120 cook's voyage to dec. 



I thought proper in return. With these messengers, 

 we set out in our boats for an island, lying at the 

 north side of the entrance into the harbour, where 

 the anchor had been deposited. I found it to be 

 neither so large, nor so perfect, as I expected. It 

 had originally weighed seven hundred pounds, ac- 

 cording to the mark that was upon it ; but the ring, 

 with part of the shank, and the two points, were now 

 wanting. I was no longer at a loss to guess the 

 reason of Opoony's refusing my present. He doubt- 

 less thought that it so much exceeded the value of 

 the anchor in its present state, that I should be dis- 

 pleased when I saw it. Be this as it may, I took the 

 anchor as I found it, and sent him every article of 

 the present that I at first intended. Having thus 

 completed my negociation, I returned on board ; and 

 having hoisted in the boats, made sail from the island 

 to the north. 



While the boats were hoisting in, some of the na- 

 tives came offj in three or four canoes, to see the 

 ships, as they said. They brought with them a few 

 cocoa-nuts, and one pig, which was the only one we 

 got at the island. I make no doubt, however, that, 

 if we bad stayed till the next day, we should have 

 been plentifully supplied with provisions j and, I 

 think, the natives would feel themselves disappointed^ 

 when they found that we were gone. But as we had 

 already a very good stock both of hogs and of fruit 

 on board, and very little of any thing left to purchase 

 more, I could have no inducement to defer any 

 longer the prosecution of our voyage. 



The harbour of Bolabola, called Oteavanooa, situ- 

 ated on the west side of the island, is one of the most 

 capacious that I ever met with ; and though we did 

 not enter it, it was a satisfaction to me, that I had 

 an opportunity of employing my people to ascertain 

 its being a proper place for the reception of ships.* 



* See a chart of the island Bolabola in Haivkeszvorth's Collec- 

 tion, vol. ii. p. 249. Though we have no particular drawing of 

 the harbour, its situation is there distinctly represented. 



