kept standing off and on all night, and in the morning,
between eight and nine o'clock, I went with the boats to the W. side of
the island, and landed with little difficulty. I immediately set the
people with me to work to gather cocoa-nuts, which we found in great
abundance. But to get them to our boats was a tedious operation, for we
were obliged to carry them at least half a mile over the reef up to the
middle in water. Omai, who was with me, caught, with a scoop net, in a
very short time, as much fish as served the whole party on shore for
dinner, besides sending some to both ships. Here were also great
abundance of birds, particularly men-of-war and tropic birds, so that we
fared sumptuously. And it is but doing justice to Omai to say, that in
these excursions to the uninhabited islands he was of the greatest use;
for he not only caught the fish, but dressed these, and the birds we
killed, in an oven with heated stones, after the fashion of his country,
with a dexterity and good-humour that did him great credit. The boats
made two trips before night, well laden: With the last I returned on
board, leaving Mr Williamson, my third lieutenant, with a party of men,
to prepare another lading for the boats, which I proposed to send next
morning.

I accordingly dispatched them at seven o'clock; and they returned laden
by noon. No time was lost in sending them back for another cargo; and
they carried orders for every body to be on board by sunset. This being
complied with, we hoisted in the boats and made sail to the westward,
with a light air of wind from the N.

We found this islet near a half larger than the other, and almost
entirely covered with cocoa-palms, the greatest part of which abounded
with excellent nuts, having often both old and young on the same tree.
They were, indeed, too thick in many places to grow with freedom. The
other productions were, in general, the same as at the other islet. Two
pieces of board, one of which was rudely carved, with an elliptical
paddle, were found on the beach. Probably these had belonged to the same
canoe, the remains of which were seen on the other beach, as the two
islets are not above half a mile apart. A young turtle had also been
lately thrown ashore here; as it was still full of maggots. There were
fewer crabs than at the last place; but we found some scorpions, a few
other insects, and a greater number of fish upon the reefs. Amongst
these were some large eels, beautifu