A VOYAGE TO 
12S 
1777. cafional ufes of the fhips, great part of that had been al- 
" 'C; m 61 ; ready expended. I thought that Mr. de Bougainville’s an¬ 
chor would fupply our want of this ufeful material; and I 
made no doubt that I ftiould be able to tempt Opoony to 
part with it. 
Oreo, and fix or eight men more from Ulietea, took a 
pafiage with us to Bolabola. Indeed, mod; of the natives 
in general, except the Chief himfelf, would have gladly 
taken a paflage with us to England. At funfet, being the 
length of the South point of Bolabola, we fhortened fail, 
and fpent the night making fhort boards. At day-break, 
Monday 8 . on the 8th, we made fail for the harbour, which is on the 
Weft fide of the ifland. The wind was fcant, fo that we 
had to ply up, and it was nine o’clock before we got near 
enough to fend away a boat to found the entrance. For I 
had thoughts of running the fhips in, and anchoring for 
a day or two. 
When the boat returned, the Mafter, who was in her, 
reported, that though at the entrance of the harbour the 
bottom was rocky, there was good ground within, and the 
depth of water twenty-feven and twenty-five fathoms; and 
■ that there was room to turn the fhips in, the channel being 
one third of a mile broad. In confequence of this report, 
we attempted to work the fhips in. But the tide, as well 
as the wind, being againft us, after making two or three 
trips, I found that it could not be done, till the tide fhould 
turn in our favour. Upon this, I gave up the defign of 
carrying the fhips into the harbour; and having ordered 
the boats to be got ready, I embarked in one of them, ac¬ 
companied by Oreo and his companions; and was rowed 
in for the ifland. 
We landed where the natives directed us; and, foon after, 
I was 
