1777' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 3^7 



did not find the least mark of cultivation, or ha- 

 bitation upon it, except a single hut, the residence 

 of a man employed to catch fish and turtle. It 

 is rather extraordinary that it should be in this 

 deserted state, communicating so immediately with 

 Lefooga, which is so perfectly cultivated ; for 

 though the soil is quite sandy, all the trees and 

 plants found in a natural state on the neighbour- 

 ing islands, are produced here with the greatest 

 vigour. The east side of it has a reef like Le- 

 fooga ; and the west side has a bending at the north 

 part, where there seems to be good anchorage. 

 Uninhabited as Hoolaiva is, an artificial mount, 

 like that at the adjoining island, has been raised 

 upon it, as high as some of the surrounding trees. 



At day-break next morning I made the signal 

 to weigh ; and as I intended to attempt a passage 

 to Annamooka, in my way to Tongataboo, by the 

 south-west, amongst the intervening islands, I sent 

 the master in a boat to sound before the ships. 

 But before we could get under sail, the wind be- 

 came unsettled ; which made it unsafe to attempt 

 a passage in this way, till we were better acquainted 

 with it. I therefore lay fast, and made the signal 

 for the master to return; and afterward sent him 

 and the master of the Discovery, each in a boat, 

 with instructions to examine the channels as far as 

 they could, allowing themselves time to get back to 

 the ships before the close of the day. 



About noon a large sailing canoe came under our 

 stern, in which was a person named Futtafaihe, or 

 Poulaho, or both ; who, as the natives then on board 

 told us, was king of Tongataboo, and of all the 

 neighbouring islands that we had seen or heard of. 

 It was a matter of surprize to me to have a stranger 

 introduced under this character, which I had so much 

 reason to believe really belonged to another. But they 

 persisted in their account of the supreme dignity of 

 this new visitor > and now, for the first time, they 



y 4* 



