rcely
find a passage through the reef for the boat; he conversed with seven or
eight different sets of people, whom he met with in canoes, and they all
agreed that the _Bounty_ was not, nor had not been there since Lt. Bligh
left the island, nor did any of them known anything of her. Lt. Hayward
recollected one of the natives, whom he remembered to have seen on board
the _Bounty_ when he discovered the island, and he saw another savage
belonging to a neighbouring island who knew Captain Cook and inquired
after him, Omai and Oediddee, whom he said he had seen.

These people at first approached the boat with caution, and could not be
prevailed upon to come on board the ship. As I was convinced that the
_Bounty_ was not on this island, and as Hervey's, Mangea and Wattea
Islands to the S.E. of Why-to-tackee were inhabited, I did not think it
probable that Christian, in the weak state the ship was in, would attempt
to settle upon either of them, and as there was some plausibility in the
information given me by Hillbrant the prisoner, and as the Duke of York's
Island seemed to answer the description of such an island as Christian
had been heard by others to declare he would search for to settle on, it
being by Mr. Byron's account uninhabited, and with a harbour; and as the
fact that it was out of the known track of ships in these seas since our
acquaintance with the Society Islands, made it still more eligible for
his purpose; from these united circumstances I thought it was probable he
might make choice of the Duke of York's Island for his intended
settlement. I therefore determined to proceed to that island, taking
Palmerston's island in my way thither, as it also answered in all
respects, except situation, to the description of the other; and at night
I bore away and made sail for Palmerston's Island, and made that on the
21st in the afternoon.[42-1]

On the 22nd in the morning sent the schooner tender and cutter in shore
to look for the harbours or anchorage, and soon after Lt. Corner was sent
in the yawl for the same purpose and to look out for the _Bounty_ and her
people. At noon, perceiving the schooner and cutter had got round the
Northernmost island, I stood round the S.E. island with the ship in
order to join the yawl that was at a grapnel off that island, and sent
the other yawl to join Lt. Corner. At 4 the two yawls returned with a
quantity of cocoanuts and Lt. Corner also returned on board. Soon after,
Lt. Haywa