THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
269 
now being South South We'ft, or more Southerly, we were 1777. 
obliged to ply to windward, and did but juft fetch the North t M * y ’ , 
fide of Footooha by eight o’clock, where we fpent the 
night, making fhort boards. 
The next morning we plyed up to Lofanga, where, Friday 30. 
according to the information of our friends, there was an¬ 
chorage. It was one o’clock in the afternoon, before we 
got foundings, under the lee or North Weft fide, in forty 
fathoms water, near half a mile from the fhore; but the 
bank was fteep, and the bottom rocky, and a chain of 
breakers lay to leeward. All thefe circumftances being 
againft us, I ftretched away for Kotoo, with the expectation 
of finding better anchoring ground under that ifland. But 
fo much time had been fpent in plying up to Lofanga, 
that it was dark before we reached the other; and, finding 
no place to anchor in, the night was fpent as the preced¬ 
ing one. 
At day-break, on the 31ft, I flood for the channel which Saturday 31. 
is between Kotoo, and the reef of rocks that lie to the 
Weft ward of it; but, on drawing near, I found the wind 
too fcant to lead us through. I, therefore, bore up on the 
outfide of the reef, and ftretched to the South Weft, till near 
noon, when, perceiving that we made no progrefs to wind¬ 
ward, and being apprehenfive of lofing the illands, with fo 
many of the natives on board, I tacked and flood back, in¬ 
tending to wait till fome more favourable opportunity. We 
did but juft fetch in with Footooha, between which and 
Kotoo we fpent the night, under reefed topfails and forefail. 
The wind blew frefh, and by fqualls, with rain; and we 
were not without apprehenlions of danger. I kept the deck 
till midnight, when I left it to the Mailer, with fuch direc¬ 
tions as, I thought, would keep the fhips clear of the fhoals 
and 
