488 cook's voyage to dec. 



of Owhyhee ; where we spent the night, standing off 

 and on. 



In the morning of the 2d, we were surprised to see 

 the summits of the mountains on Owhyhee covered 

 with snow. They did not appear to be of any extra- 

 ordinary height ; and yet, in some places, the snow 

 seemed to be of a considerable depth, and to have lain 

 there some time. As we drew near the shore, some 

 of the natives came off to us. They were a little shy 

 at first ; but we soon enticed some of them on board ; 

 and at last prevailed upon them to return to the island, 

 and bring off what we wanted. Soon after these 

 reached the shore, we had company enough ; and 

 few coming empty-handed, we got a tolerable supply 

 of small pigs, fruit, and roots. We continued trading 

 with them till six in the evening ; when we made 

 sail, and stood off, with a view of plying to windward 

 round the island. 



In the evening of the 4th, we observed an eclipse 

 of the moon. Mr. King made use of a night-tele- 

 scope, a circular aperture being placed at the object 

 end, about one-third of the size of the common aper- 

 ture. I observed with the telescope of one of Rams- 

 den's sextants ; which, I think, answers this purpose 

 as well as any other. The following times are the 

 means, as observed by us both 



& 3 'l! egi " ni " S ' f " the Uongi- ( 204 40' 45" 

 8" *T end "of 'the'ecl'ipsej tude V* 25 ' 15 " 



Mean -,-,.,,;.,. 204 35' 



/.' 



The penumbra was visible, at least ten minutes be- 

 fore the beginning, and after the end of the eclipse. 

 I measured the uneclipsed part of the moon, with 

 one of Ramsden's sextants, several times before, at, 

 and after the middle of the eclipse ; but did not get 

 the time of the middle so near as might have been 

 effected by this method. Indeed these observations 



