THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
33 
jumped into the canoe to their affittance, they would fcarcely 1779. 
have been able to fatten it to the rope we had thrown out , Febmaiy ', 
for that purpofe. It was with difficulty we got them up the 
fhip’s fide, together with a child, about four years old, which 
they had lathed under the thwarts of the canoe, where it 
had lain with only its head above water. They told us, 
they had left the fhore the morning before, and had been, 
from that time, without food or water. The ufual precau¬ 
tions were taken in giving them victuals, and the child be¬ 
ing committed to the care of one of the women, we found 
them all next morning perfectly recovered. 
At midnight, a gale of wind came on, which obliged us 
to double reef the topfails, and get down the top-gallant 
yards. On the 8th, at day-break, we found, that the fore- Monday 8. 
matt had again given way, the fifhes, which were put on the 
head, in King George’s or Nootka Sound, on the coaft of 
America, being fprung, and the parts fo very defedtive, as 
to make it abfolutely neceflary to replace them, and, of 
courfe, to unftep the matt. In this difficulty, Captain Cook 
was for fome time in doubt, whether he fhould run the 
chance of meeting with a harbour in the illands to leeward, 
or return to Karakakooa. That bay was not fo remark¬ 
ably commodious, in any refpedt, but that a better might 
probably be expedted, both for the purpofe of repairing the 
mafts, and for procuring refreffiments, of which, it was 
imagined, that the neighbourhood of Karakakooa had been 
already pretty well drained. On the other hand, it was con- 
fidered as too great a rifle to leave a place, that was tolerably 
fheltered, and which, once left, could not be regained, for 
the mere hopes of meeting with a better; the failure of 
which might perhaps have left us without refource. 
We therefore continued Handing on toward the land, in 
Vol. II'I. F order 
