THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 127 



CHAP. VIII. 



y^r rival at Bolahola. — Interview with Opoo?iy. — Reafons 

 for pur chafing Monfeur de Bougainville s Afichor. — De- 

 parture frofn the Society Ijlands. — Particulars about 

 Bolabola — Hifiory of the Conquefi of Otaha a?id Ulietea. 

 — High Reputation of the Bolabola Men. — A7iimah 

 left there ^ and at Ulietea. — Plentiful Supply of Provi- 

 fwns^ and Manner of faking Pork on board. — Va- 

 rious Refleclions relative to Otaheite^ and the Society 

 Jfands, — AJlronojfiical and nautical Obfcrvations made 

 there. 



A 



S foon as we had got clear of the harbour, we took 1777* 



December. 



our leave of Ulietea, and fleered for Bolabola. The 



chief if not fole object I had in view, by vifiting that ifland, 

 was, to procure from its monarch, Opoony, one of the an- 

 chors which Monficur de Bougainville had loft at Otaheite. 

 This having afterward been taken up by the natives there, 

 had, as they informed mc, been fent by them as a prefent 

 to that Chief. My defire to get pofTeffion of it did not arife 

 from our being in want of anchors. But having expended 

 all the hatchets, and other iron tools, which we had brought 

 from England, in purcliafing refrefliments, we were now 

 reduced to the neceffity of creating a frefli afTortment of 

 trading articles, by fabricating them out of the fpare iron 



we 



