BB AVOYAGETO 



yri- As the watering at this place would have been attended 



February. _ _ 



i. -„ — > with great labour, I was lent to examine the coalt to lee- 

 ward ; but not being able to land, on account of a reef of 

 coral, which ftretched along the more to the diftance of half 

 a mile, Captain Clerke determined, without farther lofs of 

 time, to proceed to Atooi. At eight in the morning, we 

 weighed, and flood to the Northward, till day-light on the 

 Sunday 2S. 28th, when we bore away for that ifland, which we were in 

 fight of by noon ; and about funfet, were off its Eaftern 

 extremity, which mews itfelf in a fine, green, fiat point. 



It being too late to run for the road, on the South Weft 

 fide of the ifland, where we had been the laft year, we 

 March. pafTed the night in plying on and off, and at nine the next 

 Monday 1. morning, came to an anchor in twenty-five fathoms water, 

 and moored with the beft bower in thirty-eight fathoms, 

 the bluff-head, on the Weft fide of the village, bearing North 

 Eaft by North three-quarters Eaft, two miles diftant ; the 

 extremes of the ifland, North Weft by Weft three-quarters 

 Weft, and South Eaft by Eaft half Eaft ; the ifland Oneheow 

 Weft by South half Weft. In running down to the road, 

 from the South Eaft point of the ifland, we faw the appear- 

 ance of fhoal water, in feveral places, at a confiderable 

 diftance from the land ; and when we were about two miles 

 to the Eaftward of the anchoring- place, and two or three 

 miles from the fhore, we got into four and half fathoms 

 water, although our foundings had ufually been feven and 

 eight fathoms. 



We had no fooner anchored in our old ftation, than feveral 

 canoes came along-fide of us ; but we could obferve, that 

 they did not welcome us with the fame cordiality in their 

 manner, and fatisfaclion in their countenances, as when we 



were 



