C H A P T E R X y i l L
jPaffage from Tongutabao to Chink.# •
O n Thurfday morBuog, the Septeinber, We weighed, and
failing from Tongatabo© by 'the northern paHa-ge,', paffed4'elo{e. by
the fmall iflands o f Honga Harpy and Honga Topga j thefe are
both moderately high, and appear fertile:3at* four P. M . they bore
E .& E . tyventy-two miles diftant. A f t« which we ftfeered tit.Wi per
compafs one hundred and: twepty^fix miles, * and ^ireft thirty-fjro
miles. Obferved at noon ori the 8th in 18°' 43' g^and .‘fSppofed
that a current jv-as fetting us TO the -Weftward. • prom nook lilldaalf
paft five P. M . we fteerod W . b y S. thirty-nine miles; thenhofo to
for Two iflands, the fouthemmoft o f which bore S.W . § S. add the
northernmoft W . b y N . dfftariCe fean the lattisf feve#ifegne^‘yKThe
former had a remarkable flat top, on which , account we called:'- it
Table ifland. A little before ■ #e hove top the time-keeper • gave
the' longitude o f the fhip 1825 '5' E . Before dark we could -fee
other iflands further to the weftward,. and fuppofed them either the
fame, or very near to tho&, Captain Bljgh firft M in. w ith afte?
leading Tofoa in the launch.
We had brilk galea aynd a hollow fea all the night '; about f ix hours
we lay with the fiiip’s head to the northward, then wore to the
fouthward till daylight; in which laft fpace o f time we mdft have
pafled clofe to a dangerous reef, named in the chart Providence
reef| but as -nothing o f this kind was in fight before dark, we had
no apprehenfion o f reefs lying in our way ; and even when the day
broke we thought- we had a clear fea, and at fix o’clock bore away,’