1?7S. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 4f)3 



It seems to be a very prevalent opinion amongst 

 naval officers of all ranks, that the king's stores are 

 better than any others, and that no ships are so well 

 fitted out as those of the navy. Undoubtedly they 

 are in the right, as to the quantity, but, I fear, not 

 as to the quality of the stores. This, indeed, is sel- 

 dom tried ; for things are generally condemned, or 

 converted to some other use, by such time as they 

 are half- worn out. It is only on such voyages as ours, 

 that we have an opportunity of making the trial ; as 

 our situation makes it necessary to wear every thing 

 to the very utmost. * 



As soon as daylight appeared, the natives ashore 

 displayed a white flag, which we conceived to be a 

 signal of peace and friendship. Some of them ven- 

 tured out after us ; but the wind freshening, and it 

 not being safe to wait, they were soon left astern. 



In the afternoon, after making another attempt to 

 weather the eastern extreme, which failed, I gave it 

 up, and run down to the Discovery. Indeed, it was 

 of no consequence to get round the island; for we 

 had seen its extent to the south-east, which was the 

 thing I aimed at ; and according to the information 

 which we had got from the natives, there is no 

 other island to the windward of this. However, as 

 we were so near the south end of it, and as the least 

 shift of wind, in our favour, would serve to carry us 



* Captain Cook may, in part, be right in his comparison of 

 some cordage used in the king's service, with what is used in that 

 of the merchants; especially in time of war, when part of the cord- 

 age wanted in the navy is, from necessity, made by contract. But 

 it is well known, that there is no better cordage than what is made 

 in the king's yards. This explanation of the preceding paragraph 

 has been subjoined, on the authority of a naval officer of distin- 

 guished rank, and great professional ability, who has, at the same 

 time, recommended it as a necessary precaution, that ships fitted 

 out on voyages of discovery, should be furnished with no cordage 

 but what is made in the king's yards ; and, indeed, that every arti- 

 cle of their store, of every kind, should be the best that can be 

 made. 



