us to Sheernefs, where my boat was waiting to take
us on board.
Omai left London with a mixture of regret and fatisfac-
tion. When we talked about England, and about thofe
who, during his ftay, had honoured him with their protection
or friendihip, I could obferve that his fpirits were fen-
fibly affetfted, and that it was with difficulty he could refrain
from tears. But, the inftant the eonverfation turned to his
own ifiands, his eyes began to fparkle with joy. He was
deeply impreffed with a fenfe of the good treatment he had
met with in England, and entertained the higheft ideas of
the country and of the people. But the pleafing profpetfl: he
now had before him of returning home, loaded with what,
he well knew, would be efteemtd invaluable treafures there,
and the flattering hope which the poffeffion of thefe gave
him, of attaining to a diftinguifhed fuperiority amongft
his countrymen, were confiderations which operated, by
degrees, to fupprefs every uneafy fenfation; and he feemed
to be quite happy when he got on board the ffiip.
He
He was furniffied, by his Majefty, with an ample provi- 076.
fion of every article which, during our intercourfe with his 1 ^“.ne' ■ *
country, we had obferved to be in any eftimation there,
either as ufeful or as ornamental. He had, befides, received
many prefents of the fame nature from Lord Sandwich,
Mr.* Banks, and feveral other Gentlemen arid Ladies of his
acquaintance. In fhort, every method had been employed,
both during his abode in England, and at his departure, to
make him the inflrument of conveying, to the inhabitants
of the iflands of the Pacific Ocean, the moil exalted-opinion
of the greatnefs and generality of the Britiih. nation.
While the Refolution lay at the Nore,- Mr. King made
feveral obfervarions for finding tire longitude by the watch.
The mean of them all, gave 0° 44' o", for the longitude of
the (hip. This, reduced to Sheernefs, by the bearing and
eftimated diftance, will make that place to be o° 37' o" Eaft
of Greenwich; which is more by feven miles than Mr.
Lyons made it, by the watch which Lord Mulgrave had with
him, on his voyage towards the North Pole. Whoever knows
any thing of the diftance between Sheernefs and Greenwich,
will be a judge which of thefe two. obfervations is-
neareft the truth.
The variation of the needle here, by a mean of different
fets, taken with different Compaffes, was 20° 37.' Weft.
On the 25th, about noon, we weighed anchor, and made Tucfdky zS..
fail for the Downs, through the Queen’s Channel, with a
gentle breeze ar North Weft by Weft. At nine in the evening
we anchored, with the North Foreland bearing South by
Eaft, and Margate Point South Weft by South.
* Now. Sir Joiegh*.
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