[Sail from Society Islands.]
REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN THE SOUTH SEAS.
Thursday, August 10th. P.M., Light Airs and Calm, remainder fresh breezes and Cloudy. At 6 p.m. the South end of Ulietea South-East 1/2 East, distant 4 Leagues; but I take my departure from the Harbour, saild from in Latitude 16 degrees 46 minutes South, and Longitude 151 degrees 27 minutes West. At 7 a.m. found the Variation to be 5 degrees 50 minutes East. Wind Easterly; course South 16 degrees West; distance 50 miles; Latitude observed 17 degrees 34 minutes South, longitude 151 degrees 41 minutes West.
Friday, 11th. Fresh breezes and Clear weather. Wind East; course South 4 degrees West; distance 85 miles; latitude 18 degrees 59 minutes South, longitude 151 degrees 45 minutes West.
Saturday, 12th. Gentle breezes and fair weather. Wind East, East by North; course South 3/4 East; distance 77 miles; latitude 20 degrees 15 minutes South, longitude 151 degrees 36 minutes West.
Sunday, 13th. Moderate breezes and Clear weather. Variation 5 degrees 40 minutes East. Wind East by North; course South 16 degrees East; distance 96 miles; latitude 21 degrees 47 minutes South, longitude 151 degrees 9 minutes West.
Monday, 14th. Fresh breezes and fair weather. At 2 p.m. saw land bearing South-East, which Tupia calls the Island of Ohetiroa.* (* Rurutu, one of the Tubuai or Austral Group. They are now under French protectorate.) At 6 was within 2 or 3 Leagues of it, the Extreams bearing from South by East to South-East; shortned sail and stood off and on all night; at 6 a.m. made Sail and stood in for the Land and run to Leeward of the Island, keeping close in shore all the time, saw several of the Natives as we run along shore, but in no great numbers. At 9 hoisted out the Pinnace and sent Lieutenant Gore, Mr. Banks, and Tupia to Endeavour to land upon the Island, and to speak with the Natives, and to try if they could learn from them what lands lay to the Southward of us, and likewise to see if there was Anchorage in a Bay which appear'd to our View, not that I intended to Anchor or make any stay here. Wind North-North-East; latitude 22 degrees 26 minutes South, longitude 150 degrees 55 minutes West; at noon, Ohetiroa East 2 leagues.
Tuesday, 15th. Fresh breezes and fair weather. At 2 p.m. the Pinnace return'd on board without landing, not but what it was practicable, but they did not think it Altogether safe with only one Boat, as it would have been attended with some danger on account of the Surf and Rocks upon the Shore. The Natives were Arm'd, and Shewd no Signs either of fear or Friendship. Some of them came off to the Boat in a Canoe, and had some Nails and Beads given them; but with these they were not Satisfied, thinking they had a right to everything in the Boat, and at last grew so Troublesome that in order to get clear of them our People were obliged to fire some Musquets, but with no intent to hurt any of them; however, it so hapned that one Man was Slightly wounded in the head. The firing had the desired effect, and they thought fit to retire. After this, as the Boat lay near the Shore, some of them waded off to her, and brought with them some Trifles which they parted with for small Nails, etc. They seem'd desirous that our people should land, but this was looked upon as a Piece of Policy in them to get the whole Boat's Crew in their power; however, this was not attempted, as I had given orders to run no Risk. The Bay they went into, which lies on the West side of the Island, had in it 25 fathoms Water, but the bottom was very foul and Rocky. We had now made the Circuit of the Island (which did not appear to the best advantage), and found that there was neither a Harbour or safe Anchorage about it, and therefore I thought the Landing upon it would be attended with no advantage either to ourselves or any future navigators; and from the Hostile and thievish disposition of the Natives it appear'd that we could have no friendly intercourse with them until they had felt the Smart of our fire Arms, a thing that would have been very unjustifiable in me at this Time; we therefore hoisted in the Boat, and made Sail to the Southward.
[Of the Austral Group.]
This Island is situated in the Latitude of 22 degrees 27 minutes South, and in the Longitude of 150 degrees 47 minutes West from the Meridian of Greenwich.* (* Latitude is correct. Longitude 151 degrees 20 minutes West.) It is 13 miles in Circuit, and tolerably high; it appears to be neither Populous nor fertile; its produce seem'd to be nearly the same as the other Islands we have touched at, and likewise the Stature, Colour, Habit, and Arms of the Natives, only that some of them wore Pieces of Cloth like broad belts, different both in Shape and Colour to anything of the kind we had seen before, and their Arms, and in general everything they had about them, much neater made, and shew'd great proofs of an ingenious fancy. Tupia says that their are several Islands laying at different directions from this--that is, from the South to the West and North-West--and that 3 days' sail to the North-East is an Island called Manua, that is Bird Island, and that it lies 4 days' sail from Ulietea, which is one day less than from Ulietea to Ohetiroa.* (* Tupia was right except with respect to Manua, as there is no island answering his description.) From this account I shall be able to find the Situation of Manua pretty well. Since we have left Ulietea Tupia hath been very desirous for us to steer to the Westward, and tells us if we will go that way we shall be with plenty of Islands: the most of them he himself hath been at, and from the discription he gives of two of them they must be those discover'd by Capt. Wallace, and by him called Boscawen and Keppel's Islands, and those do not lay less than 400 Leagues to the Westward of Ulietea. He says that they are 10 or 12 days in going thither, and 30 or more in coming Back, and that their Pahies--that is their large Proes--sails much faster than this Ship. All this I believe to be true, and therefore they may with Ease sail 40 Leagues a day or more.