1773' ROUND THE WORLD. 141 



After passing about an hour on Motuara with 

 these people, and having distributed among them 

 some presents, and showed to the chief the gardens 

 we had made, I returned on board, and spent the 

 remainder of our royal master's birth-day in festivity ; 

 having the company of Captain Furneaux and all his 

 officers. Double allowance enabled the seamen to 

 share in the general joy. 



Both ships being now ready for sea, I gave Captain 

 Furneaux an account in writing of the route I in- 

 tended to take ; which was to proceed to the east, 

 between the latitudes of 41 and 46 south, until I 

 arrived in the longitude of 140 or 135 west ; then, 

 provided no land was discovered, to proceed to 

 Otaheite ; from thence back to this place by the 

 shortest route ; and after taking in wood and water, 

 to proceed to the south, and explore all the unknown 

 parts of the sea between the meridian of New Zealand 

 and Cape Horn ; therefore, in case of separation 

 before we reached Otaheite, I appointed that island 

 for the place of rendezvous, where he was to wait 

 till the 20th of August : if not joined by me before 

 that time, he was then to make the best of his way 

 back to Queen Charlotte's Sound, where he was to 

 wait until the 20th of November ; after which (if not 

 joined by me) he was to put to sea, and carry into 

 execution their lordships' instructions. 



Some may think it an extraordinary step in me to 

 proceed on discoveries as far south as 46 degrees of 

 latitude, in the very depth of winter. But though it 

 must be owned, that winter is by no means favour- 

 able for discoveries, it nevertheless appeared to me 

 necessary that something should be done in it, in 

 order to lessen the work I was upon, lest I should 

 not be able to finish the discovery of the southern 

 part of the South Pacific Ocean the ensuing summer. 

 Besides, if I should discover any land in my route to 

 the east, I should be ready to begin, with the sum- 

 mer, to explore it. Setting aside all these consider- 



