410 cook's VOYAGE TO JULY, 



which I had formed, of coming to an anchor, as soon 

 as we were through the narrows, and of making an 

 excursion to see the funeral. I chose rather to lose 

 that ceremony, than to leave the ships in a situation, 

 in which I did not think them safe. We continued 

 to ply to windward, between the two tides, without 

 either gaining or losing an inch, till near high water, 

 when, by a favourable slant, we got into the eastern 

 tide's influence. We expected there to find the 

 ebb to run strong to the eastward in our favour ; 

 but it proved so inconsiderable, that, at any other 

 time, it would not have been noticed. This informed 

 us, that most of the water, which flows into the 

 lagoon, comes from the north west, and returns the 

 same way. About five in the afternoon, finding that 

 we could not get to sea before it was dark, I came 

 to an anchor, under the shore of Tongataboo, in 

 forty-five fathoms' water ; and about two cables 

 length from the reef, that runs along that side of the 

 island. The Discovery dropped anchor under our 

 stern ; but before the anchor took hold, she drove oft* 

 the bank, and did not recover it till after midnight. 



We remained at this station, till eleven o'clock the 

 next day, when we weighed, andplyed to the eastward. 

 But it was ten at night before we weathered the east 

 end of the island, and were enabled to stretch away 

 for Middleburg, or Eooa (as it is called by the 

 inhabitants), where we anchored at eight o'clock the 

 next morning, in forty fathoms' water, over a bottom 

 of sand, interspersed with coral rocks ; the extremes 

 of the island extending, from N. 40 E. to S. 22 W. ; 

 the high land of Eooa, S. 45 E. ; and Tongataboo, 

 from N. 70 W. to N. 19 W. ; distant about half 

 a mile from the shore ; being nearly the same place 

 where I had my station in 1773, and then named by 

 me, English Road. 



We had no sooner anchored, than Taoofa the 

 chief, and several other natives, visited us on board, 

 and seemed to rejoice much at our arrival. This 



