1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 333 



to the south, our ship, by a small shift of the wind, 

 fetched farther to the windward than was expected. 

 By this means she was very near running full upon a 

 low sandy isle, called Pootoo Pootooa, surrounded 

 with breakers. It happened very fortunately that the 

 people had just been ordered upon the deck, to put 

 the ship about, and the most of them were at their 

 stations ; so that the necessary movements were not 

 only executed with judgment, but also with alert- 

 ness ; and this alone saved us from destruction. The 

 Discovery being astern, was out of danger. Such 

 hazardous situations are the unavoidable companions 

 of the man, who goes upon a voyage of discovery. 



This circumstance frightened our passengers so 

 much, that they expressed a strong desire to get 

 ashore. Accordingly, as soon as day-light returned, 

 I hoisted out a boat, and ordered the officer who 

 commanded her, after landing them at Kotoo, to 

 sound along the reef that spits off from that island, 

 for anchorage. For I was full as much tired as they 

 could be, with beating about amongst the surround- 

 ing isles and shoals, and determined to get to an 

 anchor somewhere or other if possible. While the 

 boat was absent, we attempted to turn the ships 

 through the channel, between the sandy isle and the 

 reef of Kotoo, in expectation of finding a moderate 

 depth of water behind them to anchor in. But, 

 meeting with a tide or current against us, we were 

 obliged to desist, and anchor in fifty fathoms' water, 

 with the sandy isle bearing east by north, one mile 

 distant. 



We lay here till the 4th. While in this station 

 we were, several times, visited by the king, by 

 Tooboueitoa, and by people from the neighbouring 

 islands, who came off to trade with us, though the 

 wind blew r very fresh most of the time. The master 

 was now sent to sound the channels between the 

 islands that lie to the eastward ; and I landed on 

 Kotoo, to examine it in the forenoon of the 2d. 



