, nor upon Maurua, another island in sight of it and to
the westward of Bolabola. He also mentioned another island which I
thought he called Mojeshah, but we know no such island unless it be
Howe's Island, and that seems to be situated too far to the South and to
the West for the island he attempted to describe and point out to us. The
chiefs and several other people came on board from these islands and
brought with them the usual produce, and they were at all the isles very
pressing to prevail upon us to make a longer stay with them, but as I had
no object particularly in view and my people in good health, I did not
think it proper unnecessarily to waste my time for the sake of procuring
a few articles that were in greater abundance in these islands than at
Otaheite. I made presents to all those chiefs as it was my custom to do
to everyone that had the least pretension to pre-eminence, and to all the
people who came on board in the first boat.

After leaving Bolabola I steered for Maurua and passed it at a small
distance. Howe's Island was not seen by us as it is a low island and we
passed to the Southward of it. I then shaped my course to get into the
latitude of and to fall in to the Eastward of Why-to-tackee [Aitutaki].

On the 14th, Henry Hillbrant, one of the pirates, gave information that
Christian had declared to him the evening before he left Otaheite that he
intended to go with the _Bounty_ to an uninhabited island discovered by
Mr. Byron, situated to the Westward of the Isles of Danger, which, from
description of the situation, I found to be the island called by Mr.
Byron "The Duke of York's Island,"[40-1] and if they could land, would
settle there and run the ship upon the reef and destroy her, and if they
could not land, or if on examination found it would not answer their
purpose, he would look out for some other uninhabited island. However, I
continued my course for Why-to-tackee, being now determined to examine
the island in preference to following any intelligence, however
plausible, and on the morning of the 19th saw the Island of Why-to-tackee
[Aitutaki],[40-2] and sent the tender in shore to ground and look out for
a harbour.

At noon sent Lt. Hayward in the yawl to look into a place on the N.W.
part of the island that had the appearance of a harbour and to get
intelligence of the natives. In the evening he returned. The place was so
far from being fit for the reception of the ship that he could sca