430 COOK S VOYAGE TO JULY, 



at any other time), they are then bewildered, fre- 

 quently miss their intended port, and are never heard 

 of more. The history of Omai's countrymen, who 

 were driven to Wateeoo, leads us to infer, that those 

 not heard of are not always lost. 



Of all the harbours and anchoring places I have 

 met with amongst these islands, that of Tongataboo 

 is by far the best ; not only on account of its great 

 security, but of its capacity, and of the goodness of 

 its bottom. The risk that we ran in entering it from 

 the north, ought to be a sufficient caution to every 

 future commander not to attempt that passage again 

 with a ship of burden ; since the other, by which we 

 left it, is so much more easy and safe. To sail into 

 it by this eastern channel, steer in for the north-east 

 point of the island, and keep along the north shore, 

 with the small isles on your starboard, till you are the 

 length of the east point of the entrance into the 

 lagoon; then edge over for the reef of the small 

 isles ; and, on following its direction, it will conduct 

 you through between Makkahaaa and Monooafai, or 

 the fourth and fifth isles, which you will perceive to 

 lie off* the west point of the lagoon. Or you may go 

 between the third and fourth islands, that is, between 

 Pangimodoo and Monooafai ; but this channel is 

 much narrower than the other. There runs a very 

 strong tide in both. The flood, as I have observed 

 before, comes in from the north-west, and the ebb 

 returns the same way ; but I shall speak of the tides 

 in another place. As soon as you are through either 

 of these channels, haul in for the shore of Tongata- 

 boo, and anchor between it and Pangimodoo, before 

 a creek leading into the lagoon ; into which boats 

 can go at half flood. 



Although Tongataboo has the best harbour, Anna- 

 mooka furnishes the best water ; and yet it cannot 

 be called good. However, by digging holes near the 

 side of the pond, we can get what may be called 



81 



