272 cook's voyage to april, 



This island is called Wateeoo by the natives. It 

 lies in the latitude of 20 V S. and in the longi- 

 tude 201 45' E. and is about six leagues in 

 circumference. It is a beautiful spot, with a surface 

 composed of hills and plains, and covered with ver- 

 dure of many hues. Our gentlemen found the soil 

 where they passed the day to be light and sandy ; 

 but farther up the country a different sort perhaps 

 prevails, as we saw from the ship, by the help of our 

 glasses, a reddish cast upon the rising grounds. 

 There the inhabitants have their houses, for we 

 could perceive two or three which were long and 

 spacious. Its produce, with the addition of hogs, 

 we found to be the same as at the last island we 

 had visited, which the people of this, to whom we 

 pointed out its position, called Owhavarouah ; a 

 name so different from Mangeea Nooe Nainaiwa, 

 which we learnt from its own inhabitants, that it is 

 highly probable Owhavarouah is another island. 



From the circumstances already mentioned, it 

 appears, that Wateeoo can be of little use to any 

 ship that wants refreshment, unless in a case of the 

 most absolute necessity. The natives, knowing now 

 the value of some of our commodities, might be in- 

 duced to bring off fruits and hogs to a ship standing 

 off and on, or to boats lying off the reef, as ours did. 

 It is doubtful, however, if any fresh water could be 

 procured. For, though some was brought in cocoa- 

 nut shells to the gentlemen, they were told that it 

 was at a considerable distance ; and probably it is 

 only to be met with in some stagnant pool, as no 

 running stream was any where seen. 



general authenticity of these two relations. The information con- 

 tained in the letters of the Jesuits, about these islands, now known 

 under the name of the Carolines, and discovered to the Spaniards 

 by the arrival of the canoes at Samal and Guam, has been adopted 

 by all our later writers. See President de Brosse's Voyages aux 

 Terres Australes, torn. ii. from p. 443. to p. 490. See also the 

 Modern Universal History. 



