194 cook's voyage TO JAN. 



was not attended with much wind. We had, however, 

 prepared for the worst, by dropping the small bower 

 anchor ; and striking our top-gallant-yards. 



At seven o'clock the next morning, a breeze of 

 wind springing up at north-east, I took up the an- 

 chors with a view of removing the ship farther out. 

 The moment that the last anchor was up, the wind 

 veered to the east, which made it necessary to set all 

 the sail we could, in order to clear the shore : so that, 

 before we had tolerable sea-room, we were driven 

 some distance to leeward. We made a stretch off; 

 with a view to regain the road ; but having very little 

 wind, and a strong current against us, I found that 

 this was not to be effected, I therefore dispatched 

 Messrs. King and Williamson ashore, with three 

 boats, for water, and to trade for refreshments. At 

 the same time I sent an order to Captain Clerke to 

 put to sea after me, if he should see that 1 could not 

 recover the road. Being in hopes of finding one, or 

 perhaps a harbour, at the west end of the island, I 

 was the less anxious about getting back to my former 

 station. But as I had sent the boats thither, we kept 

 to windward as much as possible ; notwithstanding 

 which, at noon, we were three leagues to leeward. 

 As we drew near the west end of the island, we found 

 the coast to round gradually to the north-east, with- 

 out forming a creek, or cove, to shelter a vessel from 

 the force of the swell, which rolled in from the north, 

 and broke upon the shore in a prodigious surf; so 

 that all hopes of finding a harbour here vanished. 



Several canoes came off" in the morning, and followed 

 us as we stood out to sea, bartering their roots and 

 other articles. Being very averse to believe these peo- 

 ple to be cannibals, notwithstanding the suspicious cir- 

 cumstance which had happened the day before, we took 

 occasion now to make some more inquiries about this. 

 A small wooden instrument, beset with shark's teeth, 

 had been purchased ; and from its resemblance to the 

 saw or knife used by the New Zealanders, to dissect 



