356 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



with all his retinue, promising to return in a few days. 

 Accordingly, on the 19th, he made us another visit, and 

 remained with us till the 21st, in the evening, when he 

 took his final leave. To his care I intrusted a letter to 

 the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, in which was 

 enclosed a chart of all the northern coasts I had visited.* 



* The following is the letter alluded to, remarkably clear and 

 concise as usual, and of great interest : 



" Resolution, at the Island of Unalaschka, on the coast of America, 

 in the latitude of 53 N., longitude 192 30' E. from Greenwich, 

 the 20th October, 1778. 



" Sir Having accidentally met with some Russians, who have 

 promised to put this in a way of being sent to Petersburg, and as I 

 neither have, nor intend to visit Kamtschatka as yet, I take this 

 opportunity to give their Lordships a short account of my proceedings 

 from leaving the Cape of Good Hope to this time. 



" After leaving the Cape, I, pursuant to their Lordships' instruc- 

 tions, visited the island lately seen by the French, situated between 

 the latitude of 48* 40' and 50* S., and in the longitude of 69* E. 

 These islands abound with good harbours and fresh water, but 

 produceth neither tree nor shrub, and but very little of any kind of 

 vegetation. After spending five days on the coast thereof, I quitted 

 it on the 30th December ; jus^ touched at Van Dieman's Land, 

 arrived at Queen Charlotte's Sound in New Zealand, the 13th Feb., 

 1777 ; left it again on the 25th, and pushed for Otaheite ; but we 

 had not been long at sea before we met with an easterly wind which 

 continued so long, that the season was too far spent to proceed to the 

 north that year. At length tlie want of water and food for the cattle 

 I had on board obliged me to bear away for the Friendly Islands, so 

 that it was August before I arrived at Otaheite. I found that the 

 Spaniards from Callao had been twice at this island from the time 

 of my leaving it in 1774. The first time they came they left behind 

 them, designedly, four Spaniards, who remained upon the island 

 about ten months, but were all gone some time before my arrival. 

 They had also brought and left on the island, goats, hogs, and dogs, 

 One bull and a ram, but never a female of either of these species, so 

 those I carried and put on shore there were highly acceptable. These 

 consisted of a bull and three cows, a. ram and five ewes, besides 

 poultry of four sorts, and a horse and a mre with Omai. At the 

 Friendly Isles I left a bull and cow, a horse and mare, and some 

 sheep ; in which I flatter myself that the laudable intention of the 

 king and of their Lordships have been fully answered. 



" I left Omai at Huaheine ; quitted the Society Isles the 9th of 

 December ; proceeded to the north, and in the lat. of 22 N., long. 

 200 E., fell in with a group of islands, inhabited by the same nation 

 as Otaheite, and abounding with hogs and roots. After a short stay 

 at these islands, continued our route for the coast of America, which 

 we made on the 7th of last March ; and on the 29th, after enduring 

 several storms, got into a port in the lat. of 49 N. At this place 

 besides taking in wood and water, the Resolution was supplied 

 with a new mizzen-mast, fore top-mast, and her fore-mast got out and 

 repaired. 



