32 A VOYAGE TO FEB. 



precautions were taken in giving them victuals, and 

 the child being committed to the care of one of the 

 women, we found them all next morning perfectly 

 recovered. 



At midnight, a gale of wind came on, which 

 obliged us to double reef the topsails, and get down 

 the top-gallant yards. On the 8th, at day-break, we 

 found, that the foremast had again given way, the 

 fishes which were put on the head, in King George's 

 or Nootka Sound, on the coast of America, being 

 sprung, and the parts so very defective, as to make 

 it absolutely necessary to replace them, and, of course, 

 to unstep the mast. In this difficulty, Captain Cook 

 was for some time in doubt, whether he should run 

 the chance of meeting with a harbour in the. islands 

 to leeward, or return to Karakakooa. That bay was 

 not so remarkably commodious, in any respect, but 

 that a better might probably be expected, both for 

 the purpose of repairing the masts, and for procuring 

 refreshments, of which, it was imagined, that the 

 neighbourhood of Karakakooa had been already pretty 

 well drained. On the other hand, it was considered 

 as too great a risk to leave a place that was tolerably 

 sheltered, and which, once left, could not be regained, 

 for the mere hopes of meeting with a better ; the 

 failure of which might perhaps have left us without 

 resource. 



We therefore continued standing on toward the 

 land, in order to give the natives an opportunity of 

 releasing their friends on board from their confine- 

 ment ; and, at noon, being within a mile of the shore, 

 a few canoes came off to us, but so crowded with 

 people, that there was not room in them for any of 

 our guests ;< we therefore hoisted out the pinnace to 

 carry them on shore ; and the master, who went with 

 them, had directions to examine the south coasts of 

 the bay for water ; but returned without rinding any. 



The winds being variable, and a current setting 

 strong to the northward, we made but little progress 



