by Corporal Ledyard, who was directed to make
the Russians understand that the strangers were English and their
friends, and to gain all the information in his power. On the 14th a
visit was received from a Russian of considerable ability. Cook
entrusted to his care a letter and chart for the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, which were duly delivered. The natives of this island
were the best behaved and most peaceably disposed of any yet met with,
while not one of them was found guilty of an act of dishonesty. They
were, however, far from moral in their conduct.

Samganoodha Harbour was left on October 20, and the ships proceeded
south towards the Sandwich Islands. Cook's intention was to spend the
winter there, and to return to Kamtschatka by the middle of May. In
case of separation he directed Captain Clerke to meet him at the
Sandwich Islands for the first place of rendezvous, and the harbour of
Fetropaulowska, in Kamtschatka, for the second. The rigging of the
ships had now become very bad; on board the Discovery the main-tack gave
way, killed one man, and wounded the boatswain and two others.

On November 25 one of the Sandwich Islands, called by the natives Mowee,
hove in sight. Several canoes came off, belonging to a chief named
Terreeoboo; but as another island was discovered, called Owhyhee, [now
altered in spelling to Hawaii] which it was found possible to fetch, the
ships stood towards it, and their visitors accordingly left them. On
the morning of December 2 the summits of the mountains of Owhyhee were
seen, covered with snow. On the evening an eclipse of the moon was
observed. For several weeks the ships continued plying round the
island, bartering with the natives, who came off with hogs, fowls,
fruit, and roots. On January 16, 1779, a bay being discovered, the
masters were sent in to examine it, and having reported favourably, the
ships, on the next day, came to an anchor in Karakakooa Bay.

The ships were crowded with visitors, but not a single person had a
weapon of any sort. There must have been at least a thousand about the
two ships, and one of them took the rudder out of a boat and made off
with it. Cook ordered some muskets and four-pounders to be fired over
the canoe which was escaping. The multitude, however, seemed more
surprised than frightened.

Besides those who had come off in canoes the shore of the bay was
covered with spectators, and many hundreds were swimming roun