37 ° 
A VOYAGE TO 
1777. We have alfo very good authority to believe, that Kep- 
pci’s and Bofcawen’s Illands, two of Captain Wallis’s difco- 
veries in 1765, are comprehended in our lift; and that they 
are not only well known to thefe people, but are under the 
fame fovereign. The following information feemed to me 
deciftve as to this. Upon my inquiring, one day, of Pou- 
laho, the king, in what manner the inhabitants of Tongata- 
boo had acquired the knowledge of iron, and from what 
quarter they had procured a fmall iron tool, which I had 
leen amongft them, when I firft viftted their ifland, during 
my former voyage, he informed me, that they had received 
this iron from an iftand, which he called Neeootabootaboo. 
Carrying my inquiries further, I then deftred to know, 
whether he had ever been informed, from whom the 
people of Neeootabootaboo had got it, I found him per¬ 
fectly acquainted with its hiftory. He faid, that one of 
thole illanders fold a club, for five nails, to a fhip which 
had touched there; and that thefe five nails afterward 
were fent to Tongataboo. He added, that this was the firft 
iron known amongft them; fo that, what Tafman left of 
that metal, muft have been worn out, and forgot long ago. 
I was very particular in my inquiries about the fituation, 
fize, and form of the ifland; exprefting my defire to know 
when this fhip had touched there ; how long fhe ftaid; 
and whether any more were in company. The leading 
fadts appeared to be frefh in his memory. He faid, that 
there was but one fhip; that the did not come to an an¬ 
chor, but left the ifland after her boat had been on fhore. 
And from many circumftances, which he mentioned, it 
could not be many years fince this had happened. Ac- 
Banks. See Dalrymple’s Collection of Voyages to the South Pacific Ocean, Vol. ii. 
p. 83. $ and Campbell’s edition of Harris’s, Vol. i. p. 325, 
cording 
