1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN". C 2Q5 



six, which we can distinguish by their names, it ap- 

 peared, that the inhabitants of those with whom we 

 had intercourse, were acquainted with some other 

 islands both to the eastward and westward. I named 

 the whole group the Sandwich Islands, in honour of 

 the Earl of Sandwich. Those that I saw, are situ- 

 ated between the latitude of '21 30', and c 2> 15' N., 

 and between the longitude of 199 20', and 201 30' 

 East. 



Of Woahoo, the most easterly of these islands 

 seen by us, which lies in the latitude of 21 36', we 

 could get no other intelligence, but that it is high 

 land, and is inhabited. 



We had opportunities of knowing some particulars 

 about Oneeheow, which have been mentioned already. 

 It lies several leagues to the westward of our anchor- 

 ing place at Atooi ; and is not above fifteen leagues in 

 circuit. Its chief vegetable produce is yams ; if we 

 may judge from what was brought to us by the na- 

 tives. They have salt, which they call patai ; and is 

 produced in salt ponds. With it they cure both fish 

 and pork; and some salt fish, which we got from them, 

 kept very well, and were found to be very good. 

 This island is mostly low land, except the part facing 

 Atooi, which rises directly from the sea to a good 

 height; as does also the south-east point of it, which 

 terminates in a round hill. It was on the west side 

 of this point where our ships anchored. 



Of Oreehoua we know nothing more than that it 

 is a small elevated island, lying close to the north 

 side of Oneeheow. 



Atooi, which is the largest, being the principal 

 scene of our operations, I shall now proceed to lay 

 before my readers what information I was able to 

 collect about it, either from actual observation, while 

 on shore, or from conversation with its inhabitants, 

 who were perpetually on board the ships while we 

 lay at anchor ; and who, in general, could be toler- 

 ably, well understood, by those of us who had ac- 



