236 A VOYAGE T O 
^ xx^ ^ accompaiiy him ; however, to this reqtiefi: he gave a 
iV"'' — Dofitive refiifal. About three days before they quitted 
July, 1788. J J -1 
Matavai Bay, O'too brought the ring of an anchor on 
board, obferving it might be made into fmall hatchets : 
Mr. Watts upon examining "it, recolleded that it 
certainly belonged to an anchor which Captain Cook - 
bought of Opooni, at Bola Bola, in 1777 : as there 
was no forge on board the Lady Penrhyn, the Captain 
offered O'too three hatchets for it, v/hich he readily took.. 
When Captain Cook bought the anchor juif mentioned 
it wanted the ring and one of the palms, and at that 
. ' time they knew that it had been carried from Otaheite,, 
and belonged to Monf. Bougainville : how O'too came 
by the ring, Mr. Watts could not learn, but had he pof- 
feffed it when the Refolution was here, it is reafonable to^ 
fuppofe he would have brought it to Captain Cook, andi 
the more fo as at that time the natives ufed to bring 
many large pieces of iron (which they had obtained 
from the Spaniards) to be either worked up or exchanged 
for trinkets. Though from the feafon of the year they, 
had reafon to expert a fcarcity of vegeta])Ies, yet they 
were agreably furprifed to find them in the greateft 
plenty and profufion ; hogs were multiplied amazingly, 
and from the proceedings of the natives, Mr, Watts was 
induced to think they were defirous to thin them, as 
they brought none to barter but fows, and the greateit 
part of them were with pig; fowls were obtained in 
tolerable 
