saw Osnaburg Island, or
Maitea, discovered by Captain Wallis, bearing S. by W. 1/2 W. Soon after I
brought-to, and waited for the Adventure to come up with us, to acquaint
Captain Furneaux that it was my intention to put into Oaiti-piha Bay, near
the south-east end of Otaheite, in order to get what refreshments we could
from that part of the island, before we went down to Matavia. This done, we
made sail, and at six in the evening saw the land bearing west. We
continued to stand on till midnight, when we brought-to, till four o'clock
in the morning, and then made sail in for the land with a fine breeze at
east.[1]

At day-break we found ourselves not more than half a league from the reef.
The breeze now began to fail us, and at last fell to a calm. This made it
necessary to hoist out our boats to tow the ships off; but all their
efforts were not sufficient to keep them from being carried near the reef.
A number of the inhabitants came off in canoes from different parts,
bringing with them a little fish, a few cocoa-nuts, and other fruits, which
they exchanged for nails, beads, &c. The most of them knew me again, and
many enquired for Mr Banks and others who were with me before; but not one
asked for Tupia. As the calm continued, our situation became still more
dangerous. We were, however, not without hopes of getting round the western
point of the reef and into the bay, till about two o'clock in the
afternoon, when we came before an opening or break in the reef, through
which I hoped to get with the ships. But on sending to examine it, I found
there was not a sufficient depth of water; though it caused such an in-
draught of the tide of flood through it, as was very near proving fatal to
the Resolution; for as soon as the ships got into the stream, they were
carried with great impetuosity towards the reef. The moment I perceived
this, I ordered one of the warping machines, which we had in readiness, to
be carried out with about four hundred fathoms of rope; but it had not the
least effect. The horrors of shipwreck now stared us in the face. We were
not more than two cables length from the breakers; and yet we could find no
bottom to anchor, the only probable means we had left to save the ships.
We, however, dropt an anchor; but, before it took hold, and brought us up,
the ship was in less than three fathom water, and struck at every fall of
the sea, which broke close under our stem in a dreadful surf, and
threatened us