1787.- On the 2d of September, being in 20 deg. 1 min. North lati-
'A'.iguflr., tU(je an(j j^0 deg. 3 min. Weft longitude, we fteered due Weft, in
order to make Owhyhee, the principal of the Sandwich Iflands.
Our latitude at noon on the 3d was 19 deg. 55 min. North,
and our longitude, being the mean of feveral fets lunar obferva-
tions, 152 deg. 9 min. Weft. /
At fix o’clock in the morning of the 5th we faw Owhyhee, which
bore from South South Weft to Weft, one-fourth North, aboutfour-
teen leagues diftant; the latitude at noon was 20 deg. 4 min. and
the longitude, by lunar obfervation, 154 deg. 4 1 min. Weft. The
breeze growing light, we could not fetch the land by day-light, fo
. that at fix o’clock we hauled our wind to the Northward, making
occafional boards during the night.
This paflage, from the American coaft to Owhyhee, has- been
by far the moft favourable of any we have experienced during the
. voyage; we have performed it in lefs than a month, whereas we expended
to have been at leaft five weeks : however, we had frefh
reafön to admire the goodnéfs of Providence, which had been with
us during the whole of our voyage, and more particularly in this
inftance, for the fcurvy had alreadymade s rapid progrefs amongft
the Ihip’s company, fcarcely a perfon on board being free from its
baneful influence, and feveral of our people rendered incapable of
doing their duty, fo that had the paflage hither been long and
tedious,*it doublefs would have proved fatal to many of us, not-
withftanding every antifcorbutic on board was adminiftered in the
moft liberal manner; but the hope of fpeedily procuring frefh
pork and vegetables now infufed new life and vigour into every
perfon.
I lhall
I lhall juft obferve here, that our people, while on the coaft, had *7^ ^
falted large quantities of halibut, and always eat it m preference ,— ,— 1
to the Ihip’s beef and pork. Whether or no their devouring this
fait filh, at no kind of allowance, might accelerate the fcorbutic
complaint, I leave to the faculty to determine.
But to return._At feven o’clock in the morning of the 6th we
bore away to the Weftward, and feeing a number of canoes
coming from the land, we hove to in order to trade with them :
the people brought great plenty of fmall hogs and potatoes, and
were as fond as ever of iron, though we were afraid that the Imperial
Eagle, and feveral of the Bengal Ihips, touching here, would
have been prejudicial to the trade.
By ten o’clocka vaft number of canoes were along-fide us, and
the Indians traded very eagerly, many of them climbing up the
fhip’s fide for that purpofe, and numbers merely to gratify their
curiofity, and look for any thing they could run away with. One
of this laft defcription, watching his opportunity whilft all of us
were bufily engaged with the traders, fnatched a poker from the
Armourer’s forge and jumped over board with it. We called to him
repeatedly to bring it back, but all in vain, the fellow fwam off
with it, and feemed remarkably well pleafed with his acquifition:
prefently one of the canoes picked him up, and they paddled away
for the fhore. On this our Captain determined to make an.
example of him, and the more fo, as if he was fuffered to efcape
with impunity, we fhould find it impoflible to trade with fuch
a multiplicity of people, without being continually fubjeft to their
depredations: on which feveral mufkets were fired at the thief,
and we prefently faw that he was very feverely wounded, by his
bleeding profufely. After feme time, his companions were per-
I j fuaded