88 
A VOYAGE TO 
1779- with great labour, I was fent to examine the coaft to lee- 
i Februar >\ ward; but not being able to land, on account of a reef of 
coral, which ftretched along the fhore to the diftance of half 
a mile, Captain Clerke determined, without farther lofs of 
time, to proceed to Atooi. At eight in the morning, we 
weighed, and ftood to the Northward, till day-light on 
Sunday z 8 . the 28th, when we bore away for that illand, which we 
were in light of by noon; and about funfet, were off its 
Eaftern extremity, which Ihews itfelf in a fine, green, flat 
point. 
It being too late to run for the road, on the South Weft 
fide of the illand, where we had been the laft year, we 
March puffed the night in plying on and off, and at nine the next 
Monday 1. morning, came to an anchor in twenty-five fathoms water, 
and moored with the beft bower in thirty-eight fathoms, 
the bluff-head, on the Weft fide of the village, bearing North 
Eaft by North three-quarters Eaft, two miles diftant; the 
extremes of the illand, North Weft by Weft three-quarters 
Weft, and South Eaft by Eaft half Eaft; the illand Oneeheow 
Weft by South half Weft. In running down to the road, 
from the South Eaft point of the illand, we faw the appear¬ 
ance of flioal water, in feveral places, at a confiderable 
diftance from the land ; and when we were about two miles 
to the Eaftward of the anchoring-place, and two or three 
miles from the Ihore, we got into four and half fathoms 
water, although our foundings had ufually been feven and 
eight fathoms. 
We had no fooner anchored in our old ftation, than feve¬ 
ral canoes came along-fide of us; but we could obferve, that 
they did not welcome us with the fame cordiality in their 
manner, and fatisfadtion in their countenances, as when we 
were here before. As foon as they got on board, one of the 
men 
