THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 87 



fight, bearing South South Eaft, quarter Eaft, and South '779- 



February, 



Weft by South, three-quarters Weft. 



Between the North poinp and a diftant head-land, which 

 we faw to the South Weft, the land bends inward confider- 

 ably, and appeared likely to afford a good road. We there- 

 fore directed our courfe along the fliore, at the diftance of 

 about a mile, carrying regular foundings from twenty to 

 thirteen fathoms. At a quarter paft two, the fight of a fine 

 river, running through a deep valley, induced us to come 

 to an anchor in thirteen fathoms water, with a fandy bot- 

 tom ; the extreme points of the bay bearing South Weft by 

 Weft half Weft, and North Eaft by Eaft three-quarters Eaft; 

 and the mouth of the river South Eaft half Eaft, one mile 

 diftant. In the afternoon, I attended the two Captains on 

 fhore, where we found but few of the natives, and thofe 

 moftly women ; the men, they told us, were gone to Mo- 

 rotoi to fight Tahyterree ; but that their Chief Perreeoranee* 

 who had flayed behind, would certainly vifit us, as foon as 

 he heard of our arrival. 



We were much difappointed to find the water had a 

 brackifh tafte, for two hundred yards up the river, owing 

 to the marfhy ground through which it empties itfelf into 

 the fea. Beyond this, it was perfectly frefh, and formed a 

 fine running ftream, along the fide of which I walked, till 

 1 came to the conflux of two fmall rivulets, that branched 

 off to the right and left of a remarkably fteep and romantic 

 mountain. The banks of this river, and indeed the whole 

 we faw of the North Weft part of Woahoo, are well culti- 

 vated, and full of villages; and the face of the country is 

 uncommonly beautiful and picturefque. 



3 AS 



