ropped astern about a hundred yards, and
all set up their song of defiance, which they continued till the ship
was distant from them about four hundred yards. As they seemed to have
no design to attack us, I was not willing to do them any hurt; yet I
thought their going off in a bravado might have a bad effect when it
should be reported ashore. To show them therefore that they were still
in our power, though very much beyond the reach of any missile weapon
with which they were acquainted, I gave the ship a yaw, and fired a
four-pounder so as to pass near them. The shot happened to strike the
water, and rise several times at a great distance beyond the canoes;
This struck them with terror, and they paddled away without once looking
behind them.

About two in the afternoon, we saw a pretty high island bearing west
from us; and at five, saw more islands and rocks to the westward of
that. We hauled our wind in order to go without them, but could not
weather them before it was dark. I therefore bore up, and ran between
them and the main. At seven, I was close under the first, from which a
large double canoe, or rather two canoes lashed together at the distance
of about a foot, and covered with boards so as to make a deck, put off,
and made sail for the ship: This was the first vessel of the kind that
we had seen since we left the South Sea islands. When she came near, the
people on board entered very freely into conversation with Tupia, and,
we thought, showed a friendly disposition; but when it was just dark,
they ran their canoe close to the ship's side, and threw in a volley of
stones, after which they paddled ashore.

We learnt from Tupia, that the people in the canoe called the island
which we were under Mowtohora; it is but of a small circuit, though
high, and lies six miles from the main; on the south side is anchorage
in fourteen fathom water. Upon the main land, S.W. by W. of this island,
and apparently at no great distance from the sea, is a high round
mountain, which I called Mount Edgecumbe: it stands in the middle of a
large plain, and is therefore the more conspicuous; latitude 37 deg. 59',
longitude 183 deg. 7'.

In standing westward, we suddenly shoaled our water from seventeen to
ten fathom; and knowing that we were not far from the small islands and
rocks which we had seen before dark, and which I intended to have passed
before I brought-to for the night, I thought it more prudent to tack,
and spend the