1.58 COOK S FIRST VOYAGE JUNE, 



under shelter of a small island called Boourou, near 

 "which is another called Taawii?rii ; the breach in the 

 •reefs is here very large, but the shelter for the ships 

 is not the best. 



Soon after we had examined this place, we took 

 boat, and asked Tituboalo to go with us to the other 

 side of the bay; but he refused, and advised us not 

 to go, for he said the country there was inhabited by 

 people who were not subject to Tootahah, and who 

 would kill both him and us. Upon receiving this in- 

 telligence, we did not, as may be imagined, relinquish 

 our enterprise ; but we immediately loaded our pieces 

 with ball : this was so well understood by Tituboalo 

 as a precaution which rendered us formidable, tluit 

 he now consented to be of our party. 



Having rowed till it was dark, we reached a low 

 neck of land, or isthmus, at the bottom of the bay, 

 that divides the island into two peninsulas, each of 

 which is a district or government wholly independent 

 of the other. From Port-Royal, where the ship was 

 at anchor, the coast trends £. by S. and E. S. E. ten 

 miles, then S. bv E. and S. eleven miles to the isthmus. 

 In the first direction, the shore is in .Q;eneral open to 

 the sea ; but in the last it is covered by reefs of rocks, 

 which form several good harbours, with safe anchor- 

 age, in 16, 18, 20, and 24 fathom of water, with 

 other conveniences. As we had not yet got into our 

 enemy's country, we determined to sleep on shore. 

 We landed, and though we found but few houses, we 

 saw several double canoes, whose owners were well 

 known to us, and who provided us with supper and 

 lodging ; of which Mr. Banks was indebted for his 

 share to Ooratooa, the lady who had paid him her 

 compliments in so singular a manner at the fort. 



In the morning we looked about the country, and 

 found it to be a marshy flat, about two miles over, 

 across which the natives haul their canoes to the cor- 

 responding bay on the other side. We then prepared 

 to continue our route for what Tituboalo called the 



