140 cook's first voyage JUNE, 



Thursday in the afternoon, though all possible ex- 

 pedition was used to fit her out ; the people on 

 board, after having rowed most part of the night, 

 brought her to a grappling just under the land of 

 Imao. Soon after day-break, they saw an Indian 

 canoe, which they hailed, and the people on board 

 shewed them an inlet through the reef into which 

 they pulled, and soon fixed upon a coral rock, which 

 rose out of the water about one hundred and fifty 

 yards from the shore, as a proper situation for their 

 observatory : it was about eighty yards long and 

 twenty broad, and in the middle of it was a bed of 

 white sand, large enough for the tents to stand upon. 

 Mr. Gore and his assistants immediately began to set 

 them up, and make other necessary preparations for 

 the important business of the next day. While this 

 was doing, Mr. Banks, with the Indians of Otaheite, 

 and the people whom they had met in the canoe, 

 went ashore upon the main island, to buy provisons ; 

 of which he procured a sufficient supply before night. 

 When he returned to the rock, he found the ob- 

 servatory in order, and the telescopes all fixed and 

 tried. The evening was very fine, yet their solicitude 

 did not permit them to take much rest in the night : 

 one or other of them was up every half hour, who 

 satisfied the impatience of the rest by reporting the 

 changes of the sky, now encouraging their hope, by 

 telling them that it was clear, and now alarming 

 their fears, by an account that it was hazy. 



At day-break they got up, and had the satisfaction 

 to see the sun rise without a cloud. Mr. Banks 

 then wishing the observers, Mr. Gore and Mr. 

 Monkhouse, success, repaired again to the island, 

 that he might examine its produce, and get a fresh 

 supply of provisions : he began by trading with the 

 natives, for which purpose he took his station under 

 a tree ; and to keep them from pressing upon him in 

 a crowd, he drew a circle round him, which he suf- 

 fered none of them to enter. 



i 



