Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 2.djvu/134

112

1701. I'chru i:i Thuildavi.

depth, but could not afcertain the faft, as the wind blew with too much violence, and the agitation of the fea was too great, to venture on a more minute examination, either with the (hip or the boats ; and as the adjacent fliores afford no fheker for veffels, there can be no ncceffity for approaching within a league of them.

Having pafl'ed this point, fituated, by our corrected furvcy, in lati- tude 20° 18', longitude 204°, we hauled into Toeaigh bay, and at feven o'clock anchored about fe-en miles to the fouih of the point above mentioned, in 41 fathoms water, brown fandy bottom, with fmall pieces of coral.

The night proved erv bolflerous, attended with -cry heavy gulls and flurries of wind diretlly off the land : in one of thefe, about three in the morning, we drove from the bank, but as it was my defign to acquire every information that could be obtained refpetling this Bay, the anchor was veighed, and we turned up into it, againfl a very ftrong s.E. gale.

As the day advanced, it moderated, and the weather became ferenc and pleafant. The adjacent fhores, forming the north-weftern part of the Bay, feemed to be very fruitful, whilfl the number of habitations indicated them to be well peopled ; yet none of the natives ventured near us. As we confidered the taboo to be at an end, I began to be ap- prehenfive that the fhynefs of the inhabitants originated from fome more ferious caufe ; about ten o'clock however a canoe was feen paddling to- wards the fliip ; we immediately brought to, and on her coming along- fide, we were informed by thofe in her that they belonged to Kahow- motoo, who was then rcfiding at a village, on an eR;ite of his, in the bottom of tlie Ba)', named Toeaigh ; off which there was good anchorage, and excellent water eafily to be procured. The/e peo- ple, without the Icafl hefitation, faid that the reafon of our not having been vifitcd before was, that the whole of the ifland was under a very f}.ricl taboo, that prohibited the inhabitants from ufing tlicis canoes, or quitting the fliore by any otiier means ; but that the rank and confe- quencc of their mailer Kahowinotoo, authorized him to difpenfe with the redriclions on the prefent occafion : as he entertained hopes, that die