212 AVOYAGETO 



^777j he had no motive to land, he did not give them an oppor- 

 tunity to ufe them." 



Having received this report, I confidered, that, as the fliips 

 could not be brought to an anchor, we fliould find that the 

 attempt to procure grafs here, would occafion much delay, 

 as well as be attended with fome danger. Befides, we 

 were equally in want of water ; and though the inhabitants 

 had told us, that there was water on their ifland, yet we 

 neither knew in what quantity, nor from v^^hat diftance, we 

 might be obliged to fetch it. And, after all, fuppoling no 

 other obftru6tion, we were fure, that to get over the reef, 

 would be an operation equally difhcult and tedious. 



Being thus difappointed at all the illands we had met 

 with, fmce our leaving New Zealand, and the unfavourable 

 winds, and other unforefeen circumftances, having unavoid^ 

 ably retarded our progrefs fo much, it was now impof- 

 fible to think of doing any thing this year, in the high lati^ 

 tudes of the Northern hemifphere, from which we were ftill 

 at fo great a diftance, though the feafon for our operations 

 there was already begun. In this ficuation, it was abfolutely 

 necelTary to purfue fuch meafures as were moft likely to 

 preferve the cattle we had on board, in the firft place ; and, 

 in the next place (which was ftill a more capital objedl), to 

 fave the ftores and provifions of the fhips, that we might 

 be better enabled to profecute our Northern difcoveries, 

 which could not now commence till a year later than was 

 orginally intended. 



If I had been fo fortunate as to have procured a fupply of 

 water, and of grafs, at any of the iftands we had lately vifited, 

 it was my purpofe to have ftood back to the South, till I 



had 



