rd considerably, and appeared likely to afford a
good road. We therefore directed our course along the shore, at the
distance of about a mile, carrying regular soundings from twenty to
thirteen fathoms. At a quarter past two, the sight of a fine river,
running through a deep valley, induced us to come to an anchor in
thirteen fathoms water, with a sandy bottom; the extreme points of the
bay bearing S.W. by W. 1/2 W., and N.E. by E. 3/4 E., and the mouth of
the river S.E. 1/2 E., one mile distant. In the afternoon I attended
the two captains on shore, where we found but few of the natives, and
those mostly women; the men, they told us, were gone to Morotoi to
fight Tahyterree, but that their chief, Perreeoranee, who had stayed
behind, would certainly visit us as soon as he heard of our arrival.

We were much disappointed to find the water had a brackish taste for
two hundred yards up the river, owing to the marshy ground through
which it empties itself into the sea. Beyond this it was perfectly
fresh, and formed a fine running stream, along the side of which I
walked till I came to the conflux of two small rivulets, that branched
off to the right and left of a remarkably steep and romantic mountain.
The banks of this river, and indeed the whole we saw of the N.W. part
of Woahoo, are well cultivated, and full of villages; and the face of
the country is uncommonly beautiful and picturesque.

As the watering at this place would have been attended with great
labour, I was sent to examine the coast to leeward; but not being able
to land, on account of a reef of coral which stretched along the shore
to the distance of half a mile, Captain Clerke determined, without
farther loss of time, to proceed to Atooi. At eight in the morning we
weighed, and stood to the northward till day-light on the 28th, when
we bore away for that island, which we were in sight of by noon; and
about sun-set, were off its eastern extremity, which shews itself in a
fine green flat point.

It being too late to run for the road on the S.W. side of the island,
where we had been the last year, we passed the night in plying on and
off, and at nine the next morning, came to an anchor in twenty-five
fathoms water, and moored with the best bower in thirty-eight fathoms,
the bluff-head on the west side of the village, bearing N.E. by N. 3/4
E., two miles distant; the extremes of the island, N.W. by W. 3/4 W.,
and S.E. by E. 1/2 E.; the island Oneeheow W. by S.