254 cook's first v^oyage july, 



edge of a coral rock, many of which, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of these islands, are as steep as a wall. 



This harbour, or bay, is called by the natives 

 OoPOA, and taken in its greatest extent, it is capable 

 of holding any number of shipping. It extends al- 

 most the whole length of the east side of the island, 

 and is defended from the sea by a reef of coral rocks : 

 the southernmost opening in this reef, or channel into 

 the harbour, by which we entered, is little more than, 

 a cable's length wide ; it lies off the easternmost part 

 of the island, and may be known by another small 

 woody island, which lies a little to the south-east of 

 it, called by the people here Oatara. Between three 

 and four miles north west from this island, lie two other 

 islets, in the same direction as the reef, of which 

 they are a part, called Opururu and Tamou ; be- 

 tween these lies the other channel into the harbour, 

 through which I went out, and which is a full quar- 

 ter of a mile wide. Still farther to the north-west 

 are some other small islands, near which I am told 

 there is another small channel into the harbour ; but 

 this I know only by report. 



The principal refreshments that are to be procured 

 at this part of the island are, plantains, cocoa-nuts, 

 yams, hogs, and fowls ; the hogs and fowls, however, 

 are scarce ; and the country, where we saw it, is 

 neither so populous, nor so rich in produce as Ota- 

 heite, or even Huaheine. Wood and w^ater may also 

 be procured, here ; but the water cannot conveniently 

 be got at. 



We were now again at sea, without having received 

 any interruption from the hostile inhabitants of Bo- 

 labola, whom, notwithstanding the fears of Tupia, 

 we intended to visit. At four o'clock in the after- 

 noon of the 25th, we were within a league of Otaha, 

 which bore N. 77 W. To the northward of the south 

 end of that island, on the east side of it, and some- 

 thing more than a mile from the shore, lie two small 

 islands, called Toahoutu and Whennuaia j between 



17 



