J787. threw His anvil over-board. This was looked on as ,a very bad
March. ^ accident, as we had few toes ready, made, and we knew they would
be Angularly ufeful in our future traffic.
During the 6th and 7th, we had freffi Wefterly breezes. In the
morning of the 7th, Captain Dixon went on board the King
George, and on his return, we fleered Eaft South Eaft, our Captains
having determined, if the wind kept to the Southward and
Weftward, to make Owhyhee; but all hopes of this fort quickly
vaniffied, for in the forenoon of the 8th, the wind veered to Eaft
North Eaft.
During the 9th and 10th, we plied to Windward, expecting to
find the wind ftill variable ; but it now feemed fet in for a con-
ftant fteady trade, fo that in the forenoon of the 1 ith, we gave up
any intention of making Owhvhee, and ftretdhed again to the
South Weft.
Being favoured with a brifk, fteady, Eafterly breeze, early in the
afternoon, we were within two miles of the North Weft fide of
Whahoo. On feeing a fmall village a little to the Weftward, we
lay to about three hours, expecting .the inhabitants would bring us
fome hogs and vegetables, and more efpecially, as this was a part of
the ifland we had not been near before, bat we had only two fmall
, canoes came near us, and they bringing little or nothing, at five
o ’clock we made fail, and flood to the Weftward.
The extremes of Whahoo now bore from 'South 50 deg. Eaft,
to South 35 deg. Weft; diftant about three leagues. Excepting
the fmall village I have juft mentioned, the North fide of Whahoo
appears to be uninhabited; neither is there any good fhelter for a
veffel
veffel to anchor in ; the fhore is generally fleep and mountainous, 1787^
and in that refpecl a good deal refembles the North fide of Atoui. . ,- —
At feven o’clock in the morning of the 12th, we faw Atoui, and
at noon, we were within a few miles of our anchoring birth, in
Wymoa Bay. The weather was very fine, with a moderate Eafterly
breeze. We flood on under an eafy fail, expecting the natives
would bring us fome refrefhments, but not a Angle canoe appeared
in the bay: this fufficiently confirmed our former opinion, that the
King was determined to ftarve us from the ifland. At fix o’clock,
the extremes of Atoui bore from North 10 deg. Weft, to North
56 deg. Eaft ; and the North end of Oneehow, from Weft to
Weft by South.
All hopes of procuring any quantity of hogs were now given up,
and the only thing we waited for, previous tp the profecution of
our Voyage to the Northward, was a fupply of yams from Oneehow,
which entirely depended on our meeting with a fteady Eafterly
wind.
During the. 13th, we had light variable winds; towards the
evening, the Iky grew black and lowering; the air was exceeding
clofe and fultry, and the night was almoft one continued ftorm of
heavy rain, attended with violent thunder and lightning. Light
airs, and intervening calms, attended us the greateft part o f the
■ 1.4th ; but about fix o’clock in the afternoon, a freffi breeze fprung
up at Eaft NorthDaft, on which we hauled.our wind to the-South-
ward during the night, expecting at day-break to bear away for
Oneehow; but at fix o’clock in the morning of the 15th,-the wind
.ffiifting to ;Eaft South Eaft, -Captain Portlock hauled his wind,
contrary to our expectation, and fleered North Eaft. At noon,
the