[70 



A VOYAGE TO 



'777- We have alfo very good authority to beUcve, that Keppel's 



and Bofcawen's Illands, two of Captain Wallis's difcoveries 

 in 1765, are comprehended in our Hft ; and that they are not 

 only well knov^n to tliefe people, but arc under the fame 

 fovercign. The following information feemed to me deci- 

 five as to this. Upon my inquiring, one day, of Poulaho 

 the king, in what manner the inhabitants of Tongataboo 

 had acquired the knowledge of iron, and from what quain- 

 ter they had procured a fmali iron tool, which I had feen 

 amongft them, when I firil vifited their ifland, during my 

 former voyage, he informed me, that they had received this 

 iron from an ifland, which he called Neeootabootaboo. 

 Carrying my inquiries further, I then defired to know, whe- 

 ther he had ever been informed, from whom the people of 

 Neeootabootaboo had got it. I found him perfectly acquaint- 

 ed with its hiftory. He faid, that one of thofe iflanders fold 

 a club, for five nails, to a Ihip which had touched there; 

 and that thefe five nails afterward were fent to Tongataboo. 

 He added, that this was the firft iron known amongfl: them ; 

 fo that, what Tafman left of that metal, muft have been 

 worn out, and forgot long ago. I was very particular in 

 my inquiries about the fituation, fize, and form of the ifland ; 

 exprcfling my defire to know when this fliip had touched 

 there ; how long fhe fl^aid ; and whether any more were in 

 company. The leading facfls appeared to be frelli in his 

 memory. He faid, that there was but one fhip; that fhe 

 did not come to an anchor, but left the ifland after her 

 boat had been on fliore. And from many circumflances, 

 which he mentioned, it could not be many years fince this 



Heemjllrk's Banks. See Dalrymple's Colleftlon of Voyages to the South Pacific 

 Ocean, Vol. ii. p. 83. ; and Campbell's edition of Harris's, Vol. i. p. 325. 



had 



