34 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



for their observatory upon a rock, where they fixed their 

 tents, and prepared the apparatus for the following day's 

 observation. 



On Saturday the 3rd of June, as soon as it was light, Mr. 

 Banks left them to go to the island for fresh provisions. As 

 he was trading with the natives who belonged to Tarrao, the 

 king of the island arrived with his sister, whose name was 

 Nuna, in order to pay him a visit. After being seated as 

 is customary, the royal present was brought, consisting of a 

 hog, a dog, some cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, etc. A messenger 

 was despatched by Mr. Banks for an adze, a shirt, and some 

 beads, which his majesty received with much pleasure. Mr. 

 Banks returned to the observatory with his visitors, and 

 showed them the transit of the planet Venus over the sun's 

 disk, informing them that he and his companions had 

 come from their own country solely to view it in that, 

 situation. 



Both the parties which were sent out made their observa- 

 tion with great success. They nevertheless differed in the 

 accounts of the times of the contacts more than might 

 have been imagined.* 



Mr. Green's account was as follows : 



(The first external contact, or first appearance of 

 Venus on the sun, was 9 hours 25 min. 4 sec. 

 The first internal contact, or total immersion, 

 was 9 hours 44 min. 4 sec. 



/The second internal contact, or beginning of the 



immersion, was 3 hours 14 min. 8 sec. 

 m - 1 The second external contact, or total immersion, 

 ( was 3 hours 32 min. 10 sec. 



Latitude of the observatory, 17 15' 29.* S. 



Longitude, 149 32' 30" W. of Greenwich. 



There having been a scarcity of bread-fruit for some days, 

 it appeared, upon inquiry, that the fruit had been gathered 

 to make a sort of sour paste, called Mahie, which after 

 fermentation, will keep a long time, in times of dearth. 



Complaint was made on Monday the 12th to Captain 



* " The day proved as favourable to our purpose as we could wish ; 

 not a cloud was to be seen the whole day, and the air was perfectly 

 clear ; so that we had every advantage in observing the whole of 

 the passage of the planet Venus over the sun's disk. We very 

 distinctly saw an atmosphere, or dusky shade, round the body of 

 the planet, which very much disturbed the times of the contact, 

 particularly the two internal ones. It was nearly calm the whole 

 day, and the thermometer, exposed to the sun about the middle of 

 the day, rose to a degree of heat we have not before met with." 

 Extract, Captain Cook's Journal, Admiralty Records. 



