7* cook's VOYAGE TO SEPT. 



CHAP. V. 



ARRIVAL AT EIMEO. TWO HARBOURS THERE, AND AN 



ACCOUNT OF THEM. VISIT FROM MAHEINE, CHIEF OF 



THE ISLAND. HIS PERSON DESCRIBED. A GOAT STOLEN, 



AND SENT BACK WITH THE THIEF. ANOTHER GOAT STOLEN, 



AND SECRETED. MEASURES TAKEN ON THE OCCASION. 



EXPEDITION CROSS THE ISLAND. HOUSES AND CANOES 



BURNT. THE GOAT DELIVERED UP, AND PEACE RESTORED. 



SOME ACCOUNT OF THE ISLAND, &C. 



As I did not give up my design of touching at 

 Eimeo, at day-break, in the morning of the 30th, 

 after leaving Otaheite, I stood for the north end of 

 the island ; the harbour, which I wished to examine, 

 being at that part of it. Omai, in his canoe, having 

 arrived there long before us, had taken some neces- 

 sary measures to show us the place. However, we 

 were not without pilots, having several men of Ota- 

 heite on board, and not a few women. Not caring 

 to trust entirely to these guides, I sent two boats to 

 examine the harbour, and, on their making the signal 

 for safe anchorage, we stood in with the ships, and 

 anchored close up to the head of the inlet, in ten 

 fathoms water, over a bottom of soft mud, and 

 moored with a hawser fast to the shore. 



This harbour, which is called Taloo, is situated 

 upon the north side of the island, in the district of 

 Oboonohoo, or Poonohoo. It runs in south, or 

 south by east, between the hills, above two miles. 

 For security and goodness of its bottom, it is not 

 inferior to any harbour that I have met with at any of 

 the islands in this ocean ; and it has this advantage 

 over most of them, that a ship can sail in and out 

 with the reigning trade-wind ; so that the access 

 and recess are equally easy. There are several rivu- 



