Page:Captain Cook's Journal during His First Voyage Round the World.djvu/197

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Aug. 1769.]
Of the Austral Group.
121

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 S. to the W. and N.W.—and that 3 days' sail to the N.E. 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[1] From this account I shail 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.

The farthest Island to the Southward that Tupia hath been at, or knows anything of, lies but 2 days' Sail from Ohetiroa, and is called Moutou,[2] but he says that his father once told him that there was Islands to the Southward of it; but we Cannot find that he either knows or ever heard of a Continent or large Track of Land. I have no reason to doubt Tupia's information of these Islands, for when we left Ulietea and steer'd to the Southward he told us that if we would keep a little more to the East (which the wind would not permit us to do) we should see Manua, but as we then steer'd we should see Ohetiroa, which hapned accordingly. If we meet with the Islands to the Southward he speaks off, it's well, but if not, I shall spend no more time searching for them, being now fully resolv'd to stand directly to the Southward in search of a Continent. Wind Northerly; course S. ½ E.; distance 94 m.; lat. 24° 1′ S., long. 150° 37′ W.; at noon, Ohetiroa N. ½ W., 31 leagues; variation 6° 7′ E.

Note.—As we advanced to the Southward into Cold weather, and a troubled Sea, the Hogs we got at Ulietea began to die apace. They cannot endure the least cold, nor will they hardly eat any-

  1. Tupia was right except with respect to Manua, as there is no island answering his description.
  2. Tubuai.