2Q% cook's voyage to fi:b. 



of the line in which any intercourse was had with the 

 natives of this ocean, was that of Quiros, who landed 

 at Sagittaria, the Island of Handsome People, and 

 at Tierra del Espiritu Santo ; at all which places, and 

 at those with whom they had any communication, it 

 must of consequence have been made known. To 

 him succeeded, in this navigation, Le Maire and 

 Schouten, whose connections with the natives com- 

 menced much farther to the eastward, and ended at 

 Cocos and Horn Islands. It was not surprising that, 

 when I visited Tongataboo in 1773, I should find a 

 a bit of iron there, as we knew that Tasman had 

 visited it before me ; but let us suppose, that he 

 had never discovered the Friendly Islands, our 

 finding iron amongst them w r ould have occasioned 

 much speculation ; though we have mentioned be- 

 fore *, the method by which they had gained a 

 renewal of their knowledge of this metal, which con- 

 firms my hypothesis. For Neeootaboo taboo, or 

 Boscawen's Island, where Captain Wallis's ships left 

 it, and from whence Paulaho received it, lies some de- 

 grees to the N. W. of Tongataboo. It is well known 

 that Roggewein lost one of his ships on the Pernicious 

 Islands, which, from their situation, are probably 

 not unknown to, though not frequently visited by, 

 the inhabitants of Otaheite and the Society Islands. 

 It is equally certain, that these last people had a 

 knowledge of iron, and purchased it with the greatest 

 avidity when Captain Wallis discovered Otaheite ; 

 and this knowledge could only have been acquired 

 through the mediation of those neigbouring Islands 

 where it had been originally left. Indeed, they ac- 

 knowledge that this was actually the case, and they 

 have told us since, that they held it in such estim- 

 ation before Captain Wallis's arrival, that a chief of 

 Otaheite who had got two nails into his possession, 

 received no small emolument by letting out the use 



* See Vol. V. chap. x. 



