THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
139 
The longitude of the three feveral places is deduced from 1777. 
the mean of 145 fets of obfervations made on Ihore; fome , Pec "^ ber j 
at one place, and fome at another; and carried on to each 
of the ftations, by the time-keeper. As the lituation of thefe 
places was very accurately fettled, during my former voy¬ 
ages, the above obfervations were now made chiefly with 
a view of determining how far a number of lunar obferva¬ 
tions might be depended upon, and how near they would 
agree with thofe made upon the fame fpot in 1769, which 
fixed Matavai Point to be in 210° 27" 30A The difference, 
it appears, is only of 5' 2" ; and, perhaps, no other method 
could have produced a more perfect agreement. Without 
pretending to fay which of the two computations is the 
neareft the truth, the longitude of 210 0 12 ! 28", or, which is 
the fame thing, 208° 25" 22", will be the longitude we fhall 
reckon from with the time-keeper, allowing it to be lofing, 
on mean time, i/hp each day, as found by the mean of all 
the obfervations made at thefe iflands, for that purpofe. 
On our arrival at Otaheite, the error of the time-keeper 
in longitude was, 
ky ( Greenwich rate, i° 18' 58 v 
(Tongataboo rate o° 16' 4© // 
Some obfervations were alfo made on the tide; particu¬ 
larly at Otaheite and Ulietea; with a view of afcertaining 
its greateft rife at the firft place. When we were there, in 
my fecond voyage, Mr. Wales thought he had difcovered, 
that it rofe higher than I had obferved it to do, when I firft 
vifited Otaheite in 1769. But the obfervations we now made, 
proved that it did not; that is, that it never rofe higher 
than twelve or fourteen inches at moft. And it was obfer¬ 
ved to be high-water nearly at noon, as well at the quadra¬ 
tures, as at the full and change of the moon. 
N T 2 
To 
