e harbours and anchoring places I have met with among these
islands, that of Tongataboo is by far the best, not only on account of
its great security, but of its capacity, and of the goodness of its
bottom. The risk that we ran in entering it from the north, ought to be
a sufficient caution to every future commander, not to attempt that
passage again with a ship of burden, since the other, by which we left
it, is so much more easy and safe. To sail into it by this eastern
channel, steer in for the N.E. point of the island, and keep along the
north shore, with the small isles on your starboard, till you are the
length of the east point of the entrance into the _lagoon_, then edge
over for the reef of the small isles, and, on following its direction,
it will conduct you through between Makkahaa and Monoofai, or the fourth
and fifth isles, which you will perceive to lie off the west point of
the _lagoon_. Or you may go between the third and fourth islands, that
is, between Pangimodoo and Monooafai, but this channel is much narrower
than the other. There runs a very strong tide in both. The flood, as I
have observed before, comes in from the N.W., and the ebb returns the
same way; but I shall speak of the tides in another place. As soon as
you are through either of these channels, haul in for the shore of
Tongataboo, and anchor between it and Pangimodoo, before a creek leading
into the _lagoon_, into which boats can go at half flood.

Although Tongataboo has the best harbour, Annamooka furnishes the best
water, and yet it cannot be called good. However, by digging holes near
the side of the pond, we can get what may be called tolerable. This
island too is the best situated for drawing refreshments from all the
others, as being nearly in the centre of the whole group. Besides the
road in which we anchored, and the harbour within the south-west point,
there is a creek in the reef before the eastern sandy cove, on the north
side of the island, in which two or three ships may lie very securely by
mooring head and stern, with their anchors or moorings fast to the
rocks.

I have already described the Hepaee Islands, and shall only add to that
description, by mentioning that they extend S.W. by S., and N.E. by N.,
about nineteen miles. The north end lies in the latitude of 19 deg. 39" S.,
and 33' of longitude to the east of Annamooka. Between them are a great
many small islands, sand-banks, and breakers; so, that, the safest way