by himself, surrounded by a crowd of natives, and equally
anxious with the rest, described, in exaggerated terms, the power of the
English guns, which, he affirmed, could blow the whole island to pieces.
He had some cartridges in his pocket, and to prove his assertion he let
several of them off together. The sudden flash and report seem to have
produced a great effect on the minds of the natives, as the party were
sent off with a large supply of cooked plantains as a gift; and a bag
containing a pistol, which Mr Anderson particularly required, was
restored.

Omai found on this island three of his own countrymen who had arrived
there, eleven years before, in a canoe. They were the survivors of a
party of twenty persons who had been driven before the wind from
Otaheite, distant at least two hundred leagues. They declined a passage
offered to them to return to their native island. The circumstance was
interesting as giving an example of the way the islands of the Pacific
have been peopled. The name of this island was Wateeoo. The language
was equally well understood by Omai and the two New Zealanders.

Though the visit was an interesting one, the chief object in calling off
the island (that of procuring provender for the cattle) was not
attained, as nothing was sent off. From the small island which had been
seen three days before, and to which the ships now steered, all that was
required was obtained, consisting of grass and leaves of young cocoanut
trees and of the pandanus. Though the island, called Ota Kootaia, was
uninhabited, still, as it was occasionally visited by the natives of the
neighbouring island, Mr King left an axe and some nails in payment for
what he took away.

Captain Cook next sailed for Hervey Island, which he had supposed, when
he discovered it in 1773, to be uninhabited. As he now approached,
however, a number of canoes came off, but the people on board behaved in
a very wild and disorderly manner. They were of a darker colour than
the neighbouring islanders, and of a fiercer expression of countenance.
As no anchorage was found for the ships they stood away for Palmerston's
Island, which was found to be thickly covered with cocoanut trees,
pandanus, cabbage palm, and grass. The ships stood off and on for three
days, while four or five boats' crews were busily employed in cutting
food for the cattle, and in collecting two thousand cocoanuts for the
crews of the two ships. On leaving Pal