318 cook's first voyage nov. 



from the sea, is a high round mountain, which I 

 called Mount Edgecumbe : it stands in the middle 

 of a large plain, and is, therefore, the more conspicu- 

 ous; latitude 37° 59', longitude 183° T- 



In standing westward, we suddenly shoaled our 

 water from seventeen to ten fathom ; and knowing 

 that we were not far from the small islands and rocks 

 which we had seen before dark, and which I intended 

 to have passed before I brought to for the night, I 

 thought it more prudent to tack, and spend the night 

 under Mowtohora, where I knew there was no danger. 

 It was, indeed, happy for us that we did so ; for in 

 the morning, after we had made sail to the westward, 

 we discovered ahead of us several rocks, some of 

 which were level with the surface of the water, and 

 some below it : they lay N. N. E. from Mount Edge- 

 cumbe, one league and a half distant from the island 

 Mowtohora, and about nine miles from the main. 

 We passed between these rocks and the main, having 

 from ten to seven fathom water. 



This morning, many canoes and much people were 

 seen along the shore : several of the canoes followed 

 us, but none of them could reach us, except one with a 

 sail, which proved to be the same that had pelted us 

 the night before. The people on board again entered 

 into conversation with Tupia; but we expected another 

 volley of their ammunition, which was not, indeed, 

 dangerous to any thing but the cabin windows. They 

 continued abreast of the ship about an hour, and 

 behaved very peaceably ; but at last the salute which 

 we expected was given : we returned it by firing a 

 musket over them, and they immediately dropped 

 astern and left us, perhaps rather satisfied with having 

 given a test of their courage by twice insulting a 

 vessel so much superior to their own, than intimidated 

 by the shot. 



At half an hour after ten, we passed between a 

 low flat island and the main : the distance from one 

 to the other was about four miles, and the depth of 



