1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 411 







Taoofa * had been my Tayo y when I was here, dur- 

 ing my last voyage ; consequently, we were not 

 strangers to each other. In a little time, I went 

 ashore with him, in search of fresh water; the pro- 

 curing of which, was the chief object that brought 

 me to Eooa. I had been told at Tongataboo, that 

 there was here a stream, running from the hills into 

 the sea ; but this was not the case now. I was first 

 conducted to a brackish spring, between low and 

 high water mark, amongst rocks, in the cove where 

 we landed, and where no one w r ould ever have 

 thought of looking for what we wanted. However, 

 I believe the water of this spring might be good, 

 were it possible to take it up, before the tide mixes 

 with it. Finding that we did not like this, our friends 

 took us a little way into the island ; where, in a deep 

 chasm, we found very good water $ which, at the 

 expence of some time and trouble, might be con- 

 veyed down to the shore, by means of spouts or 

 troughs, that could be made with plantain leaves, 

 and the stem of the tree. But, rather than to 

 undertake that tedious task, I resolved to rest con- 

 tented with the supply the ships had got at Tong- 

 ataboo. 



Before I returned on board, I set on foot a trade 

 for hogs and yams. Of the former we could procure 

 but few 5 but of the latter, plenty. I put ashore, at 

 this island, the ram and two ewes, of the Cape of 

 Good Hope breed of sheep ; intrusting them to the 

 care of Taoofa, who seemed proud of his charge. 

 It was fortunate, perhaps, that Mareewagee, to whom 

 I had given them, as before-mentioned, slighted the 

 present. Eooa, not having as yet got any dogs upon 

 it, seems to be a properer place than Tongataboo for 

 the rearing of sheep. 



* In the account of Captain Cook's former Voyage, he calls 

 the only chief he then met with at this place, Tioonij. See 

 Vol. III. p. 200. 



