November. Eafterly wihds> then Southerly, South Weft, Weft, North Weft,
v— y —1 North, and, in Ihort, all round the compafs, juft as we opened
■ diffèrent points of land.
The wind ftill hanging to the Southward, all intentions of
making Owhyhee were given up.
On the 28th, being within four miles of Morotoy, we had feve-
ral canoes along-fide, which brought us a few fmall hogs, together
with fome taro and potatoes, but far from fufficient to fupply us,
fo that it was determined to fteer for Whahoo. It unluckily hap-
pened, that any frefti breezes we met with came on generally in
the night, when prudence did not permit us to make much fail ;
and in the day-time we had generally light baffling winds.
At noon, on the 28th, the Bluff end of Morotoy bore South
Weft by Weft, about twelve miles diftant. In the afternoon, we
had fome fine cooling fhowers of rain, which made the weather
much cooler, and more agreeable than it had been for fome time
paft.
At eight o’clock in the morning of the 29th, we faw Whahoo,
and at noon, the Eaft Hummock bore Weft South Weft, about
eight leagues diftant. Our obfervation gave 21 deg. 26 min.
North latitude. During the afternoon, we kept ftanding along
the Coaft of Morotoy. At eight o’clock the Round Hummock on
Whahoo bore Weft South Weft, and the Weft end of Morotoy
South by Eaft. We tacked, and flood to the North Eaft till twelve
o’clock, when we again tacked, and fleered South Weft by Weft.
In
In the forenoon of the 30th, we kept ftanding South Weft, with 1786.
a fine breeze at South Eaft. Our obfervation at noon gave 21 ^ovembey-
deg. 20 min. North latitude. The Weft end of Morotoy bore
Scuth 45 deg. Eaft; and Whahoo South Weft, diftant about two
leagues.
At five in the afternoon we came to anchor in eight fathom
water, in the bay we lay in before, and pretty near our old fitu-
ation, the Eaft extreme of the bay bearing Eaft by South ; and the
Weftermoft land Weft by South, half South, about two mileS diftant
from fhore. In the, evening we moored Ihip, with .the llream
anchor and cable.
As it is more than a fortnight fince we firft made the iflands,,
thou mayeft think it fomewhat extraordinary that we did not get
into a harbour before; but thou muft confider, that hogs and
vegetables, being what we chiefly wanted, could in general be as
eafily procured, by plying off and on, as coming to anchor.
Again, having a confiderable time to fpend among thefe iflands,
we were loth to leave.thofe to windward, as in that cafe it would
be next to impoflible to fetch them again.
If thefe reafons, joined to the contrary and light winds we have
had lately, are not fufficient for thee:, it is out of my power to give
thee any better: indeed I give myfelf little concern about the matter,
generally thinking with Pope,, that “ whatever is, is right.”
However, I cannot help congratulating myfelf on our prefent
fituation, compared with what it would have been, had we. wintered
in King George’s Sound : perhaps by this time thegreateft
fart of us---- but I will trouble thee with no perhaps’s ; let it
fuffice,,