THEPACIFICOCEAN. 269 



About one o'clock in the afternoon, the Eafterly wind was ^m- 



May. 



fucceeded by a frem breeze at South South Eaft. Our courfe, < . ' 



now being South South Weft, or more Southerly, we were 

 obliged to ply to windward, and did but juft fetch the North 

 Side of Footooha by eight o'clock, where we fpent the 

 night, making Ihort boards. 



The next morning, we plyed up to Lofanga, where, 

 according to the information of our friends, there was an- 

 chorage. It was one o'clock, in the afternoon, before we 

 got foundings, under the lee or North Weft fide, in forty 

 fathoms water, near half a mile from the fliore ; but the 

 bank was fteep, and the bottom rocky, and a chain of 

 breakers lay to leeward. All thefe circumftances being 

 againft us, I ftretched away for Kotoo, with the expedation 

 of finding better anchoring ground under that ifland. But 

 fo much time had been fpent in plying up to Lofanga, 

 that it was dark before we reached the other ; and, finding 

 no place to anchor in, the night was fpent as the preced- 

 ing one. 



At day- break, on the 31ft, I ftood for the channel which Saturday 31. 

 is between Kotoo, and the reef of rocks that lie to the 

 Weftward of it ; but, on drawing near, I found the wind 

 too fcant to lead us through. I, therefore, bore up on the 

 outfide of the reef, and ftretched to the South Weft, till near 

 noon, when, perceiving that we made no progrefs to wind- 

 ward, and being apprehenfive of lofmg the iflands, with fo 

 many of the natives on board, I tacked and ftood back, in- 

 tending to wait till fome more favourable opportunity. We 

 did but juft fetch in with Footooha, between which and 

 Kotoo we fpent the night, under reefed topfails and forefail. 

 The wind blew frefli, and by fqualls, with rain ; and we 



were 



