THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



271 



We lay here till the 4th. While in this ftation we 1777* 

 were, feveral times, vifited by the king, by Tooboueitoa, ^ ,' ^ 

 and by people from the neighbouring iflands, who came 

 off to trade with us, though the wind blew very frefli 

 moft of the time. The raafler was now fent to found the 

 channels bet'A'een the iflands that lie to the Eaftward ; and 

 I landed on Kotoo, to examine it, in the forenoon of 

 the 2d. ^'"^'^ ^ 



This ifland is fcarcely acceffible by boats, on account of 

 coral reefs that furround it. It is not more than a mile 

 and half, or two miles, long; and not fo broad. The North 

 Weft end of it is low, like the iflands of Hapaee ; but it rifcs 

 fuddenly in the middle, and terminates in reddifh clayey 

 cliffs, at the South Eaft end, about thirty feet high. The 

 foil, in that quarter, is of the fame fort as in the clifls; but, 

 in the other parts, it is a loofe, black mould. It produces 

 the fame fruits and roots which we found at the other 

 iflands ; is tolerably cultivated, but thinly inhabited. While 

 I was walking all over it, our people were employed in 

 cutting fome grafs for the cattle; and we planted fome 

 melon feeds, with which the natives feemed much pleafed, 

 and inclofed them with branches. On our return to the boat, 

 we paffed by two or three ponds of dirty vv'ater, which was 

 more or lefs brackifh in each of them ; and faw one of their 

 burying-places, which was much neater than thofe that 

 were met with at Hapaee. 



On the 4th, at feven in the morning, v/e weighed ; and, Wedner.4. 

 with a frefh gale at Eaft South Eaft, flood away for Anna- 

 mooka, where we anchored, next morning, nearly in the ThurfJays?' 

 fame ftation which we had fo lately occupied. 



I went 



