P<^RTER's J0URNAL. 



eumstance, it will very naturally be inferred, that Captain 

 Tucker does not possess that practical knowledge of sea- 

 manship, to which officers of his grade have usually at- 

 tained. 



On the 13th, an order was issued, that the fire in the 

 galley should thenceforth be extinguished daily, at 2 P. M. 

 in consequence of which, lieut. Gamble was deprived of a 

 €up of tea in the afternoon ; one of the best comforts his 

 delicate health required. These, and other regulations of 

 a similar nature, as will be seen anon, were not lost upon 

 the fertile genius of Jack; and Captain Tucker had soon 

 the satisfaction of being generally known throughout the 

 ship, by the whimsical title of ' Mr, Garrick,'^ 



At 6 A, M. on the 16th, land was descried from the 

 *nast-head, and being then in lat. 14°. 58'. south, and long. 

 147°. 48'. west, it could have been no other than Prince of 

 Wales' Island— at least, this was the general opinion on 

 board. Having lost sight of it on the weather quarter, at 

 10 A. M. of the same day, Recreation Island was disco- 

 vered, bearing S. E. in lat. 15°. 13'. south, and long. 148". 

 53'. west, nearly. This island was first discovered by 

 Roggewin, in 1712 ; and in all probability, has seldom or 

 never been visited since. On the 17th, land was again 

 descried from the mast-head, which proved to be Miatea, 

 one of the Society Islands ; although Captain Tucker at 

 first mistook it, very strangely, for Otaheite, It now ap- 

 peared to be his intention to call at the latter for refresh- 

 ments; and after three days search, he was so fortunate as to 

 find out Matavai Bay ; almost as well known to navigators, as 

 the harbour of New- York. The charts of the harbour are 

 generally known to be correct ; and no difficulty can occur 

 in running by them directly into the Bay; yet, from some 

 novel cause or other, the captain did -not conceive it pru- 

 dent to run his ship in, without a previous examination ; 

 and Mr. Oakey, the master, was accordingly despatched 

 for that purpose. In the course of an hour, Mr. Oakey 

 signified that there was good anchorage in the Bay ; but 

 the ship had now drifted far to leeward ; and she was con- 

 sequently compelled to haul off for the night. The next 

 day, however, at 10 A. M. she was brought safely to an 

 anchor in the Bay, in 12 fathoms water, Point Venus bear- 

 ing N. N. E. and the Bluff S. W. by S. 



As soon as the ship was perfectly secured at her moov- 



