168 cook's voyage to dec* 



mine whether it was practicable to land, of which I 

 had some doubt, as the sea broke in a dreadful surf" 

 all along the shore. When the boat returned, the 

 officer whom I had intrusted with this examin- 

 ation, reported to me that he could see no place 

 where a boat could land ; but that there was great 

 abundance of rish in the shoal water, without the 

 breakers. 



At day-break the next morning I sent two boats, 

 one from each ship, to search more accurately for a 

 landing-place ; and, at the same time, two others to 

 fish at a grappling near the shore. These last re- 

 turned about eight o'clock with upward of two hun- 

 dred weight of fish. Encouraged by this success, 

 they were dispatched again after breakfast, and I 

 then went in another boat, to take a view of the 

 coast and attempt landing ; but this I found to be 

 wholly impracticable. Toward noon, the two boats 

 sent on the same search returned. The master, who 

 was in that belonging to the Resolution, reported to 

 me, that about a league and a half to the north, was 

 a break in the land, and a channel into the lagoon, 

 consequently, that there was a fit place for landing ; 

 and that he had found the same soundings off this 

 entrance as we had where we now lay. In conse- 

 quence of this report the ships weighed anchor, and 

 after two or three trips came to again in twenty 

 fathoms water, over a bottom of fine dark sand, be- 

 fore a small island that lies at the entrance of the 

 lagoon ; and on each side of which there is a channel 

 leading into it ; but only fit for boats. The water in 

 the lagoon itself is all very shallow. 



On the 26th, in the morning, J ordered Captain 

 Gierke to send a boat with an officer to the S. E. part 

 of the lagoon, to look for turtle; and Mr. King and 

 [ went each in a boat to the N.E. part. I intended 

 to have gone to the most easterly extremity ; but the 

 wind blew too fresh to allow it, and obliged us to land 

 more to leeward, on a sandy Hat, where we caught 



