128 A V O Y ,A G E T O 



„'r77- we had on board; and, in fuch convcrfions, and in the oc- 



Deccmber. 



%— N • cafional ufes of the fliips, great part of that had been al- 

 ready expended. I thought tliat Mr. de Bougainville's an- 

 chor would fupply our want of this ufeful material ; and I 

 made no doubt that I fliould be able to tempt Opoony to 

 part with it. 



Oreo, and fix or eight men more from Ulietea, took a 

 pafTage with us to Bolabola. Indeed, moft of the natives 

 in general, except the Chief himfelf, would have gladly 

 taken a paflage with us to England. At funfet, being the 

 length of the South point of Bolabola, we fhortened fail, 

 and (pent the night making fhort boards. At day-break, on 

 Mondays, the 8th, we made fail for the harbour, which is on the Weft 

 fide of the ifland. The wind was fcant, fo that we had to 

 ply up, and it was nine o'clock before we got near enough 

 to fend away a boat to found the entrance. For I had 

 thoughts of running the fliips in, and anchoring for a day 

 or two. 



When the boat returned, the Mafler, who was in her, re- 

 ported, that though, at the entrance of the harbour the 

 bottom was rocky, there was good ground within, and the 

 depth of water twcnty-feven and twcnry-fivc fathoms; and 

 that there was room to turn the (liips in, the channel being 

 one third of a mile broad. In confequence of this report, 

 we attempted to work the fhips in. But the ride, as wl!1 as 

 the wind, being againft us, after making two or three trips, 

 I found that it could not be done, till the tide fliould turn 

 in our favour. Upon this, I gave up the delign of carrying 

 tlie fliips into the harbour ; and having ordered the boats to 

 be got ready, I embarked in one of them, accompanied 

 by Oreo and his companions ; and was rowed in for the 

 ifland. 



We 



