1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 279 



our men on board -, and even the ship's name. And 

 they very readily answered such questions as we 

 proposed to them. Amongst other things, they told 

 us, they had seen two great ships, like ours, before ; 

 but that they had not spoken with them as they sailed 

 past. There can be no doubt, that these were the 

 Resolution and Adventure. We learnt from them, 

 that the name of their island is Terouggemou 

 Atooa ; and that they were subject to Teerevatooeah, 

 king of Wateeoo.* According to the account that 

 they gave, their articles of food are cocoa-nuts, fish, 

 and turtle ; the island not producing plantains, or 

 bread-fruit ; and being destitute of hogs and dogs. 

 Their canoes, of which near thirty were at one 

 time in sight, are pretty large and well built. In 

 the construction of the stern, they bear some resem- 

 blance to those of Wateeoo ; and the head projects 

 out nearly in the same manner ; but the extremity 

 is turned up instead of down. 



Having but very little wind, it was one o'clock 

 before we drew near the north-west part of the 

 island ; the only part where there seemed to be any 

 probability of finding anchorage for our ships, or a 

 landing-place for our boats. In this position, I sent 

 Lieutenant King, with two armed boats, to sound 

 and reconnoitre the coast, while we stood off and on 

 with the ships. The instant the boats were hoisted 

 out, our visitors in the canoes, who had remained 

 alongside all the while, bartering their little trifles, 

 suspended their traffic, and pushing for the shore 

 as fast as they could, came near us no more. 



At three o'clock, the boats returned ; and Mr. 

 King informed me, " That there was no anchorage 

 for the ships ; and that the boats could only land on 

 the outer edge of the reef, which lay about a quarter 

 of a mile from the dry land. He said, that a number 



* The reader will observe, that this name bears little affinity 

 to any one of the names of the three chiefs of Wateeoo, as pre- 

 served by Mr. Anderson. 



T 4 



