1777* THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 129 



was very accurately settled during my former voy- 

 ages, the above observations were now made chiefly 

 with a view of determining how far a number of lunar 

 observations might be depended upon, and how near 

 they would agree with those made upon the same 

 spot in 170*9, which fixed Matavai Point to be 20 1 c 

 27' 30''. The difference, it appears, is only of 5' 2"; 

 and, perhaps, no other method could have produced 

 a more perfect agreement. Without pretending to 

 say which of the two computations is the nearest the 

 truth, the longitude of 210 %& 28", or, which is the 

 same thing, 20S 25' 22", will be the longitude we 

 shall reckon from with the time-keeper, allowing it to 

 be losing, on mean time, l."6g each day, as found 

 by the mean of all the observations made at these 

 islands for that purpose. 



On our arrival at Otaheite, the error of the time- 

 keeper in longitude was, 



, J Greenwich rate, 1 18' 58' 

 y l Tongataboo rate, 16' 40' 



Some observations were also made on the tide ; 

 particularly at Otaheite and Ulietea > with a view of 

 ascertaining its greatest rise at the first place. When 

 we were there, in my second voyage, Mr. Wales 

 thought he had discovered that it rose higher than I 

 had observed it to do, when I first visited Otaheite in 

 1769. But the observations we now made, proved 

 that it did not ; that is, that it never rose higher than 

 twelve or fourteen inches at most. And it was ob- 

 served to be high-water nearly at noon, as well at the 

 quadratures, as at the full and change of the moon. 



S" 



VOL. VI. K 



