2i8 A V O Y A G E T O 



'777- by funfet, I ordered every body on board. But having little 

 V — -V- — ' or no wind, I determined to wait, and to employ the next 

 day, by endeavouring to get fome cocoa-nuts for our people, 

 from the next ifland to leeward, where we could obferve 

 that thofe trees were in much greater abundance, than upon 

 that where we had already landed, and where only the 

 wants of our cattle had been relieved. 



Wednef. 16. With this vicw, I kept flanding off and on, all night ; 

 and, in the morning, between eight and nine o'clock, I 

 went with the boats to the Weft fide of the ifland, and 

 landed with little difficulty. I immediately fet the people 

 with me to work, to gather cocoa-nuts, which we found in 

 great abundance. But to get them to our boats was a tedi- 

 ous operation ; for we were obliged to carry them at leaft 

 half a mile over the reef, up to the middle in water. Omai^ 

 who was with me, caught, with a fcoop net, in a very lliorc 

 time, as much fifli as ferved the whole party on fliore for 

 dinner, befides fending fome to both fhips. Here were alfo 

 great abundance of birds, particularly men-of-war and 

 Tropic birds ; fo that we fared fumptuoufty. And it is but 

 doing juftice to Omai to fay, that, in thefe excurfions to 

 the uninhabited iflands, he was of the greateft ufe. For he 

 not only caught the fifli, but drefled thefe, and the birds we 

 killed, in an oven, with heated ftones, after the fafliion of 

 his country, with a dexterity and good-humour that did 

 him great credit. The boats made two trips, before night, 

 well laden j with the laft, I returned on board, leaving Mr. 

 Williamfon, niy third Lieutenant, with a party of men, to 

 prepare another lading for the boats which I propofed to 

 fend next morning. 



Thurfdayij. I, accordingly, difpatchcd them at feven o'clock, and they 

 returned laden by noon. No time was loft in fending them 



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